Creamy coconut chickpea curry

A beautiful blend of creamy coconut and Indian inspired spices makes a creamy spiced curry sauce perfect to host tender buttery cooked chickpeas and spinach leaves. Perfect served up with a big fluffy naan bread or basmati rice. This chickpea curry is not one to miss!

This wonderfully flavoursome Coconut Chickpea Curry will be the perfect addition to your weekly meal rotation. A one-pot wonder, ensuring that your post-meal cleanup is a breeze. This recipe is as cost-effective as it is delicious, making it a true budget-friendly option. Packed with healthy proteins from the chickpeas this curry is a nutritional powerhouse. It's easy to make, even on your busiest days, ensuring a stress-free dinner prep. If you're not particularly fond of tomato-based curries, this Coconut Chickpea Curry recipe offers a delightful alternative that will win you over.

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Ingredients and substitutes-

• Chickpeas- I used bold beans brand jarred organic chickpeas for this curry however you can use any chickpeas you like. Use the bean juice (aquafaba) if using jarred beans also as it thickens the sauce.

• Coconut milk- I used full fat coconut milk in this for the perfect amount of creaminess. When buying coconut milk be sure to check the actual coconut concentration as these can vary from tin to tin and do compromise the flavour. In the UK I find that the Lidl coconut milk has the highest concentration out of all of the mainstream supermarkets.

• Spinach- I used frozen but you can use fresh. You could also use kale or spring greens just make sure to pre cook them if you want them to be soft.

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Top Tips!

Make ahead-

The flavours in this curry intensify if left over night and this curry reheats really well so feel free to make ahead then you have some for a night you don’t have time to cook.

Spice-

This is a more mild curry with just one green chilli however if you love spice go crazy with the chillis! Just make sure to taste as you go. If you have overdone it on the spice add in some more coconut milk and cook until reduced.

And now for the recipe!

Creamy coconut chickpea and spinach curry

​Serves- 3 Time- 30 minutes

Ingredients-

• 700g jar chickpeas

• 1 Tin coconut milk

• 50g Cashew nuts

• 150g Spinach

• 1tbsp Vegan butter

• 1 onion, diced

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

-Spice mix

• 1 tsp Coriander powder

• 1 tsp Turmeric powder

• 1 tsp Cumin powder

• 1 tsp Fenugreek powder

• 1 Green chilli, diced

Method-

1. Add the vegan butter to a pan and melt. Then add the whole diced onion and cook until soft.

2. Add the minced garlic cloves and green chilli and cook these until soft.

3. Now add in the powder spice mix and stir to coat the onions.

4. Add in the whole tin of coconut milk and stir well. Simmer this for 10 minutes on low heat.

5. Meanwhile, place the raw cashew nuts into a high speed blender cup and cover in boiling water, set these aside to soak.

6. Once the 10 minutes simmer is up add in the whole jar of chickpeas with their juice to the coconut milk mixture.

7. Add the spinach and cook until wilted or if using frozen, the spinach should be defrosted and stirred through.

8. Now blend the cashews and water until lump free.

9. Serve the curry up in bowls topped with the cashew cream and some thinly sliced chilli to garnish.

10. Serve this dish with a big fluffy naan bread and enjoy!

FAQ-

· Can I use light coconut milk?- If you are looking to decrease fat intake then light coconut milk can be used however the curry will be a little less creamy.

· Can I use other vegetables in this?- Feel free to change the spinach to kale, another leafy green or any other veg for that matter! Just make sure they are cooked to your liking- part cooking them before adding to the curry would be a good idea as the chickpeas are already cooked and just need heating through (we don’t want mushy chickpeas!)

· Is this curry suitable for reheating?- Absolutely! I always recommend to take a good curry for lunch the next day as the flavours always intensify overnight. If you liked this curry tonight you will LOVE it tomorrow! Just let it cool to room temperature and then store in a container, microwave the next day until heated through.

Why not try these other Indian inspired recipes?

• Butter bean curry

• Indian inspired roasted cauliflower

• Butter cauliflower curry

Did you make this recipe?

Snap a photo and tag me on Instagram @theplantbowls I'd love to see it!

Click here to watch the recipe video

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