• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Get my free Meal Prep Quick Start Guide

Get my free Meal Prep Quick Start Guide

  • New? Start Here
  • Contact

Sweet Peas and Saffron

meal prep recipes for busy people

  • All Recipes
    • Course
      • Breakfast
      • Lunch
      • Dinner
      • Sides
      • Salad
      • Soups & Stews
      • Drinks
    • Method
      • Air Fryer
      • Instant Pot
      • Slow Cooker
      • Grill
      • One Pot Meals
    • Diet
      • Dairy-Free
      • Gluten Free
      • Low Carb
      • Vegan
      • Vegetarian
      • Nut Free
    • Protein
      • Beans
      • Beef
      • Chicken
      • Lentils
      • Seafood
      • Pork
    • Recipe Index
  • Air Fryer
  • Instant Pot
  • Shop
    • Shop Meal Plans
    • Shop Favorites
  • Get my free Meal Prep Quick Start Guide

    Get my free Meal Prep Quick Start Guide

Home Diet Vegan
5
/5
50 minutes minutes

Coconut Chickpea Curry

Dairy Free Dairy-Free Gluten Free Gluten Free Vegan Vegan Vegetarian Vegetarian Meal Prep Meal Prep
Jump to Recipe
By: Denise Bustard9 Comments
Posted: 3/2/22 Updated: 2/28/22

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This coconut chickpea curry has a flavorful Indian-inspired curry sauce, and is delicious served over rice with a side of naan. Made with vegan ingredients, it's simple and quick to prepare.

We love eating plant-based meals a few nights a week, and this coconut chickpea curry is a household favorite along with our Instant Pot chickpea curry, and spicy Thai lentil curry.

chickpea curry in blue pot with spoon
Jump to... show
1 Reasons You'll Love This Recipe
2 Recipe video
3 Ingredient Notes
4 Step by step directions
5 Serve it with
6 fAQ
7 storage + meal prep
8 More Curry Recipes
9 Chickpea Coconut Curry

This coconut chickpea curry is ideal for meal prep not just because it's SO easy to make, but also because it tastes even better on day 4! Made with simple pantry staples such as canned chickpeas and coconut milk, it's packed with plant-based protein and totally qualifies as comfort food.

Best of all, there are so many aromatic spices that add a ton of flavor to this recipe - though it is not spicy. Ginger, turmeric, garam masala, and ground coriander... YUM!

Reasons You'll Love This Recipe

  • it's a flavorful yet mild curry, packed with spices and creamy coconut
  • it's vegan, gluten-free and kid-friendly
  • it's ideal for meal prep - the flavor gets better and better as it sits!
  • made with pantry staples, and is quick and easy for weeknight meals

Recipe video

Watch the video below to see how to cook this coconut chickpea curry! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.

Ingredient Notes

labelled spices for chickpea curry
  • chickpeas - for this recipe, you'll need cooked chickpeas to start. You can either purchase canned chickpeas, or cook your own Instant Pot chickpeas
  • coconut milk - go for a full fat coconut milk to make the sauce rich and creamy; thai kitchen coconut milk is the brand we like
  • garam masala - a spice mixture used in Indian dishes, which typically contains a blend of ground coriander, cinnamon, cumin, cloves, cardamom, and pepper. Here's a great-looking homemade garam masala recipe if you can't find it!
  • tomato sauce - we preferred the texture of the curry with tomato sauce over diced tomatoes, however both options tasted great!
  • tomato paste - adds notable depth of flavor; we don't recommend skipping! Tomato paste can generally be found in the tomato sauce section at the grocery store. Freeze leftovers in ice cube trays for another recipe. 

Step by step directions

onions sauteeing in blue pot

Sautée

Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5-7 minutes, until soft and translucent. Make a space in the middle of the pot and add the garlic. Cook for one more minute.

Meal prep tip - it's best to measure out spices while onion cooks so you can add them quickly and all at once

onions, garlic, spices and tomato paste sauteeing in blue pot

Toast

Add tomato paste and spices (best to pre-measure them all out while onion cooks). Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes.

Note - it's essential to sautée the tomato paste to get rid of tinned flavor, and to toast the spices to bring out their natural oils and enhance the flavors!

ingredients for chickpea curry in blue pot

Simmer

Add the tomato sauce, coconut milk, and chickpeas. Scrape the bottom of the pan well, cover, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan every 5 minutes.

