Chickpea and spinach curry for busy evenings brings together cupboard staples, a handful of greens and a gently spiced sauce. Canned chickpeas make it possible to put a substantial dinner on the table without soaking beans or planning ahead. Tomatoes give the sauce a savoury base, while coconut milk rounds out the spices and leaves enough sauce for rice or warm flatbread.
This recipe serves four and takes about 35 minutes, depending on how quickly you chop the onion. Use a wide saucepan or deep frying pan so the sauce can reduce steadily. If you are serving rice, start it before you begin the curry, then let it rest while you finish the spinach and seasoning.
Ingredients for four servings
Drain the chickpeas, wash the spinach and measure the spices before heating the pan. Having the tomatoes ready is particularly helpful because ground spices need only a brief time in hot oil before liquid goes in.
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil or olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- 1 can chopped tomatoes, about 400 g
- 2 cans chickpeas, about 400 g each, drained and rinsed
- 1 can unsweetened coconut milk, about 400 ml
- 150 g fresh baby spinach, washed and drained
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Water, as needed
- Cooked rice or warm flatbreads, to serve
- Chopped fresh coriander, optional
Stir the coconut milk before adding it, especially if the cream has separated in the tin. Full-fat coconut milk gives a rich sauce. Light coconut milk also works, although the curry may need a little longer uncovered to reach the same thickness. Use an unsweetened product intended for cooking.
Make the curry step by step
- Soften the onion. Heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and the initial salt. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened and lightly golden at the edges. Lower the heat if the onion colours before it softens.
- Add the aromatics. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for about 1 minute. Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, chilli flakes and tomato puree. Stir for 30 seconds, keeping everything moving so the spices warm through evenly.
- Cook the tomatoes. Immediately add the chopped tomatoes and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer uncovered for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture looks slightly thicker and the tomato puree is fully mixed in.
- Simmer the chickpeas. Add the drained chickpeas and coconut milk. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 10 to 12 minutes. Stir occasionally. The sauce should bubble gently, with enough liquid to move freely around the chickpeas.
- Check the consistency. Mash a few spoonfuls of chickpeas against the side of the pan and stir them back into the sauce if you want more body. Add a splash of water if the sauce has become too thick.
- Add the spinach. Stir in the leaves a handful at a time, letting each addition collapse before adding the next. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until all the spinach is wilted and distributed through the curry.
- Finish the seasoning. Stir in the garam masala and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Taste a chickpea with some sauce, then add more salt, lemon or chilli as needed. Serve with rice or flatbreads and the optional coriander.
Adjust the sauce before serving
If the curry is too thin
Simmer it uncovered for a few extra minutes before adding the spinach. A wide pan allows moisture to escape more quickly than a narrow saucepan. Mashing some chickpeas also thickens the sauce without adding another ingredient. Stir regularly after mashing, as the thicker mixture can catch on the bottom.
If the curry is too thick
Add water a tablespoon or two at a time until the curry is easy to spoon. Leave enough sauce to mingle with your rice or coat a piece of bread. Spinach can release moisture as it wilts, so check the texture again after the greens have cooked.
If the flavour needs adjusting
Start with a small pinch of salt, stir and taste again. Lemon juice brings freshness to the coconut sauce, but add it gradually because canned tomatoes vary in acidity. If the curry needs more heat, add another small pinch of chilli flakes and simmer briefly before serving.
Practical ingredient swaps
Frozen spinach makes this a useful cupboard-and-freezer dinner. Use about 150 g chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed to remove excess water. Add it after simmering the chickpeas and cook until piping hot throughout. Break apart compact clumps so they heat evenly and mix into the sauce.
Cooked dried chickpeas can replace the canned ones. Use roughly 450 to 500 g drained cooked chickpeas. Check that they are already tender before adding them, since the short simmer in this recipe is intended to heat the chickpeas and bring the sauce together. Dried chickpeas need separate soaking and cooking according to their packet instructions.
Mild curry powder can replace the cumin, coriander and turmeric if your spice cupboard is limited. Start with 1 tablespoon and check its ingredients before adding chilli, because blends vary in heat. Keep the fresh garlic and ginger, and taste the finished sauce before deciding whether it needs the garam masala.
Serving and preparing ahead
For a simple meal, serve the curry with warm flatbread and sliced cucumber. Rice is particularly good with a slightly looser sauce. A spoonful of plain yogurt adds a cool finish, or you can use an unsweetened plant-based yogurt. Put it on the table separately so each person can add their preferred amount.
If you are preparing dinner ahead, make the sauce and simmer the chickpeas, then add the spinach when reheating. This keeps the leaves from softening through repeated cooking. You can also chop the onion and measure the spices in advance, keeping the chopped onion covered in the refrigerator until needed.
For another evening, freeze the finished curry in meal-sized containers once it has cooled promptly. Leave room for expansion and label each container so it is easy to find. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating, then heat until steaming hot throughout, stirring regularly and adding water if the sauce has thickened.
Spinach already mixed into the curry will become softer when reheated, while the chickpeas retain their useful bite. Taste the hot sauce before serving and add a little fresh lemon juice if it needs brightening. Keep flatbread on hand and you have the makings of another easy evening meal.
