A delicious Easy Vegan Chickpea Curry recipe made with savory Indian spices. Made in one pot and ready in 10 minutes, this dish is naturally vegan, oil-free, gluten-free, and low fat.
I love Indian food and one of my favorite dishes is Chana Masala. It’s a chickpea dish made with tomatoes and spices. I’m also very fond of Thai curries because of the sweetness from the coconut. So, I decided to try and make a “hybrid” by combining the two. And, guess what? Pure awesome!
Most curries are very high in fat and use oil in the recipe. But, I opted to use unsweetened almond milk and eliminate the oil. It’s not as thick, but no less delicious and much healthier. And, to add that little bit of sweetness – maple syrup.
You are going to love this recipe. It’s simple, hearty, and great for making ahead. So, let’s get to cooking!
Table of Contents
🥘 Ingredients You’ll Need
Spices are the magic formula and really bring this dish to life. Here’s what you’ll need.
- 1 small red onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp. curry powder
- 1 tsp. cumin powder
- 1 tsp. ground coriander
- 1 tsp. ground paprika
- 1 tsp. dried ginger
- 1 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes
- 1 14-ounce can of low sodium or no salt added chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk
- 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
- Salt and pepper to taste
How To Make Chickpea Curry
You won’t believe how easy and fast this dish comes together.
- Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. While the pan is heating combine the curry powder, cumin, coriander, paprika, and ginger into a small bowl and whisk together.
- Once the pan is ready toss in the onions and garlic along with a couple of tablespoons of water. Cook until the onions are soft. Usually, just a couple of minutes.
- Sprinkle the dry spice mixture over the onions and garlic. Mix well until the spice mixture covers the onions and cook for one more minute. Add a little water if necessary to prevent sticking.
- Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, and milk to the pan and stir well until everything is combined. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, add the maple syrup, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer for 2-3 more minutes.
- Remove from heat and serve over rice or enjoy by itself as a soup.
That’s it! This Vegan Chickpea Curry is full of flavor, low-fat, healthy, simple to make, satisfying, and so delicious! It’s also naturally gluten-free.
💭 Top Tips
- Spices make this dish. Adding them to the onions and garlic, in the beginning, allows them to roast and release all that flavor.
- This dish is ready to enjoy in as little as 30 minutes but it’s better the longer it’s allowed to sit and simmer on the stove.
- If you want a thicker curry mix 1 Tbsp. of cornstarch with 3 Tbsp. of water and stir into the curry right before serving.
- It’s the perfect mid-week meal because it’s hearty and you can get it to the table quickly.
How Long Will It Keep In The Fridge
You can store this in a covered container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Personally, I think it’s better on day 2 after the flavors have had time to sit and come together.
What To Serve With Vegan Chickpea Curry
My family and I love this dish with rice, chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice. However, it’s delicious all by itself as a soup! A good whole-grain pita and nice green salad is an excellent pairing with this recipe as well.
More Easy Vegan Chickpea Recipes
If you make this recipe I want to know. So, please leave a comment below with a star rating. And, be sure and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #shaneandsimple. I want to see your work. Enjoy!
Print
Easy Vegan Chickpea Curry
- Prep Time: 10 mins.
- Cook Time: 10 mins.
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Vegan Soups & Stews
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A delicious Easy Vegan Chickpea Curry recipe made with savory Indian spices. Made in one pot and ready in 10 minutes, this dish is naturally vegan, oil-free, gluten-free, and low fat.
Ingredients
- ½ red onion (chopped)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 Tbsp. curry powder
- 1 tsp. cumin powder
- 1 tsp. ground coriander
- 1 tsp. ground paprika
- 1 tsp. dried ginger
- 1 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes
- 1 14-ounce can of low sodium or no salt added chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk
- 2 Tbsp. maple syrup
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. While the pan is heating combine the curry powder, cumin, coriander, paprika, and ginger into a small bowl and whisk together.
