• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Hungry Healthy Happy
  • Pasta recipes
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • FREE eBook
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Pasta recipes
  • About
  • Recipe Index
  • FREE eBook
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Let's get social!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Pasta recipes
    • About
    • Recipe Index
    • FREE eBook
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
  • Let's get social!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Hungry Healthy Happy » Recipes » Curry

    10 Minute Chickpea and Spinach Curry

    Published: Jul 22, 2021 · Modified: Mar 17, 2022 by Dannii · This post may contain affiliate links · 202 Comments

    14103 shares
    • 2181
    • 41
    Jump to Recipe
    Diet: Low Fat / Vegan
    Chickpea and spinach curry with a title
    Chickpea and spinach curry with a text title overlay.

    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.

    Curried chickpeas and rice on a blue plate.

    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.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients needed
    • Step by step
    • Why should you try it?
    • What spices to use
    • What vegetables to add
    • Healthy benefits of chickpeas
    • How to make in a slow cooker
    • FAQs
    • Extra tips
    • More vegetarian curry recipes
    • Recipe
    • Feedback

    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.

    All the ingredients needed to make this recipe laid out on a wooden surface, each with a text overlay.

    Step by step

    One: Heat a little olive oil in a large pan and add the onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes.

    Chopped onions cooking in a frying pan.

    Two: Add the spices and stir well.

    Spices added to the onions and mixed in.

    Three: Add the chopped tomatoes, drained chickpeas and salt and pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

    Chopped tomatoes and chickpeas added to the pan and mixed in.

    Four: 2 minutes before it has finished cooking, add the spinach and coriander and stir well.

    Spinach added to the pan.

    Five: Cook for 2 minutes or until the spinach has wilted.

    Cooked chickpea spinach curry in the pan.

    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.

    A plate of seven spices and seasonings with text overlay labels.

    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!

    Curried chickpeas in a sauce with wilted spinach.

    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.

    Chickpea curry and rice on a plate next to a purple towel.

    FAQs

    What is Chana Palak?

    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.

    Is chickpea curry healthy?

    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.

    Canned or dried chickpeas for a curry?

    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.

    Chickpea curry with coconut milk

    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.

    Can chickpea curry be frozen?

    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

    • Halloumi Curry in a bowl with rice.
      Creamy Halloumi Curry
    • A plate of easy lentil curry and rice next to a blue striped towel.
      Easy Lentil Curry
    • A bowl of easy three bean curry in a light blue bowl. Two towels in the background
      Easy Three Bean Curry
    • Easy Mushroom Curry with rice.
      Easy Mushroom Curry

    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 on a blue and white plate.

    10 Minute Chickpea and Spinach Curry

    By: Dannii
    Curries don’t get much quicker and easier than this 10 Minute Chickpea and Spinach Curry. Just tip everything in to the pan and it’s ready less than 10 minutes later.
    the words low fat in a white circle.
    Low Fat
    An illustration of a v-shaped plant in a pot.
    Vegan
    4.44 from 282 votes
    Pin Print Save recipe Recipe saved!
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Indian
    Prep: 2 minutes mins
    Cook: 10 minutes mins
    Total: 12 minutes mins
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 123kcal
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    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.

    Nutritional Information

    Serving: 1portion | Calories: 123kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 232mg | Potassium: 195mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2500IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1.4mg
    DisclaimerThe nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.

    You'll love these too...

    • Slow cooker chicken tikka masala in a bowl with rice.
      Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala
    • Prawn jalfrezi and rice in a large round bowl.
      Prawn Jalfrezi
    • Slow cooker beef curry and rice in a round bowl.
      Slow Cooker Beef Curry
    • Paneer curry and rice in a round bowl.
      Paneer Curry

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sofia

      April 30, 2023 at 4:30 am

      5 stars
      Very very tasty! And full of aromas!

      Reply
    « Older Comments

    Made this recipe? Let me know! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Dannii in hat and glasses stood on a beach.

    Welcome!

    My name is Dannii. Here you will find easy family recipes with a healthy twist.
    Established in 2011, Hungry Healthy Happy has become one of the UK's most popular food blogs, with two successful recipe books published.

    About HHH»

    Pasta Recipes

    • A large bowl of Greek spaghetti with a pair of tongs in it.
      Greek Spaghetti with Tomato and Feta
    • A white plate with mushroom bolognese and spaghetti.
      Mushroom Bolognese
    • Quick Broccoli Pasta on a large plate next to a purple towel.
      Quick Broccoli Pasta
    • Healthy mac and cheese in a round dish with a portion scooped out.
      Healthy Mac and Cheese
    • Sardine pasta in a bowl with a fork.
      Sardine Pasta
    • Easy Marmite Pasta in a bowl topped with cheese and chopped herbs.
      Easy Marmite Pasta

    Featured in

    Collage of media outlet logos.

    Popular Recipes

    • A pile of air fryer chips.
      The Best Air Fryer Chips
    • 10 Minute Chickpea and Spinach Curry on a blue and white plate.
      10 Minute Chickpea and Spinach Curry
    • Easy tomato pasta sauce coating tagliatelle on a white plate.
      Easy Tomato Pasta Sauce
    • Slow cooker beef brisket sliced up on a serving board.
      Slow Cooker Beef Brisket

    Footer

    Help & Information

    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy
    • Advertising
    • Blog

    About us

    • About us
    • Newsletter Sign Up!
    • Press enquiries
    • Web Stories
    • FAQ

    Follow us

    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok

    ^ back to top

    Featured in

    A selection of publications that Hungry Healthy Happy has been featured in

    As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2011-2023 Hungry Healthy Happy • All Rights Reserved • Site Design by D Martin

    • 2.2K
    • 41
    14.1K shares