Description
Spinach and chickpea curry which is a healthy, tasty, inexpensive and filling vegan chickpea curry recipe. If you are looking at ways to make use of spinach or chickpeas, then this is a great filling recipe. Although I am not vegan myself, I do limit my meat intake mainly for health reasons. Plus this recipe is low in calories, you can check the nutritional factsheet below to see.When you have a recipe like this spinach and chickpea curry, you will not be hungry afterwards! That is one of the benefits of chickpeas, in that they are both filling and inexpensive. Although this is a spinach and chickpea curry, I have added mushrooms and potatoes. I love different textures in vegetable curries in particular, so for this recipe, you won’t be pre blending spices or onions to make a paste.
If you are looking for a creamy curry, then this will not be for you. I wanted a more healthy curry, not laden with cream, coconut milk or anything similar. Plus as part of my “frugal favourites”, I wanted an option for those people who are on a tight financial budget. The spices might seem an extravagance, but you can get pots of spices most affordably from some supermarkets, plus I use a lot of the same spices in different recipes. So once you have purchased them, you can make a good few meals from them. If you are looking at cost saving, make sure you check out the “reduced” vegetable section. I have lost count of the amount of times I have found spinach (which was perfectly edible) for around 40p!
One of my favourite ways to serve this is also with poppadoms and mango chutney, again I will stress that supermarket own brands of each of these are pretty much on a par with the branded ones!
[ratings]Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Sunflower or Vegetable Oil
- 1 Large Onion Sliced
- 2 Garlic Cloves (Fat Ones) Crushed
- 1 Tbsp Grated Ginger
- 1 Tsp Turmeric
- 1 Tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 Tsp Garam Masala
- 2 Tsp Ground Coriander
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 400g Chopped Tomatoes
- 1/2 Can of water from the tin of chopped tomatoes
- 400g Tin of Chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 75g Spinach
- Chilli (Whatever your heat preference) I have 1/2 Tsp Chilli Flakes
- 200g New Potatoes chopped into quarters or halved depending on their size
- 100g White Button Mushrooms
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 20g of chopped fresh coriander
Instructions
In a large heavy bottomed pan on a stove, place the oil, then the onions . Sweat and cook the onions for about 5-8 minutes until translucent and soft, then add in the mushrooms. Then add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, garam masala, ground cumin, chilli and ground coriander. Cook on low to get the spices heated up. It will be fairly dry, so do not panic about the bottom of your pan, as you will deglaze with the liquids in a few moments. Cook the spices through for a couple of minutes on low ensuring you keep stirring. Then add the chopped tomatoes, plus half a can of water using the tomato can. Add in the chickpeas and potatoes and mix to combine, then tuck the bay leaf underneath into the pan. Place the lid on top and cook on a low simmer for around 30 minutes, until the potatoes are soft. Keep an eye on the pot, checking to ensure it is not running out of water. You can add some if you feel it is getting too thick in texture.
Then add the spinach, place the lid back on and allow it to wilt in the pan for about 5 minutes.
Mix round to make the spinach properly combine.
Then add some chopped coriander, reserving some for on top of your dish when served.
Then taste test for salt. It will need a good grinding of it. Then serve with more fresh coriander, rice, poppadoms and mango chutney.
Notes
If you want more flavour, you could use 250ml of Vegetable stock instead of plain water.
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 45 Minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: Indian