Chickpea, Coconut, and Cashew Curry Recipe (2024)

Why It Works

  • Using canned chickpeas speeds the cooking process.
  • Deeply browned onions, garlic, and ginger make a flavorful base for the curry.

My own personal Vegan Experience is behind me now, but there are many things that have stuck: Dining habits. The way I approach a menu. The way I stock my pantry. Even the basic ingredients I reach for first when I'm saying to myself, "What would my wife want for dinner?" (Which is just the nicer way of thinking, what would I personally really like to eat that my wife may or may not but hopefully may like to eat as well?)

The Advantages of Using Canned Chickpeas

The answer, more often than not, is chickpeas. And I'm not talking fancy, soaked overnight, simmered in flavorful liquid, carefully cooked chickpeas; I'm talking chickpeas drained out of a can and used as the base for a quick dish.

Now I can hear you bean lovers shouting already, "But canned beans are flavorless! Dried beans rule!" and I'm with you, but this is a case of diminishing returns. Provided you treat your canned beans right—that means spending a bit of time simmering them in a flavorful liquid (read up more on cooking with canned beans here), they can be tasty as heck and ready to eat in under half an hour. Will they be as creamy and flavorful as dried beans? Definitely not, but they'll be about 85 percent of the way there and take about 10 percent of the time and 5 percent of the effort.

Chickpea, Coconut, and Cashew Curry Recipe (1)

On most days, that's a pretty good trade-off.

The Key to Making a Flavorful Base

Chickpeas—known as chana in Hindi—are a staple in Indian and British Indian vegetarian cuisine. It's meaty texture and flavor hold up well to rich sauces like masala or korma. This recipe, a chickpea stew flavored with coconut and thickened with ground cashews, comes from no particularly authentic Indian legacy, but it's delicious and rib-sticking. There are a few keys to success. The first is to cook the onion, garlic, and ginger base until you think it's too cooked—deep brown and on the verge of burning in spots. This adds sweetness and layers of intense flavor to the sauce.

For the Best Flavor, Toast the Spices Before Grinding

The garam masala I use in this recipe is a homemade cumin and coriander-heavy mix (the flavors I like), but you can use your own blend or even a store-bought mix to make the recipe even quicker. In any case, toasting the spices in the oil will help intensify and distribute their flavor.

Once the base for the sauce is set, I deglaze with coconut milk, add toasted cashews, and grind the whole thing with plenty of fresh cilantro. A quick simmer for the chickpeas in the flavorful sauce, a big squeeze of lemon or lime at the end, and some warm homemade naan or rice, and dinner's on the table in under half an hour.

May 2012

Ingredients

For The Spice Mix (see notes):

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds, toasted

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds, toasted

  • 1 whole star anise, toasted

  • 2 cloves

  • 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, toasted

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

  • 1 blade mace

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

  • 1 black or green cardamom pod

For the Curry:

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, butter, or ghee

  • 1 small onion, finely minced (about 1 cup)

  • 4 cloves garlic, grated on the medium holes of a box grater

  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated on the medium holes of a box grater

  • 1 small red or green chile, finely chopped

  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • 1/2 cup cashew nuts

  • 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk

  • 2 (14-ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed

  • 1 bunch (about 3 ounces) flat spinach leaves, trimmed, rinsed, and roughly chopped

  • Kosher salt

  • 1/4 cup fresh juice from 3 to 4 limes

  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, coarsely chopped

Directions

  1. Combine cumin, coriander, star anise, cloves, peppercorns, cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, turmeric, and cardamom in a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder. Set aside.

    Chickpea, Coconut, and Cashew Curry Recipe (2)

  2. Heat oil, butter, or ghee in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until melted (or until oil is shimmering). Add onion, garlic, ginger, and chile. Cook, stirring frequently, and scraping bottom of pan until golden brown and starting to burn in spots, about 10 minutes. Add cayenne, cashews, and half of spice mixture. Cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add coconut milk and remove from heat. Scrape up any browned bits from bottom of pan.