Tip - scrape the bottom of the pot frequently so it doesn't burn!

overhead view of completed chickpea curry

Serve

Stir in the lemon juice. Serve with rice, naan bread, and cilantro.

chickpea curry in bowl with rice and naan bread

jasmine rice in blue bowl

Serve it with

  • Weeknight coconut rice
  • Fluffy Instant Pot basmati rice
  • Instant Pot jasmine rice
  • Steamed veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, or broccolini, or spinach
  • Naan bread
  • Top with cilantro

fAQ

Can this coconut chickpea curry be made in the Instant Pot?

This recipe likely won't work well in the Instant Pot because it's quite thick! Instead, you might enjoy this recipe for Instant Pot chickpea curry.

Can you freeze coconut chickpea curry?

Yes! This recipe freeze/thaws really well. We like to portion out in 2 cup glass meal prep containers with rice.

Can I add veggies?

Absolutely! We love serving this coconut chickpea curry with steamed veggies on the side/ or on top - broccoli, cauliflower, broccolini, or even bok choy would be delicious.

storage + meal prep

chickpea curry portioned out with rice in two meal prep containers
  • Fridge - let cool completely, then portion into meal prep containers. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
  • Freezer - this coconut chickpea curry freeze/thaws amazingly well! Portion out with rice in freezer-friendly meal prep containers and freeze for up to 3 months.
  • Reheat - reheat in the microwave until steaming hot, or in a saucepan on the stovetop

Favorite Freezer Containers

Our top picks for the best freezer containers to help your food stay fresh and free from freezer burn! From bags to soup storage to meal prep containers and more.

The Best Freezer Containers

More Curry Recipes

  • Spicy Instant pot Thai chicken curry
  • Easy chicken curry
  • Thai coconut curry soup (vegan)
  • Slow cooker butternut squash lentil curry
  • Slow cooker sweet potato chicken curry

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

chickpea curry in blue pot with spoon

Chickpea Coconut Curry

5 from 6 votes
Prep Time: 10 minutes mins
Cook Time: 40 minutes mins
Total Time: 50 minutes mins
Print Rate
This coconut chickpea curry is a fragrant and flavorful Indian-inspired curry sauce, delicious served over rice with a side of naan. Made with vegan ingredients, it's simple and quick to prepare.
6

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion finely diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste note 1
  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander note 2
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 15 oz can tomato sauce or diced tomatoes with juices; note 3
  • 13 oz can coconut milk full fat recommended
  • 2 cans chickpeas 30-38 oz total; note 4

After cooking

  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • cilantro
  • naan bread or rice

Instructions 

  • Sauté- Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5-7 minutes, until soft and translucent. Make a space in the middle of the pot and add the garlic. Cook for one more minute.
    onions sauteeing in blue pot
  • Toast- Add tomato paste and spices (best to pre-measure them all out while onion cooks). Cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes.
    onions, garlic, spices and tomato paste sauteeing in blue pot
  • Simmer- Add the tomato sauce, coconut milk, and chickpeas. Scrape the bottom of the pan well, cover, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan every 5 minutes.
    ingredients for chickpea curry in blue pot
  • Serve- Stir in the lemon juice. Serve with rice, naan bread, and cilantro.
    overhead view of completed chickpea curry

Tips:

  1. tomato paste added notable depth of flavor to the recipe and we don't recommend skipping. Freeze leftovers in ice cube trays for another recipe. 
  2. we recommend measuring out all spices into a small bowl while the onion cooks
  3. we preferred the texture of the curry with tomato sauce over diced tomatoes, however both options tasted great
  4. roughly 4 cups of cooked chickpeas
  5. nutritional information is for ⅙ of the batch and does not include rice, naan, or other serving suggestions
Storage
  • Fridge - let cool completely, then portion into meal prep containers. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
  • Freezer - this coconut chickpea curry freeze/thaws amazingly well! Store in an airtight container or freeze in jars in the freezer for up to 3 months.
  • Reheat - reheat in the microwave until steaming hot, or in a saucepan on the stovetop

Video

Nutrition Information

Serving: 0.17batch; see note 5, Calories: 238kcal, Carbohydrates: 11g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Sodium: 757mg, Potassium: 447mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 351IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 32mg, Iron: 2mg
Author: Annie Holmes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Indian

© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.

Did You Make This?Don't forget to leave a review below, and tag us on Instagram using @SweetPeasAndSaffron or #sweetpeasandsaffron
Tag Me On Instagram Rate Recipe
  • Share
  • Flipboard
  • Email

Meet Denise Bustard

Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more.

Read more...

You May Also Like...