- Once the pan is ready toss in the onions and garlic along with a couple of tablespoons of water. Cook until the onions are soft. Usually, just a couple of minutes.
- Sprinkle the dry spice mixture over the onions and garlic. Mix well until the spice mixture covers the onions and cook for one more minute. Add a little water if necessary to prevent sticking.
- Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, and milk to the pan and stir well until everything is combined. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, add the maple syrup, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer for 2-3 more minutes.
- Remove from heat and serve over rice or enjoy by itself as a soup.
Notes
Spices make this dish. Adding them to the onions and garlic, in the beginning, allows them to roast and release all that flavor.
This dish is ready to enjoy in as little as 30 minutes but it’s better the longer it’s allowed to sit and simmer on the stove.
If you want a thicker curry mix 1 Tbsp. of cornstarch with 3 Tbsp. of water and stir into the curry right before serving.
It’s the perfect mid-week meal because it’s hearty and you can get it to the table quickly.
You can store this in a covered container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Personally, I think it’s better on day 2 after the flavors have had time to sit and come together.
My family and I love this dish with rice, chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lime juice. However, it’s delicious all by itself as a soup! A good whole-grain pita and nice green salad is an excellent pairing with this recipe as well.
Keywords: vegan chickpea curry, chickpea curry, vegetarian chickpea curry
Save this recipe & PIN IT here!
Just made this today. My first curry and it is GOOD! I added a carrot and served over kale and rice. And the bonus is I have two containers in the freezer. Thank you for the great recipe.
Incredible!!
As a farm wife, I often have a hard time convincing my farm boys (husband AND a bunch of young men) that they want to eat vegan/vegetarian meals.
This one, from the very start, was a win.
Just mixing the spices brought my husband in from his office, saying it smelled like our favourite Indian restaurant 😋
It only got better, I simmered it for about an hour, and the aroma….
Amazing. Even the left overs disappeared! Thanks Shane!
This looks and sounds delicious, but we (especially my husband) don’t eat anything spicy and we have never had curry. What modifications would you suggest? Any other spices that are milder even taking out all curry-type ingredients?
Thanks.
This is actually not a spicy dish. My kids don’t like hot food and love this recipe. You should be fine.
Hi Shane. This is delicious and so easy to add to my Sunday batch cooking! Based on other reviews, I only added 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and I added some frozen broccoli! We will enjoy this during the week with the pot of kamut I also made. I really enjoy your recipes!
I just found your site. This is one of my favorite new recipes–so quick and tasty! I added a few more spices, a little nutritional yeast, and blended a bit with the immersion blender –which also helps create a nice thick texture. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. Thanks you 🙂
Thank you so much!!!
Just the right amount of spice. This dish is delicious! I added portobello mushrooms and Swiss chard my neighbor had given me from her garden and served over brown rice.
Yet another winner from Shane & Simple!! Thank you for all you do for us!!
Shane does it again! Here’s what I love about this recipe in no particular order: it’s oil-free!, it uses ingredients I always have in my pantry, it is almost effortless to make..seriously, I only had to chop an onion, I’m not a huge curry fan and I gobbled this up, it was quick to make, it made enough for leftovers after 2 of us ate til we were full. Now, what I hated about it: NOTHING!
This one is a winner that is going into heavy rotation because it’s easy, nutritious, and filling. We served it with leftover brown rice and some steamed kale and that’s all we needed for happy bellies.
Good on ya, Shane for another winner, winner Vegan dinner! 🙂
Thank you so much!
Made it, loved it! Thanks Shane.
Thank you!
Hi Shane, so happy to have found your blog. We are a few months in to plant based eating, so newbies. This was the first recipe I have made of yours, and it was exceptional. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and recipes! I am excited to try many more!
Hi, Meagan! Welcome aboard and so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Please don’t hesitate with any questions or comments.
