This wholesome chickpea curry with loads of vegetables like hearty butternut squash, spinach and green peas simmered in creamy coconut milk will become your favourite if you give it a try. It’s suitable for vegetarians and vegans but is also loved by a meat eating family like ours.
If you are looking to add to this vegetarian curry, give my Perfectly Spiced Roasted Baby Potatoes a try for an Indian feast at home. Flavour through the roof!
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For many years now I’ve considered Indian food to be my comfort food. Although I’m of European descent, somehow the taste of warm and slightly spicy curries make me feel at home.
It’s no wonder we eat them regularly in my house, especially since we moved to Britain where where curries of all sorts are considered to be staples. There are not too many things that are better than a good curry, coupled with crispy poppadoms dipped in mango chutney and lime chilli pickle!
Chickpea Curry
I get so many requests to post a curry recipe, which tells me you guys love Indian food too! I am not claiming to be an expert, so what I am sharing today is something I cook often.
This dish is loved by everyone in my family. It’s a vegetarian curry but so delicious you won’t miss meat!
There are many types of Indian curries. This particular one is based on a Korma, which is a blend of aromatic spices like ginger and coriander and ground nuts like cashews or almonds. It’s has a mild taste, so is you are a fan of heat, I would recommend moving onto something else like Madras Curry or Vindaloo.
Korma is an excellent curry to start with for beginners because of its creamy consistency and mild taste. Even kids will love it.
Traditionally, Korma is cooked with chicken but this version is meat free. Instead I am using canned chickpeas as the star of this recipe.
The brilliant thing about chickpeas is that they are chameleons. They soak up all flavours around them and end up tasting delicious no matter where they are used!
How to make it
As I mentioned earlier, this recipe is a cheat version since we are using a pre-made curry paste, that is responsible for the flavour. However, there are certain ingredients you need to add to make this curry your own and very delicious!
I always start by frying onion and garlic in vegetable oil until tender. Sometimes I add grated ginger to develop an aromatic base. I also add chopped cilantro stalks. Most people discard them and use leaves only but there is so much concentrated flavour in the stalks!
Then I add a store bought curry paste and fry it briefly. This step releases the flavours by heating the paste.
Once you’ve done the groundwork to build the curry flavour, add your chosen ingredients as per recipe and simmer until desired consistency. Easy!
Recipe tips and notes
- I love butternut squash in this curry, but sweet potatoes are a fantastic substitute if you prefer. They cook a little faster than butternut squash so you will need to adjust the cooking time by adding them into the curry a couple of minutes later.
- Many people are very hesitant to venture out into the world of Indian cuisine. Rightly so, as the ingredient list is long enough to intimidate the most experienced cook! Ready made curry pastes are my answer to to that fear! Patak’s Curry Pastes is my favourite. The taste is excellent and the variety is immense. They sells worldwide and are easy to find. Why worry about making complicated curries from scratch when someone has already put in all the hard work for you!
- Patak’s also have curry sauces, that are a lot runnier than pastes, so pay attention to what you are grabbing off the shelf. Korma paste and sauce are not interchangeable in this recipe. If you do buy a sauce, you will need to reduce the amount of liquid added. Korma sauce is also NOT vegan while the paste is.
- If you are brave enough to experiment with spices on your own, this Simplified Cauliflower and Potato Curry Aloo Gobi is for you!
- Garlic paste and frozen spinach will make this curry even easier to make. I consider garlic and ginger paste to be pantry staples, and always have frozen spinach in my freezer. They are all handy shortcuts that make time in the kitchen even easier without compromising on taste.
- I’ve tried using light coconut milk to reduce the calories in curries, but I find that I miss the creamy texture and satisfying flavour that full-fat gives. It’s up to you, but for me the trade off isn’t worth it!
Serving suggestions
Serve chickpea curry with steaming hot basmati rice. Or try coconut rice for a delicate and flavourful twist.
We also love having naan bread or chapatis as well as various Indian pickles and chutney with our curries. My personal favourite and a must have is chilli lime pickle and mango chutney. My children go crazy for crunchy poppadoms!
You can also add a traditional lentil curry called Dahl to round off this delicious dinner.
Storage and leftovers
Any leftovers are going to keep well when refrigerated in an airtight container. It will last for at least 3-4 days and may actually improve slightly with time as flavours have more of a chance to combine.
Butternut squash and chickpea curry can also be frozen for up to three months, so this is a good one for making a bit extra to enjoy down the road. When it is time to serve it, let it thaw out completely before reheating and use it up within two days.
Reheating can happen in a microwave or in a saucepan over medium-low heat with a splash of water to keep it loose.
More curry recipes
What is your favourite Indian curry? It’s hard to choose but I think for me personally Butter Chicken is definitely in the top 3! Here are a few more I know you’ll love:
- Coconut Lentil Curry with Butternut Squash
- Indian Kofta Curry
- Chicken Curry with Potatoes
- Chicken Tikka Masala
Chickpea and Butternut Squash Curry
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 onions medium, chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 25g/½ cup cilantro/fresh coriander chopped (stalks and leaves separated, stalks reserved)
- 600g/4 cups butternut squash peeled and cubed, (1 medium)
- 240g/1 ½ cups canned chickpeas
- 2 tbsp Patak’s Korma Paste or any other curry paste not cooking sauce
- 400g/1½ cups This is an affiliate link.coconut milk
- 250ml/1 cup water
- 100g/3 cups spinach
- 75g/½ cup frozen peas
- 2 tbsp desiccated unsweetened coconut optional
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large and deep pan and cook chopped onions, garlic and cilantro stalks over low heat for 10 minutes until soft and slightly coloured.
- Meanwhile dice the peeled butternut squash to match the size of chickpeas. Once the onions are tender, add the curry paste and cook for a minute or so stirring the whole time, then add the squash, chickpeas, coconut milk, desiccated coconut, water and a pinch of salt, bring it to a boil by turning the heat up. Then turn the heat down to a low-medium and simmer it covered for 35-40 minutes. Stir it occasionally to prevent from burning and add a few splashes of water if it gets too dry.
- Test the butternut squash, it should be fork tender by this point but not falling apart. Your curry should be thick, so if it's too runny, uncover and let the liquid cook down for a few more minutes. When you are satisfied with the consistency of the curry stir in peas, spinach and cilantro leaves, cover with a lid and take off the heat.
- Serve with steaming hot basmati rice. We love having naan bread or chapattis and various Indian pickles and chutney with our curries. My children go crazy for crunchy poppadums!
