This delicious one pot 10 Minute Chickpea and Spinach Curry is an easy vegan curry that you need in your life. It's low in calories and fat (just 123 calories for a big serving) and you just tip everything in to the pan and it’s ready less than 10 minutes later. Bursting with iron rich spinach and protein packed chickpeas, this chickpea curry recipe freezes well and it's absolutely delicious and easy to adapt depending on how spicy you like it.
This chickpea spinach curry (also known as Chana Palak curry, or Chana Palak Masala) is one of those recipes that we make almost every week. The whole family loves it. We always have the ingredients in the cupboard to make this, so when we haven't got anything else planned and we need something quick, easy and healthy, we make this.
It's really easy to adapt too, with different beans or greens, and even different spices too. We are always making it a different way to keep it interesting.
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Ingredients needed
- Chickpeas - Also known as Garbanzo Beans or Egyptian Peas, these make up the majority of the curry. You can swap for other beans if you wish.
- Spinach - Adds a big green boost to the curry.
- Onion - We used a medium white onion, but you could use shallots for a slightly sweeter flavour.
- Garlic - No curry is complete without garlic - feel free to adjust the quantities to your taste.
- Tomatoes - Use the best quality tinned tomatoes you can afford. Cheaper ones tend to be quite watery.
- Coriander (cilantro) - Some people don't like the flavour of coriander (cilantro), so feel free to omit.
- Spice mix - We used ground coriander, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper, turmeric and cayenne as they were what we had in the kitchen! You can use Garam masala, curry powder or your own favourite spice blend.
A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step by step
One: Heat a little olive oil in a large pan and add the onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
Two: Add the spices and stir well.
Three: Add the chopped tomatoes, drained chickpeas and salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Four: 2 minutes before it has finished cooking, add the spinach and coriander and stir well.
Five: Cook for 2 minutes or until the spinach has wilted.
Check out our story for a quick guide to how this chickpea curry recipe is made.
Why should you try it?
- This chickpea curry recipe takes less than 10 minutes. Which means it is ready in less time than it takes to choose something from the takeaway menu.
- Very little preparation is required. You just open tins and mix together with spices.
- It uses ingredients that you probably already have in your cupboard right now. Make use of all those herbs and spices you have.
- It's delicious. That's what you are really looking for from a meal isn't it? The flavours all work perfectly together in this super easy curry.
- It is low in calories and fat. Just 123 calories for a big filling portion and just 1 gram of fat. It is nutrient dense too, with the protein from the chickpeas and iron from the spinach.
- It's a vegan recipe, making it a really easy meal to help you reduce the amount of meat and dairy you consume. It is also gluten free and dairy free.
What spices to use
The most used spices in our kitchen, which feature in this dish, are ground coriander, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper, turmeric and of course cayenne because they are all flavour packed.
You can pick spices up for really cheap, especially if you buy them in bigger packets in ethnic stores and they really do make the dish.
Don't be afraid to start experimenting with herbs and spices. Add a little more or a little less of each depending on your tastes to make this tasty vegan chickpea curry recipe.
If you are short on time, or you don't have a range of spices, then you can just use 3 teaspoon of garam masala in this dish instead.
You could also use your favourite curry paste to make it a different way each time. We have made this with tikka and korma paste and it's delicious.
What vegetables to add
We only used spinach and onion in this curry to keep it quick and simple, but you can include pretty much any vegetables. Finely chop some red peppers and mushrooms and cook at the same time as the onion or swap the spinach for some kale or other leafy greens if you want to mix it up a bit.
To give this curry a more meaty feel, you could throw some chunks of aubergine into the mix or some larger chunks of portobello mushroom. Why not skip the rice and add some good sweet potato to the curry instead?
We had tinned chickpeas, we had tinned tomatoes and we had some spinach in the fridge that was starting to look a bit sorry for itself, so I thought I would throw it all together to make a curry.
Because this 10 Minute Chickpea and Spinach Curry uses cupboard staples it is a really budget curry and hardly costs anything to make - around £0.32/$0.42 per serving!
Healthy benefits of chickpeas
Chickpeas a rich source of vitamins, minerals and fibre. They offer a variety of health benefits, including improved digestion and reducing the risk of several diseases. They are also high in protein and are an excellent alternative to meat.
How to make in a slow cooker
Of course using a slow cooker is going to mean your meal takes longer than 10 minutes to cook, but there is still very little prep.
Simply follow steps one and two in the instructions and then put everything expect the spinach and herbs in the slow cooker. Cook on high for 2 and a half hours. 30 minutes before serving, stir in the spinach and coriander.