Thank you for sharing this recipe! We LOVED it! I was so excited to try a curry that did not have coconut milk as an ingredient. The flavor was spot on.
I’m thrilled you enjoyed it. Thank you!!!
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I have everything except the almond milk. I have an unsweetened box of shelf stable soy milk, do you think it would work in this recipe?
Yes, absolutely!
I forgot to add, but it’s important, everyone in my family loved it, including my 3 and 7 year old. Parents are sometimes afraid to make dishes like this because they think their children won’t eat it but I think you should always try. This is such a fun and flavorful dish, and the more you expose kids to bold flavors, the more open they become to trying new things. 🙂
Amen and amen!
That was so delicious!! I always tweak recipes so I made a few changes. I don’t eat onions and substitute them with leek, it always works well! I also skipped the tomatoes and added potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots and spinach. I also grated fresh turmeric and ginger, a tbsp of masala byriani spice and a tbsp of dried sage.
I also added a bit of homemade almond cream toward the end.
It was really amazing!
I’m making it again today, I’m out of chickpea so I added portobello mushrooms and I’m trying it in my pressure cooker this time.
Also I didn’t add the maple syrup last time but I admit I’m curious so will add it this time 🙂
Thank you for a great recipe, after being vegan, gluten free and relatively low fat for so long, it can be a challenge finding something I’ve never made that works really well.
I love Indian food but I don’t want to eat all that coconut milk/cream so that was really perfect✨❤️
I just made this for lunch today because I was craving it. It’s one of my all time favorite recipes. It’s easy, quick, delicious and healthy. I served it with brown rice and peas. Thank you Shane for posting recipes that are so tasty and filling!
It’s my pleasure, Mary Ann. And, thank you for reaching out.
I make this recipe all the time! It is so easy and tasty! If you are on the fence about curry, please try this recipe! It is what changed my mind about it!
Thank you, Kelly!!!
I was wondering if i could add some cauliflower to this recipe, and if so how much should i add? Looks great i will definitely be making this soon.
Yes, absolutely! Honestly, it all depends on how much you want to add. It’s completely up to you.
Thanks!
This is a favorite curry recipe as the spices seem exactly right to me–what I do is follow it with the onion garlic spices tomato and used cashew milk–but also add a bunch of veggies–I did a pound of cauliflower, one pound of zucchini and yellow squash, and about 12 ounces butternut squash( pre-roasted) I have added pressed tofu to this as well –and or the chick peas. I have made it several times now and it is very adaptable. I cut the maple to 1/2 tab–and also added three ounces spinach at the end. Like that you give ways to cook without oil too. I usually skip the rice with all the extra veggies don’t miss that. After cooking onion and spices and tomato a bit I have put the whole thing in a slow cooker on high for about 3 hours-and that works too. Thank you. A keeper!
Thank you!
Delicious! And very easy to make. I appreciate that it’s oil free without a bunch of sugar and junk. I went heavier on all of the spices just because I like things with lots of strong flavor. And I liked the maple syrup in it for the sweetness. I’m going to keep this as one of my staple rotation foods. Probably will experiment occasionally with adding other things such as sweet potato, frozen peas, light coconut milk. I’m really really happy that I found this website.
That’s great, Melissa! Make it your own. That’s the best thing about curries…they’re kinda hard to mess up and a great base for adding your favorite additions.
Another winner!!!
Perfect for a wet January day! You know, Shane, if I had to pick only one online source of recipes to keep, it would be yours!!
Wow, Katherine! Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. Happy New Year!
It’s a keeper!
Shane, your recipes are amazing. While I used curry paste instead of the spices, it still was easy and oil free. Really appreciate your recipes and religiously follow your boards on Pinterest. Please keep sharing. Happy holidays to you and your family.
Thank you so much! And, Merry Christmas!!!
