Butter chickpea curry
30 min · 20 g protein · 451 cals / serving
All the flavour of butter chicken in a vegan pot that takes half an hour: chickpeas simmered in a silky, mildly spiced tomato and coconut sauce with garam masala, ginger and garlic, with spinach wilted through at the end. Four big bowls, over rice or with warm naan.
Ingredients
- 2 tsp canola oil, or coconut oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, grated
Spices
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp paprika, or Kashmiri chili powder
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/4 tsp ground fenugreek, or 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 cans (14.5 oz each) canned crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup light coconut milk, from a 400 ml (13.5 oz) can; freeze the rest
- 3 cans (15 oz each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 9 oz baby spinach
- a squeeze lemon juice, to taste (optional)
To serve
- a handful fresh cilantro, chopped
Steps
- Heat the oil in a large, deep pan over medium heat and cook the onion 5–6 minutes, stirring, until soft and golden at the edges.
- Add the garlic and ginger for 1 minute, then all the spices, the sugar and the salt for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato paste for a minute, then the crushed tomatoes, coconut milk and chickpeas. Bring to a simmer, partly cover and cook 12 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce is thick and deep orange.
- Stir in the spinach a handful at a time until it wilts, then a squeeze of lemon if you like. Taste for salt and serve with cilantro, over rice or with naan. It keeps 4 days in the fridge and freezes for 3 months; it thickens as it sits, so loosen it with a splash of water when you reheat.
Good to know
Can I make it richer?
Full-fat coconut milk gives the sauce the silkiness of the restaurant dish, at about 54 instead of 65.
Is it mild enough for children?
Yes: with paprika rather than chili powder it is warm, not hot. Pass chili flakes or a green chili at the table for anyone who wants heat.
Alternative
Per
- Calories
- 83
- Protein
- (19%)
- 4 g
- Fat
- (30%)
- 3 g
- Carbohydrates
- (52%)
- 12 g
- of which sugar
- 4 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
- Sodium
- 221 mg
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Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. How
As written, 1803 kcal goes into the pot and 2313 g of ingredients comes out as about 2185 g of food: 83 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.