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This is the easiest Vegan Chickpea Curry you'll ever make! It calls for pantry staples and it takes 30 minutes on the stove. Plus, it's full of mouth-watering flavor and it's all made in one pan, too!
Certain ingredients are hard to find in stores right now, but that doesn't mean you can't have a fabulous meal for dinner. This Vegan Chickpea Curry requires simple ingredients that you likely have in your pantry.
It's a versatile recipe, so you can easily add ingredients, substitute them or omit them altogether to suit your taste. This meal is family-friendly, inexpensive, and completely satisfying, too!
Vegan Chickpea Curry Ingredients
(FULL AMOUNTS IN RECIPE CARD BELOW)
To make the flavorful base, you'll need Grapeseed Oil (or any neutral oil), Garlic, Ginger, Curry Powder, and Crushed Red Pepper.
For the creamy and savory sauce, you'll need Diced Tomatoes, Salt, Vegetable Broth (or water), Agave Nectar, and coconut milk.
The main ingredient is chickpeas. They add great texture and they are packed with protein!
To finish, add some brightness with a big squeeze of fresh lime or lemon. A sprinkle of fresh-cut cilantro is nice too.
How to make Vegan Chickpea Curry
- 1 - Heat oil over medium heat in a large pan. Add garlic and ginger, then sauté until fragrant.
- 2 -Now add the curry powder and red pepper. Sauté until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.
- 3 - Add diced tomatoes, chickpeas, water/broth, agave, and salt. Cook to reduce the liquid, meld flavors, soften tomatoes and chickpeas.
- 4 - Pour in coconut milk and lightly simmer to reduce and thicken.
- 5 - Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed.
Success Tips
- If the consistency is too thin, let it gently simmer longer to thicken up.
- For a thinner consistency, add a few splashes of broth or water to thin it out.
- Don't let the coconut milk boil or it may curdle. Just gently simmer until you've reached the desired consistency.
- If you want a creamier consistency, feel free to add the whole can of coconut milk to the recipe. This will impart more coconut flavor, but it'll be delicious!
Flavor Amp-Up Ideas
I wanted to keep this vegan curry recipe as simple as possible without skimping on flavor. However, if you want to amp things up, you can add ½-1 teaspoon cumin, coriander and garam masala to the curry powder. A pinch of cinnamon or cardamom at the end of cooking is lovely, too.
This recipe is mildly-spiced, so if you want more heat, add 1 small serrano or jalapeño pepper with the ginger and garlic. Deseed the peppers first, then slice or dice them. You can leave some seeds for extra heat.
You can also sauté onions for extra flavor. Finely dice a small onion and sauté it in oil over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until softened (before the ginger and garlic).
Substitute Ideas
- Grapeseed oil - you can use any neutral-flavored oil like avocado, sunflower, etc. If you like coconut oil, then you may want to use that. It makes the sauce a bit richer and almost buttery.
- Garlic - I used fresh garlic, but if you don't have it, you can use frozen or jarred.
- Ginger - If you don't have fresh, you can use frozen, or jarred.
- Curry Powder - You can make your own if you don't have it. Here is a simple recipe.
- Crushed Red Pepper - ¼-1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper will work too.
- Diced tomatoes - Crushed tomatoes will work too.
- Chickpeas - You can use canned or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas. Northern beans or cooked lentils will also work.
- Vegetable Broth - If you don't have it, water will work fine. The broth just adds a little extra flavor.
- Agave Nectar - Use any sweetener of choice. You can also omit it if you don't want a touch of sweetness. It just helps balance the acidity of the tomatoes and the spiciness of the dish.
- Coconut Milk - If you don't have it, you can use homemade cashew cream or any store-bought vegan cream that's unsweetened.
- Lime Juice - Fresh lemon juice is a great substitute, but if you can't find fresh citrus, you can use jarred. You can also omit the citrus.
What to Serve with Chickpea Curry
It goes perfectly with rice, naan, lime wedges, and fresh-cut cilantro, but you can serve it with anything you can think up. It's delicious on its own too! It goes well with salad, quinoa, cauliflower rice, artisan bread, steamed or roasted veggies and more!
More 30-Minute Meals to Enjoy
I Love to Hear From You
If you make this Vegan Chickpea Curry, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.
Easy Vegan Chickpea Curry
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil , or preferred oil
- 4-5 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger , grated or minced (fresh, frozen or paste)
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 14 ounces diced tomatoes , canned
- 15 ounces chickpeas , canned - rinsed and drained
- ⅓ cup vegetable broth , low sodium (sub with water)
- 2-3 teaspoons agave nectar (or any sweetener)
- ¾ teaspoon salt , more to taste
- 1 ¼ cup full-fat coconut milk , canned (shake the can before use)
- 1 lime , juiced
For Serving (Optional)
- Naan
- Rice (about 3 cups cooked)
- Cilantro , chopped (about ⅓ cup)
- Lime wedges
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Now add the curry powder and red pepper. Sauté until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.
