This creamy, dreamy Chickpea Curry makes for a gourmet, restaurant-quality yet approachable meal that’s on the table in an hour. Featuring bold Indian flavors and a taste of healthy indulgence, it'll quickly become a new staple in your dinner rotation.
2 tablespoons avocado oil or neutral-flavored oil of choice
2 teaspoons coriander seeds ((Note 1))
1 heaping teaspoon cumin seeds ((Note 1))
15 to 20 fresh curry leaves, or 30 dried curry leaves ((optional but recommended, Note 2))
1 large yellow or red onion, (finely diced)
6 garlic cloves, (minced)
2- inch piece fresh ginger, (minced or grated)
1 to 3 serrano peppers, (diced (1 adds mild heat; 3 for spicy!!))
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ pound (227g) Roma tomatoes (2 roma tomatoes), (diced)
2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt ((Note 3) )
1 (13.5 oz /400 mL) can full-fat coconut milk ((Note 4))
½ cup (120 mL) water ((Note 5))
2 (15 oz /425g) cans chickpeas, ( drained and rinsed)
3 tablespoons tahini, (well-stirred)
1/2 teaspoon organic cane sugar, (brown sugar, or coconut sugar)
1 small head of Swiss chard or lacinato kale ((Note 6))
2 teaspoons garam masala
Freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice, (½ to 1 tablespoon, to taste)
1 big handful of cilantro leaves and tender stems, (chopped)
1 big handful of fresh mint leaves, (chopped)
1 ½ teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
Lots of freshly ground black pepper
Categories
Dinner
Cuisine
Indian-Inspired
Steps
Keep a small bowl of water nearby for deglazing. Heat the oil in a 12-inch heavy-bottomed sauté pan or medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the cumin and coriander seeds for about 1 minute, tossing frequently, or until aromatic and darker by a few shades but don’t let them burn!Add the curry leaves: if using fresh leaves, cover the pan immediately and stand back to prevent oil splatter. Cook for just 20 seconds to prevent burning. For dry leaves, cook a little longer.
Add the onions with a big pinch of salt and cook for 5 minutes, until starting to get some color. If the spices start to darken, lower the heat to medium. Add a splash of water as needed to prevent onions from browning. Add garlic, ginger, serrano peppers, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add Ground Spices and tomato paste and stir frequently for 90 seconds. If it dries out, add a splash of water. Add tomatoes + 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Use tomato juices to scrape up browned bits. Cook for 5 minutes, or until tomatoes are soft and the oil starts to release from them.
Pour in chickpeas, coconut milk, water, tahini, and sugar. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, opening the pot to stir occasionally.
Meanwhile, rinse Swiss chard (or kale) and cilantro and mint. For the greens, remove the center ribs and discard. Roll the leaves and up slice the leaves very thinly. Chop the cilantro and mint.
After the simmer time, add the greens. Simmer until tender and wilted, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garam masala to combine.
Off the heat, squeeze in a little lemon or lime juice, cilantro, and mint. Season to taste with salt (about ½ teaspoon kosher salt). Rest for 5 to 15 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Serve with cooked rice or flatbread.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 360 kcal
Carbohydrates: 33 g
Protein: 12 g
Fat: 22 g
Saturated Fat: 11 g
Sodium: 1352 mg
Sugar: 4 g
Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
Reviews
MrTonyD on 2026-06-16 (5 stars): Made this today - enjoying it now. I did cheat by using a slow cooker. I used dry chickpeas and cooked those on high for 3 hours, then added almost everything to the slow cooker (except greens & garam masala) and cooked on low for another 5 hours. Next time I'll use 1 serrano instead of 2, since it was a bit spicy for me. And next time I might cheat even more by using a food processor instead of doing the knife work, which should make this almost a "hands off" recipe. And I also plan to double the recipe and freeze it in some Souper Cubes for have easy meals for weeks. Thanks.
Karie on 2026-06-03 (5 stars): I just made this 2 days ago, I didn't have curry leaves and forgot to stop on my way home so I omitted them, I also subbed spinach for the swiss chard. Absolutely delicious and even better for lunch the next day!
Alexandra Hallé on 2026-06-03 (5 stars): Great recipe!
Isabella on 2026-05-27 (5 stars): I love this recipe. I do agree that the prep time is more than what was listed but I find that doing the prep earlier (the spice blends) helps as well as freezing the chiles and the ginger to make them last longer. I make this recipe at least once a month and I always look forward to it!
Jen on 2026-05-23 (5 stars): Dear Nisha,
I've made your curry for the second time now and its one of my favorite dishes to eat right now. Its soo rich and decadent, could be straight from a restaurant!! The fats from the coconut milk and tahini, mix of spices and freshness of the herbs and lime really lift the dish on another level with a complexity of flavours that is to die for. And its fairly low maintenance, I only had to chop the alliums and ginger, thats basically it.
This is getting into my regular meal rotation! I try to freeze a portion of the meals I cook and this curry is one of freezer meals I look forward to the most.
Leah on 2026-05-18 (3 stars): Delicious, but all the food prep and spices is Exhausting!
Marie on 2026-05-05 (5 stars): Delicious and easy steps to follow.
