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You know there is more to a chickpea than just Hummus 😯 I know! unbelievable right.
Chickpeas are truly one of the powerhouses of the legume family that is high in protein and rich in fiber. Besides having numerous health benefits it’s also an extremely versatile food ingredient that is one of the best sources of protein for Vegans and Vegetarians alike.
Chickpeas also known as Garbanzo beans can be used as an ingredient in salads and dips. They can also be used in various starters and can even be the star in your mains as well. You will see just how simple it is to use chickpeas in a curry and how easily it is to pair it with other ingredients to take your curry to another level.
In this chickpea curry recipe, I have paired chickpeas with coconuts to create a light, sweet and tangy curry that is sure to be a staple at the dinner table. Growing up in an Indian household “Curry” has the same symbolism that white sliced bread has to a sandwich. Meaning you can’t think of an Indian household or Indian food and not think of curry.
But there is more to “Curry Life” than Butter Chicken or Tikka Masala. A good curry can be very adaptable and with each star ingredient, it can bring about a completely new flavor profile.
I am always on the lookout for trying different ways to elevate my curry game. As you can imagine that having a curry every day can be extremely monotonous and boring to prepare especially if it is the same type of curry. So I am always in the look out for new recipes that are easy meals with basic ingredients for a tasty weeknight dinner.
In this recipe, I have used coconut cream from a brand called American Garden however you may use any other brand that is available in your local grocery store or supermarket. Do refer to the recipe card below for substitute ideas.
When working with chickpeas it’s always a good idea to soak them in a wide bowl overnight for around 10 to 12 hours. This helps the chickpeas to soften up and be more digestible.
After soaking for the required hours you will notice they have become a bit bigger in size. You will then drain the water and add the chickpeas to a pressure cooker with enough water wherein all of it is submerged well so that they do not stick to the bottom of the pot. Add salt to taste, pinch of turmeric and a pinch of baking soda.
Pressure cook it on high flame for 1 whistle then turn the flame to medium-low heat and let it cook for another 3 whistles.
Turmeric helps in disguising the smell of chickpeas when pressure cooking it and baking soda makes the chickpeas even softer. 
On busy weeknights, this comfort food or rather delicious dish could be one of the instant pot recipes by substituting the dried chickpeas with a can of chickpeas.
Recipe benefits for people suffering from food allergies
This chickpea coconut curry is a gold mine for most food allergy sufferers as it provides a good amount of protein intake to.
- Vegan
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- Soy free
- Free from sunflower seed oil, as I have used rice bran oil
What to serve with Coconut Chickpea Curry
Pair this curry up with plain white rice, basmati rice, brown rice, jasmine rice or any of my below mentioned recipes.
If you have tried out this recipe or anything else from our blog then we would love to hear your feedback. Please give it a rating and leave a comment in the section below or tag a photo @family.fun.tech and #familyfuntech on Instagram. Thank you!
Coconut Chickpea Curry
Equipment
- 1 Large Bowl
- 1 Pressure Cooker
- 1 Large Deep Skillet or Large Skillet
- 1 Mixer Grinder
- 1 Sieve
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Rice Brain Oil Can substitute with coconut oil
- 2 Springs Curry leaves
- 1 Large Onion finely chopped
- 1 Medium Raw Mango Can substitute with 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1 Tbsp Fresh Cilantro Leaves For garnishing
Boiling Chickpeas
- 2 Cups Chickpeas or Garbanzo Beans
- Baking Soda Pinch
- Turmeric Powder Pinch
- Salt to taste
Curry Masala
- 2 Tbsp Coriander seeds
- 1 Tbsp Cumin seeds
- 5 Red Chillies without seeds
- 1 Tsp Red Chili Powder
- 2 Tbsp Dried Coconut Powder dissolved in 1 glass of water. Can substitute with 1 cup full-fat coconut milk or light coconut milk
- 2 Tbsp Shredded coconut
- 2 Large Tomatoes
- 2 Cups Water
Instructions
Extracting Juice
- Grind the above mentioned ingredients list named “Curry masala” without the water then via a sieve in a bowl press down the ground pulp to extract the juice.
- Now add 2 cups water to the pulp and further grind it. Once again press it down on a sieve to extract the juice.
- You will be doing this step twice to extract a good amount juice needed for the curry.
Making the curry
- In a large deep skillet on medium-high heat, add rice bran oil.
- Once its hot add in the curry leaves after they have finished spluttering add in the finely chopped onions.
- Cook the onions stirring frequently until they are golden brown in colour
- Now, add in the juice that you have extracted earlier. Let it cook on medium high heat for 5 mins then turn the flame to medium low heat and continue cooking
- Then add in the coconut cream. You may want to adjust the thickness of the gravy. To make it more thinner instead of normal water use the water from the pressure cooker in which you had boiled the chickpeas. This adds more flavour.Let this cook for around 5 mins
- Turn the flame to low and add the cooked chickpeas (refer to the post on how to boil chickpeas)Cover and cook for around 10 mins until the gravy comes together
- Finally garnish with some fresh coriander leaves and serve it with rice or naan bread.
Notes
- If you need help with any Herb or Spice listed in this recipe then refer to the guide: List of Herbs and Spices
- You can even use a can of coconut milk instead of dried coconut powder.
- Add diced sweet potatoes for some variation.
Did you make this recipe?
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