- Add diced tomatoes, chickpeas, water/broth, agave, and salt. Simmer for 5-8 minutes to reduce the liquid, soften tomatoes and meld flavors. Stir occasionally.
- Pour in coconut milk and lightly simmer for 5-8 minutes to reduce and thicken (don't boil - lower heat if needed). If it's too thick, add a few splashes of broth or water to thin it out.
- Remove from heat and stir in the lime juice. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed. Top over rice and serve with naan, lime wedges, and cut cilantro if desired. Enjoy!
Solimar Hillier
This curry is to die for!!!! It's my go to recipe when I need something fast and delicious. The lime juice at the end adds an extra awesome flavor to this curry. I love this curry! No, I adore it!!! Yeah! Thanks for such great recipe. I love your website!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Solimar! We are so happy to hear how much you loved the curry - thank you for the kind words!
Jennifer Ellentuch
Outstanding! Will make again.
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Jennifer! We're so glad to hear that you loved the recipe! Thanks for trying it out 🙂
Paula
Does the sauce keep well in the fridge? For how long?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Paula, yes, it'll stay fresh for 3-5 days. 🙂
Paula Capodistrias
Thanks! BTW, it turned out delicious! Great recipe! 🙂
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Paula! We're so happy to hear that you loved it 🙂
Tiziana Festari
Hi! although I am not vegan I love chickpeas and love trying out different flavours and new recipes.Thank you for all the recipies you share with us!greetings from Malta Europe.
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi! So glad you love the recipe - thanks for stopping by!
Hernan Rivera
I've made this recipe two times in a short period and my wife loves it very much! I substituted the coconut sugar with maple syrup and I used fresh ginger from my garden. Definitely, This recipe is a keeper. Thank you, Melissa!!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Hernan! We are so happy to hear that you both loved the recipe - thank you for trying it out!
Suee33
This is super fast, delicious and easy!! What more do you want!! ha I cut the red pepper flakes by 1/2 and would do even less for KIDS!! You might add 2 cans of Chickpeas... or any veggie you want. This will be made again, very tasty and faster than calling a restaurant !
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi! We're so glad to hear that you loved the recipe - thank you for trying it out!
Steve Gourlay
Fantastic meal tonight, really enjoyed the Vegan Chickpea curry, and fully recommend this meal to all.
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Steve! We are so happy to hear that you loved the curry! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Reina
This was so delicious!! I substituted coconut sugar for agave and added some additional vegetables. I honestly was so happy with the flavor. It turned out amazing. Just the right amount of spice for me and my so. Usually I like spicier and he likes medium. It literally met both our needs.
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Reina! We are so happy to hear that you both loved the recipe and the extra veggies sounds delicious 🙂 Thanks so much for giving it a try!
Solimar Hillier
I made this curry tonight, and it was simply delicious!!!! My husband and I loved it! I will certainly make it again! Thank you so much!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Solimar! We're so happy that you both loved the recipe, thanks for trying it out 🙂
Wendy
This is so easy and soooo good!
Lisa
I am out of fresh ginger. Would powdered ginger work or can I leave it out all together. I plan to add garam masala to the dish.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Lisa, you can use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of ground ginger or you can just omit it. The garam masala will add lots of flavors. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Klaire
I love this recipe! Thank you for sharing it. I love how you can play with it a bit. Sometimes when I don't have garbanzo beans, I use potatoes instead. I love adding in onions and garam marsala. Yum!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Klaire! We're so glad you love the recipe! It is definitely a versatile dish, and we love the idea of those add-ins! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Helen Grange
Another home run from Vegan Huggs! Made this tonight for dinner, telling my husband “I hope you like this, because it sure is easy!” And he did! This will be a keeper and a regular dinner item for us. Delicious.
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Helen! We're so happy to hear that you both loved the recipe and will be making it again! Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Jane Weiss
Hi Melissa , this is the first time I tried cooking with curry and we had fun adding all the ingredients and really
enjoyed the dish. Thanks for the recipe.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Jane, I'm so glad you enjoyed cooking the curry. Thank you for giving it a try. 🙂
B. Maurene White
5 stars - my mobile wouldn't work the stars.
I have this almost exact recipe from a Community Kitchen workshop. The accompaniment I use is a mix of brown Batsmati, red and wild rices which are whole grain so likely more nutritious.. hope you get a chance to try it, I bet you'd be hooked.
Roe_goer
Another five star family favorite. I make this fairly frequently….. allowing other days for other Vegan Huggs recipes: vegan shepherd’s pie, ultimate vegan meatballs, creamy corn chowder, creamy polenta with mushroom ragout.. just to name a few. A list too numerous to mention! All delicious!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi! We are so happy that you loved the curry! Thanks so much for trying it out 🙂