WOW! I love your recipes Shane but this one might just be my favorite. It is tasty, healthy, and SUPER QUICK to make. I also love that it had no oil and that I had all the ingredients on hand too! My husband, who can be picky, REALLY enjoyed it and asked for this recipe to be put in our regular dinner rotation. Thank you so much for sharing this and for all your other easy and healthy plant-based recipes! Merry Christmas to you and your family 🙂
I’m so glad y’all enjoyed it. Thank you and Merry Christmas!!!
What type of curry powder do you use?
Looking forward to making this tonight!
Thanks, Jan
Whatever I can find on the shelf:)
Omg I LOVED it!! Added some diced potatoes, green beans, carrots, and red bell pepper to the onion and garlic sauté and followed the rest of the recipe and it came out SUPER yummy!! Oh but I did use a touch of agave instead of syrup and canned coconut milk instead of almond milk bc my partner has a serious nut allergy. Everyone loved it even my picky 1 year old and super picky 3 year old!! I was worried it would be too spicy for them but I put it on top of some quinoa and they gobbled it all up! Thank you sooo much! Can’t wait to try your other recipes!
Wow, Jessica, that is awesome! I love reading people’s additions and alterations. That’s what it’s all about. And, pumped the kids loved it. Blessings!
I have been looked for a tasty no oil vegan curry. Great with no oil Roti!
I made this curry just as written and my husband ate it 2 days in a row. It is delicious. I did make it late in the evening and then served it the next day. Taste test says it does get better as a leftover.
Thanks for another great recipe/
Can this recipe be frozen
Yes, absolutely:)
AMAZING! I’ve been vegan for 7 years and have decided to stop being a “junk food vegan” and really try to lose some weight. What an amazing recipe this is. Super low cal AND no oil. The portion size is HUGE and easily feeds four people. I didn’t have unsweetened almond milk, so I used a cup of light soy milk and omitted the syrup because the soy milk was lightly sweetened. I served it with some no oil roasted potatoes and it made a delicious bowl of food. So well done! I’ll definitely make it again!
The best!
I love that this recipe uses simple ingredients that I (mostly) had sitting around the house. I didn’t have a red onion so substituted in a yellow one, and used oat milk instead of almond milk. The spice mixture was awesome – I’ll be stealing it to cook some lentils in soon because it was so good. I let the pan simmer until I couldn’t wait any longer (about 25 minutes) and it thickened up nicely. Next time I will also be doubling the recipe because I went back for seconds and had to fight my sister off from the pot so I would have leftovers for lunch
Only tweak is that I found the final product to be a touch too sweet – will be halving the maple syrup next time, especially if I use a sweeter red onion.
hey Jenny S
I LOVED HOW U SAID U SIMMERED THIS CURRY TIL YOU COULDNT WAIT ANY LONGER!
LOL
So easy, so filling, not heavy, clean and simple! The spices come together perfectly, and the sweetness of the maple syrup provides a perfect balance. I’m sold on Shane and Simple after making this recipe! Thank you, Shane!
Absolutely delicious! Very hard to find a curry recipe without coconut milk. I find coco milk really hard to digest and I love curry so this recipe will be a staple for me. Thank you!!!
Thank you!
Loved this! The little bit of sweet alongside the kick of spice was delicious! This will definitely be in my rotation. Thanks for a great recipe!
This was Deelish! I screwed up and thought I bought chick peas but I actually had bought a pinto, black and kidney bean mix. I used this can m, but added some carrot and celery to add crunch since my beans were softer. I also added spinach at the end. It was super duper yummy!
Thank you so much for this recipe!!! I love it! Fast, easy and delicious!
So good, so simple. The best curry recipe I’ve ever used, vegan or otherwise. I come back to it again and again.
This recipe is amazing! So easy to make and super flavorful! I’ve never had curry before. I’m in love! This will definitely be one I make again. I used soy milk instead of almond and did use the arrow root powder to thicken. Shane, your food is my favorite! Thank you!
So yummy! I added some broccoli and used cornstarch to thicken the curry. I loved it, thank you for sharing this. Greetings from Argentina!