FAQs
The words Chana and Palak refer to the chickpeas and spinach in this recipe. Chana is a type of Indian chickpea. Palak normally refers to pureed spinach, but we have just wilted it for this recipe.
Yes, it is an extremely healthy curry. It uses only natural ingredients, it is virtually fat free and low in calories at only 123 per portion.
For convenience and to make this a super quick meal, we used a can of drained chickpeas.
If you wanted to use dried, we recommend soaking them for at least four hours. While this considerably adds to the preparation time, it will result in a curry that has a bit more "bite" to it.
Fresher, smaller chickpeas work the best as they soak the best. The older and larger the chickpeas, the longer you will need to soak them.
This curry is pretty creamy already, but if you want some extra creaminess, stir in 50ml (0.25 cups) of coconut milk just as the spinach is wilting. This will, of course, affect the nutritional values.
Yes it can! Separate this curry in to freezer containers with some rice and put them in your freezer for a quick and easy meal. Just liven it up with some fresh herbs before serving.
This will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you have leftovers that you want to keep in the fridge, they will stay fresh for 2 days. Just put the curry back in a pan and gently reheat.
Extra tips
- If you don't have a can of chickpeas, then any other can of plain beans will work. We like chickpeas because they are really creamy and cheap, but others work too. We have used haricot and cannellini before in this spinach curry.
- Don't have any spinach? You can use another leafy green instead. Kale, Cabbage and Swiss chard will all work, but they will take a little bit longer to cook, so put them in the pan earlier.
- If you have a bit of extra time, cook the onions on a lower heat for longer. The onions will be much softer and have more flavour, but as we wanted a quick curry we sped up that step. You can use red onion too, if you want.
- Don't want any heat? You can leave out the cayenne for a super mild curry, but still all the flavour from the other spices. Equally, if you like really spicy curries then you can add more cayenne.
- Use garam masala or curry powder to save even more time. If you don't have the individual spices to hand, or you don't want to measure them, add 3 teaspoon of garam masala instead.
- Creamy curries are super comforting, so why not add a spoonful of cream, coconut milk or creme fraiche to the pan just before serving.
- This curry freezes really well, and it will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you want to keep leftovers in the fridge they will stay fresh for up to 2 days.
- Instead of serving this spinach curry with plain rice, mix some lime juice and fresh coriander in to the rice before serving.
- A little tip about tinned tomatoes - we always use whole tomatoes and chop them up in the pan with a wooden spoon as they are less processed. Chopped tomatoes tend to be really watery, but they can be used. Try to buy the best quality too, as you can really taste the difference.
More vegetarian curry recipes
If you’ve tried this Chickpea Curry recipe or any other recipe on the blog then let us know how you got on in the comments below, we love hearing from you!
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - we love sharing photos when people make our recipes. You can use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
10 Minute Chickpea and Spinach Curry
Ingredients
- 0.5 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 Onion - diced
- 2 Garlic clove - crushed
- 400 g (14 oz) Chopped tomatoes - canned
- 400 g (2.5 cups) Canned chickpeas - canned; drained
- 100 g (3 cups) Spinach
- 10 g (0.35 oz) Fresh coriander (cilantro)
- 0.5 teaspoon Ground coriander
- 0.5 teaspoon paprika
- 0.5 teaspoon Cumin
- 0.5 teaspoon Ground turmeric
- 0.5 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 pinch Sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Heat 0.5 tablespoon Olive oil in a large pan and add 1 Onion and 2 Garlic clove and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add 0.5 teaspoon Ground coriander, 0.5 teaspoon paprika, 0.5 teaspoon Cumin, 0.5 teaspoon Ground turmeric and 0.5 teaspoon cayenne pepper and stir well.
- Add 400 g Chopped tomatoes, 400 g Canned chickpeas and 1 pinch Sea salt and black pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer for 8 minutes.
- 2 minutes before it has finished cooking, add 100 g Spinach and 10 g Fresh coriander (cilantro) and stir well.
- Cook for 2 minutes or until the spinach has wilted. Serve with more chopped coriander (cilantro) on top.
Notes
- If you don't have a can of chickpeas, then any other can of plain beans will work. We like chickpeas because they are really creamy, but others work too.
- Don't have any spinach? You can use another leafy green instead. Kale, Cabbage and Swiss chard will all work, but they will take a little bit longer to cook, so put them in the pan earlier.
- Creamy curries are super comforting, so why not add a spoonful of cream, coconut milk or creme fraiche to the pan just before serving.
- Instead of serving this spinach curry with plain rice, mix some lime juice and fresh coriander in to the rice before serving.
- A little tip about tinned tomatoes - we always use whole tomatoes and chop them up in the pan with a wooden pan as they are less processed. Chopped tomatoes tend to be really watery too. Try to buy the best quality too, as you can really taste the difference.