    Chickpea, Coconut, and Cashew Curry Recipe (3)

  3. Transfer mixture to blender and starting a low speed, slowly increase speed to maximum. Blend until smooth, about 30 seconds. Return mixture to pot. Add chickpeas, spinach, and remaining spice mix and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until vegetables are heated through and spinach is wilted, about 10 minutes. Add salt and lime juice to taste. Stir in half of cilantro.

    Transfer to serving bowl, sprinkle with extra cilantro, and serve with lime wedges, basmati rice pilaf, grilled naan, and cilantro chutney, as desired.

    Chickpea, Coconut, and Cashew Curry Recipe (4)

Special Equipment

Spice grinder, blender

Notes

1 tablespoon of store-bought or homemade garam masala or curry powder can be used in place of dry spice mix.

  • Chickpeas
  • Indian
  • Vegan Mains
  • Vegetarian Mains
Chickpea, Coconut, and Cashew Curry Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How many days does chickpea curry last? ›

This simple chickpea curry can last between 5 and 7 days in the fridge. Just make sure to keep the curry in an airtight container to retain as much of the flavour and texture as possible. That way, you already have a prepped dinner or lunch that you can reheat within a few minutes whenever you get hungry.

What is chickpea curry made of? ›

Coconut Chickpea Curry is a simple & fast one pot Indian dish of curried chickpeas made with coconut milk, tomatoes and store-bought ground spices. That said, you can absolutely change up some of the flavors of this beautiful curry. Make it authentic coconut chickpea curry by following my recipe notes below.

What are the macros of chickpea coconut curry? ›

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
303Calories
20gFat
24gCarbs
7gProtein
Apr 19, 2024

How do you thicken chickpea curry? ›

How to Thicken Curry
  1. Add dairy. Many curry sauces have a creamy texture, so try adding more dairy—like Greek yogurt, heavy cream, or a thick non-dairy ingredient like coconut cream—to thicken a watery curry sauce.
  2. Add ground nuts. ...
  3. Add lentils. ...
  4. Add peanut butter. ...
  5. Add a tomato product. ...
  6. Start with a roux. ...
  7. Use a slurry.
Jan 20, 2022

Why is chickpea curry good for you? ›

The fiber, potassium, B vitamins, iron, magnesium, and selenium in chickpeas all support heart health. Fiber helps decrease the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels in the blood. Chickpeas contain no cholesterol.

Is chickpea a starch or protein? ›

Chickpeas have one of the highest nutritional compositions of any dry edible legumes. The average nutritional content of chickpea is 22 % protein, 67 % total carbohydrates, 47 % starch, 5 % fat, 8 % crude fiber, and 3.6 % ash. The lipid fraction is high in unsaturated fatty acids, primarily linoleic and oleic acids.

Is chickpea high or low carb? ›

Packed with protein and fiber, beans are a nutritious choice for people on most kinds of diets. However, they and other legumes such as chickpeas and lentils are also high in carbohydrates. Eat them in moderation when on a low carb diet.

Is chickpea curry high in carbs? ›

Chickpea curry provides a variety of vitamins and minerals, as well as a decent amount of carbs fibre, and protein. A 1-cup serving of chickpeas contains 14.5 grams of protein, 4.3 grams of fat, and 45 grams of carbohydrates.

Can I eat curry after 5 days in the fridge? ›

Cooked meat, poultry, and fish curries can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. However, it is important to heat and cool the meat dishes properly before refrigerating them and make sure you store them in airtight containers.

Can I eat chickpeas after 5 days? ›

Canned Chickpeas can last in the pantry indefinitely.

But once opened, you should refrigerate them and consume within 5-6 days.

How long does bean curry last in the fridge? ›

Storage. Store this delicious bean curry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or store it in the freezer for 3 months. To defrost, simply thaw it in the fridge overnight.

How long do cooked chickpeas last in the fridge? ›

Dry Chickpeas Store time: up to 1 year Canned Chickpeas Store time: several years Cooked or canned chickpeas (opened and in refrigerator) Up to 5 days Cooked chickpeas (freezer) 6 months Preheat oven to 400.

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