This is the tastiest vegan dish I have ever made at home, and I make a lot (I’m vegetarian). I added carrots (fresh) and corn (frozen) and used fresh tomatoes and garbanzo beans instead of canned. Also added 1/2 tsp of turmeric, lemon pepper, went light on the cumin, and used red curry spice instead of regular. Used fresh ginger instead of dried. In the end, I wanted more sauce/soup so added another 1/2 cup almond milk and 1 extra tbsp maple agave syrup.
Tasted amazing the next day, even cold. Ate with brown rice. Garnished with basil.
The point is, even if you modify the ingredients a bit, if you follow the instructions, this dish is AMAZING.
I dare you to cook this for you and a friend (too amazing to not share, although you may want it all for yourself like me. But you can always make more 🙂 )
😉
can I substitute regular skim milk for the almond milk?
I love this recipe! Really delish and great when you are in a hurry. Thank you for this!
This chickpea curry has become one of my “go to” meals. It’s relatively fast, inexpensive, oil- free, and delicious! And I love how you can easily add veggies to it–I’ve tried spinach, kale, and last night it was cauliflower–and you’ve got a really complete dinner, especially when it’s all over brown rice. Thanks so much for making mealtime so enjoyable!
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it.
I am so excited to try this recipe- do you think we can use soy milk instead of almond milk?
Yes, absolutely!
Holy moly! We are rather new to WFPB lifestyle and dishes like this make me think it’s possible to live without meat. So much flavor, so much yum! This was fantastic. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes. Thank you!
Thank you so much, Laura! From a former meat-eater, BIG TIME, it’s totally possible and worth it to live without it. 🙂 Blessings.
Full of flavor! I’ve made this several times now. This is by far my favorite curry recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Absolutely delicious ! This will now be our go-to Chana Dal Masala recipe ! I was out of onions (sad day LOL ), so I added 1/2 teaspoon hing (asefoetida), and a half teaspoon of extra hot red pepper powder.
Otherwise , we made as directed. SOOOOO good ! It made enough for two dinners for us (although it was hard not to eat it ALL LOL ), so we’re really looking forward to having it tonight after it’s had time to develop even more ! This will be in regular rotation — after we use the aquafaba for your cornbread (best cornbread EVER BTW), we will use the chickpeas to make this ! Thank you, Shane !
Wow! Thank you so much, Irina! Stay safe and blessings.
I can’t wait to try this one! Is dried ginger the same as powdered?
Hi, Angie! Yes, they are the same thing.
We love Indian food- so this recipe was a must-do. Wow, it turned out so good! I used jarred minced ginger instead of ginger spice and added 4 cloves fresh minced garlic. I served it over mixed wild rice and brown rice. We love this recipe – the bold spicy flavor really knocks it out of the park! Thank you!
Wow, thank you so much, Beth! I love your additions.
Oh wow I made this last week substituting coconut milk as I had no other milk at home snd it was awesome awesome
Then this week I substitute roasted potatoes and cauliflower instead of the check peas for aloo gobi…yum yum yum!!!
Oh, my! That sounds absolutely crazy good. Must try!!!
This is delicious exactly as written. This is one of the few recipes I have ever tried that is not bland, but it truly has flavor! And it’s so fast and easy to make! I made a quadruple batch as a dish to pass at a large family Christmas dinner and it was devoured! Everyone loved it and my husband was bummed out that there were no leftovers to take home. This is now in my frequent meal rotation at home.
Wow, that’s awesome! Thank you so much, Lori! Blessings.
The best curry I’ve ever had! So flavorful, creamy, rich, and delicious. Can’t wait for the leftovers tomorrow!
Thank you, Lauren!
I’ve never had curry before but wanted to try this recipe. It was sooo good! The longer I ate it, the more I liked it! I mixed in a bag of brown Success rice and a bag of frozen broccoli florets. My boyfriend and son also loved it, thanks so much for this recipe!