Laure
Hi Dannii.
Sorry to say but I think this curry tasted terrible.
Dannii
Hi Laure. Sorry to hear that - maybe we can help troubleshoot this? As for something to taste "terrible" there must have been something actually go wrong in terms of ingredients etc. As you can see, there are lots of positive reviews and this is a recipe we use ourselves weekly, so we know it works. What was terrible about it? Consistency? Spices? If you let us know than hopefully we can help you to enjoy it if you make it again.
Rachel
I love this curry. It’s healthy and packed with things that are good for me. I can eat it for any meal, any day of the week.
Dannii
So glad you enjoyed it.
kirrili taylor
This was delicious and super easy - I added some fresh ginger and extra spinach. I’m probs a bit greedy but I could easily have eaten the whole lot just myself!
Dannii
Make a double batch next time :)
Jude
Really nice. I added a tin of ratatouille I had in stock. The spinach really makes it for me. Anyone know if it freezes?
Dannii
Yes, it freezes really well. I can be kept for up to 2 months in the freezer.
Gina
This has become my favorite go-to quick dinner recipe. So easy yet so much flavor!
Jennifer
This is a super easy, but flavoursome dish! Im glad I have left overs.
Oliver
Quick, healthy and filling. Great for lunches at work. Under 400 calories with rice.
Claudia Lamascolo
wow this was super easy and delicious curry!
Kate
So good. I loaded up with mushrooms, red pepper, carrot, extra spinach and sweet corn. I avoid carbs so just ate this without rice. Amazing! Great meal and so easy.
Shropshire Lass
I make this curry regularly and it is liked by everyone. I just adjust the amount of chilli depending on who is going to eat it. Adding cream at the end really enhances it and I'm sure coconut milk would work equally well for a vegan version. Thanks so much for this!
Dannii
So glad you all enjoy it :)
Clare
Made this tonight and it's superb! Deliciously simple and very easy to make had all the ingredients in my pantry , I made gluten free ,vegan naan to go with it! Thank you so much for sharing this very tasty recipe! ♀️
Dannii
So glad you enjoyed it!
Nancy
Tasty, i thought the spices were subtle, they gave good flavour and enhanced rather than overpowered the dish. Easy to cook, would cook again.
J cleaver
Is this serving 123 calories without any rice
Dannii
Yes, the nutritional information is only for what is in the recipe ingredients. The rice is just a serving suggestion.
Mitchell Fox
What size is the portion so I can know I am having only 123 calories?
Dannii
The whole recipe serves 4 people. So it would be a quarter.
Pam
Great recipe, I’ve made this a couple of times and used frozen spinach and thrown in some green beans that were needing to be used up, worked well. I double up the recipe as I have two teenage boys - difficult to get them to go veggie, but this isn’t snarled at (there’s usually a small portion left over, which goes in the fridge and eaten for lunch in the following day or two). I served with quinoa that I cooked with a veggie stock cube. A dollop of Greek yogurt on the top helps with the heat if I slip with the cayenne!
Grenville Fletcher
I made this curry this evening and it was really good I added a teaspoon of tikka Masala paste along with the spices,also I didn't have chickpeas only butter beans and they worked really well,will be making this easy curry again thats for sure.
Dannii
So glad you enjoyed it and that it was good with butterbeans too.
Nart at Cooking with Nart
This curry is so delicious. Will definitely be making this again!
Ange Low
Really yum, nice and easy too. Will def make again.
Thanks
Ange
Dannii
So glad you enjoyed it.
Emma
Made this tonight and I wasn’t disappointed! My children loved it too. I added courgette, carrot and red pepper along with the chickpeas and it was fab! Thanks for the recipe :)
Dannii
I'm happy to hear you all enjoyed it. Great additions too!
Stacey
Super quick curry and lovely flavour, not too spicy.
I added cauliflower as I had no spinach around and this went well with it.
Emma Green
Nice but very spicy
Dannii
Sorry that you found the curry too spicy. As mentioned in the notes of the recipe, for a mild curry you can leave the cayenne out.
J cleaver
Is this 123 cals without any rice
Megan
Looks delicious! Was just wondering how many grams one serving would be?
Sophie
OMG THIS IS SO GOOD EVERYONE NEEDS TO TRY IT. SO MANY FLAVORS AND ITS JUST SO GOOD. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE RECIPE!!!!
Darren Thomas
Beautiful recipe and very quick and easy
Sisley White
This was an absolutely incredible meal. I loved making it and I loved eating it.
Dannii
So glad you enjoyed it.
Sandhya Hariharan
We love a speedy Chickpea Curry. This one is delicious with the masala's and spinach.