  • close up shot of easy chicken curry in gray bowl
    Easy Chicken Curry
  • collage image of various food ingredients with text chickpea meal prep 3 ways
    Chickpea Meal Prep 3 Ways
  • collage image of a variety of ingredients and the multiple freezer friendly lunches they turn into
    24 Freezer-Friendly Lunches in 2 hours
  • collage image that says vegan meal prep plan with shopping list
    Vegan Pantry Meal Prep Plan
side view of a large stack of bacon pancakes on a plate with syrup being drizzled over and fresh strawberries
Previous Post
Bacon Pancakes Recipe
Close up of broccoli quinoa casserole
Next Post
Broccoli Quinoa Casserole

Reader Interactions

5 from 6 votes (2 ratings without comment)

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Submit your question or comment below.

Recipe Rating




  1. Jack says

    Posted on 2/15/24 at Posted on 2/15/24

    5 stars
    This is a weekly staple dish in my home but wondering if you drain the chickpeas? I have made it both ways, just wondering the original intent....

    Reply
  2. Samantha says

    Posted on 6/25/22 at Posted on 6/25/22

    5 stars
    Delicious! Is there nutrition info for this, I’m not seeing it?

    Reply
    • Denise Bustard says

      Posted on 7/4/22 at Posted on 7/4/22

      Hi Samantha! Thank you for pointing this out, it seems the nutritional info was not added to this recipe. Will add it shortly!

      Reply
  3. Haya says

    Posted on 4/23/22 at Posted on 4/23/22

    Hi Denise, this looks great and I love how you make recipes straight-forward and easy to follow!
    I was wondering if you have tips on adding meat/seafood to this dish. Do you know if this would go well with chicken or shrimp? If so, which would you recommend and should the chicken or shrimp be cooked separately and then added to the curry in last few minutes of the curry simmering or...? Would love to get your thoughts on this. Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Ben | Sweet Peas & Saffron says

      Posted on 5/3/22 at Posted on 5/3/22

      Hello Haya,
      You could add diced chicken during the last 10-15min (shrimp 5-10min) of simmering. Be careful not to overcook as the chicken will become tough.
      Please let us know how it goes.

      Thanks,

      Reply
  4. Kelly says

    Posted on 3/12/22 at Posted on 3/12/22

    5 stars
    Deelish!! I used fresh ginger and turmeric root along with ground. Also added green beans and cauliflower.

    Reply
    • Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says

      Posted on 3/14/22 at Posted on 3/14/22

      Hi Kelly, we're so glad that you enjoyed it! That sounds delicious. Thanks so much for coming back to leave a rating and review, and share your additions!

      Reply
  5. Mike says

    Posted on 3/11/22 at Posted on 3/11/22

    5 stars
    Taste good super easy and real cheap.

    Reply
    • Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says

      Posted on 3/12/22 at Posted on 3/12/22

      Hi Mike, thank you so much for leaving a rating and review! Tasty, cost-effective, and healthy = the best kind of recipe! Glad you enjoyed 🙂

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

photo of annie meal prepping ingredients

Hi, I'm Annie

Meal prep took me from feeling constantly stressed out about meals to cool, collected and in control. I want to share this amazing and transformational habit with you, so you can feel in control, too! Read more ...

Meal Prep

Instant Pot

Air Fryer

Freezer Meals

Slow Cooker

Breakfast

Popular

overhead shot of sweet potatoes lined up with text showing number of minutes to cook each

PERFECT Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes

overhead shot of 7 easy stir fry sauces on gray background

7 Easy Stir Fry Sauce Recipes

overhead shot of a variety of seven easy rice recipes with text description

7 Easy Rice Recipes (Stove Top & Rice Cooker)

5 minute asian salad dressing in a mason jar on gray background

5 Minute Asian Salad Dressing

Get my free Meal Prep Quick Start Guide

Get my free Meal Prep Quick Start Guide

Reader Faves

overhead shot of blue mason jar filled with crispy chickpeas

ULTRA Crispy Air Fryer Chickpeas

a stack of fluffy protein pancakes with blueberries on top and syrup being drizzled over them

Perfect Fluffy Protein Pancakes (no banana!)

ingredients to make greek seasoning blend with labels on white background

Easy Greek Seasoning Blend

collage image that says 25 popular meal prep ideas

25 Most Popular Lunch Meal Prep Ideas

As seen on:

Wondering where to start?

Get my Meal Prep Quick Start Guide

Join My Free Meal Prep Challenge!
  • Browse Recipes
    • Dinner
    • Lunch
    • Breakfast
    • Snacks
    • Drinks
    • Air Fryer
    • Instant Pot
    • Freezer
  • Meal Prep 101
    • Shop Meal Plans
    • Meal Prep Basics
    • Meal Prep Challenge
    • Quick Start Guide
Back to Top

Privacy Policy

Disclaimers

Contact

Accessibility

Causes

About

© 2025 Sweet Peas and Saffron
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled Logo by Wooden Spoons

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.