That’s great, Lori! And, I love your additions. Blessings.
Can I use full fat coconut milk, and throw this in the instant pot?
Yes, to the coconut milk. But, I have not yet tried it in the Instant Pot. I see no reason why it wouldn’t work, but I would not cook it very long if using canned chickpeas. But, you have inspired to try something new:)
I used coconut milk and added chili powder…. SO GOOD!!! I’m a big fan of you recipe Shane!
Awesome!
This recipe is great! Followed the recipe and served over mixed brown and white jasmine rice with broccoli. I’m not a big fan of chickpeas or spicy food but this was amazing! I used 2 tsp cornstarch to thicken it up a little bit.
Thank you so much, Anne!
I cannot stop making and eating this dish! My husband had it the first time I made it and while he liked it, it didn’t actually hit him until I made it the second time! I have never made anything so easy and flavorful in my life! I did not have any almond milk or diced tomatoes so substituted macadamia milk and stewed tomatoes……it is awesome! Thank you for creating such well thought out easy, and delicious food!
Kelly, that is so great! I love how you improvised…that’s what it’s all about. Thank you for reaching out. Blessings.
Absolutely delicious! So quick and easy to make. It was full of flavor and the leftovers were even better the next day. Will definitely make this again. And again.
Cynthia, that is great! Thank you so much!!!
Hello Shane! This revipe was one of the easiest I’ve ever made! So tasty! Will be making again!
Kelly, that is so great! Thanks for reaching out and your kind words. Blessings.
I didn’t think I was a curry girl, but you may have converted me. This is great, and I’m sure it will be even better tomorrow. I might add a second can of chick peas! The only bad part is that I added Almond Breeze Coconut Almond Blend milk, and something caused it to separate…any suggestions on avoiding next time? It’s not a freshness issue, I had plenty in my coffee this morning and it didn’t separate. Tastes fine, just looks weird. I hope it’s ok to eat like that, because I’m on round 2. Also, what amount is your serving sizes?
Hi, Sherryl! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I’m not really sure why the milk separated unless it had something to do with the blend. It’s totally fine to eat if you can stand looking at it:) Blessings and Happy New Year!!!
This was awesome! Used coconut milk and omitted maple syrup. Had this over Cauliflower Rice and later over sweet potatoes. 3rd serving, thinned it out and had soup. 4th serving added some Sriracha and made a sloppy joe This is a very versatile and delicious recipe, Thank you so much for this. Love your recipes
PJ, that sounds amazing! Love your creativity and thanks for sharing. Blessings and Happy New Year!
Hi Shane,
I made this tonight. Didn’t have any rice, so put it over whole grain elbow macaroni. It was delicious. Really enjoyed it.
Thanks!!
Thank you so much, Lucille! Use what you got…that’s the name of the game:) Blessings and Happy New Year!
Amazing! Made this for the first time tonight. Will be a Staple for sure!
Lisa, that’s awesome! So glad you enjoyed it.
can you use double cream instead of almond milk or coconut milk
I would use full-fat coconut milk if you want the thickness. However, you can use cream, but it would no longer be vegan. If that’s not a concern for you, it’s definitely an option and should work just fine.
amazingly easy vegan curry! i didn’t have any almond milk on hand so i subbed in coconut milk and omitted the maple syrup (i find coconut milk to be quite sweet already) and it was wonderful!! the first night i had it i was a tad rushed and didn’t let the chickpeas soften up all that much or give the flavors time to meld (it was still delicious) so i popped it in the slow cooker the next day for a couple hours and that totally brought it to the next level! serve it with some coconut yogurt or cream (especially if you up the curry powder and add some chili powder), fresh cilantro and naan bread to knock it out of the park!!
Thank you, Emily! So glad you enjoyed it. Blessings and Happy New Year!
Such an easy recipe. So delicious made even more so by the low fat/calorie content