Easy Vegan Chickpea Curry

Name: Easy Vegan Chickpea Curry
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
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; 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper; 14 ounces diced tomatoes (, canned); 15 ounces chickpeas (, canned - rinsed and drained ); 1/3 cup vegetable broth (, low sodium (sub with water)); 2-3 teaspoons agave nectar ((or any sweetener) ); 3/4 teaspoon salt (, more to taste ); 1 1/4 cup full-fat coconut milk (, canned (shake the can before use)); 1 lime (, juiced ); Naan; Rice ((about 3 cups cooked)); Cilantro (, chopped (about 1/3 cup)); Lime wedges

March 31, 2020 By Melissa Huggins / 54 Comments

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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.