Vegan Chickpea Curry

This easy vegan chickpea curry is made with rice, potatoes, and all the right seasonings. It’s a perfect weeknight vegetable curry because it’s an easy one-pot recipe with a creamy, spicy sauce. 

Be sure to serve some baked vegan naan on the side.

A dish of chickpea coconut curry sits next to naan bread and limes cut in half.

It’s easy to make this chickpea curry extra creamy by using coconut milk. Combining chickpeas, coconut milk, and rice makes this curried chickpea recipe so creamy and delicious!

Why is This the Best Recipe?

  • Cooking rice with coconut milk and chickpeas creates a creamy combination of textures and flavors.
  • Potatoes are a secret ingredient, adding creaminess (thanks to its starches) to just about any dish
  • Carrots add color, texture, and flavor, making every bite scrumptious!

Chickpea Curry Ingredients

You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, including substitution ideas:

  • Coconut milk — You’ll need a 15-ounce can of full-fat coconut. Or you can substitute lite coconut, but it will yield a less creamy experience.
  • Basmati rice — You can use white rice or brown basmati.
  • Garlic — You’ll need 3 to 4 cloves.
  • Carrots — We’ll be using about 1 cup of chopped/sliced carrots.
  • Potato — Just about any potato will do here, including red, white, gold, or even a sweet potato.
  • Chickpeas — You’ll need a 15-ounce can. Ready to mix things up? Try this easy butterbean curry for a real change of pace!
  • Curry powder — I really like McCormick’s curry powder because of the blend of ingredients it uses.
  • Tamari or soy sauce — I like using tamari because it’s a gluten-free version of soy sauce.
  • Lime — You can use either a fresh lime to make juice or bottled juice.
  • Cilantro  — Fresh is the most flavorful, but you can use dried cilantro or substitute fresh parsley.
  • Frozen corn — I highly recommend frozen or fresh corn over canned corn.
  • Frozen peas
  • Other ingredients — You can add steamed broccoli and/or cut cauliflower florets
A closeup of coconut curry sitting next to bread slices and limes.

How to Make Vegan Chickpea Curry

  1. Prepare the base by adding the coconut milk, water, rice, garlic, carrots, potatoes, and chickpeas in a large pot and simmer (low boil) for about 20 minutes, until the carrots are tender and the sauce has thickened.
  2. Stir in the frozen corn and peas.
  3. Immediately before serving add the curry, tamari, lime juice, and the chopped cilantro. Stir to combine and it’s ready to be eaten!

The coconut milk combines with the spices to make a deliciously creamy vegan curry sauce that is best when served with naan bread.

Storage Tips

Store chickpea curry in an airtight container. It will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. To thaw, transfer the dish to the fridge overnight or use the defrost setting on your microwave.

Frequently-Asked Questions

Can you freeze chickpea curry?

A chickpea curry freezes beautifully! Simply cook the recipe and then allow it to cool before transferring to freezer-safe containers. It will keep in the freezer up to 3 months. To reheat, cook in the microwave until heated through.

Are chickpeas the same as garbanzo beans?

The chickpea and garbanzo bean are different names for the same thing. Whatever you call it, it’s a popular legume used in a variety of recipes, from salads to hummus, soups, and more!

What is curry powder made from?

Most curry powders are made from a mixture of spices, including turmeric, cumin, fenugreek, and coriander (the seeds of the cilantro plant).

Marly’s Tips

Use these tips to make this vegan chickpea curry perfect every time:

  • Try adding some chopped cauliflower florets while the curry is cooking
  • Sprinkle the finished chickpeas curry with sesame seeds
  • Serve vegan chickpea curry with steamed broccoli
  • Curry powders vary greatly in the ingredients they have. In addition, if it has been sitting for a while, it may have lost some flavor. Taste your curry before serving and add 1 to 2 additional tablespoons of curry powder for even more flavor.
  • Serve chickpea curry with vegan naan bread and steamed broccoli. Also having additional tamari and sriracha is nice, too.

Reader Reviews

★★★★★
Made this tonight! It was delicious, I’m thinking next time I would want something to add more spice, maybe cayan. Great recipe, so easy to make.

Chloe

More Stews

A small serving dish holds a rice dish next to bread and lime slices.

I hope you like this vegan chickpea curry as much as we do!

A serving dish full of chickpea curry sits next to naan bread and limes.

Vegan Chickpea Curry

This one-pot wonder dish, the vegan chickpea curry, is made with basmati rice and a splash of lime. It's so easy and so delicious!
5 from 1 vote
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6
Calories: 475kcal

Ingredients

  • 15 oz can coconut milk
  • 3 cans of water fill that coconut milk can 3 times
  • 2 cups basmati rice
  • 3-4 cloves garlic peeled and minced
  • 1 cup carrots finely chopped
  • 1 potato chopped into small cubes
  • 1 15 oz can chickpeas drained
  • 1-3 tablespoons curry powder
  • 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
  • 1 lime juiced
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro fresh is best but dried will work too
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • Other ingredients: Steamed broccoli and/or cauliflower florets
  • Serve with Baked Naan

Instructions

  • Combine the coconut milk, water, basmati rice, minced garlic, chopped carrots, potato cubes and rinsed chickpeas in a large pot over medium-high heat. Bring the pot to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for about 20 minutes. The basmati rice should be tender at this point and the sauce should be very thick.
  • Add the frozen corn and peas and stir until combined.
  • Before serving add the curry, Bragg (or soy), the juice of one lime, and the chopped cilantro. Stir to combine and this One Pot Wonder is ready to be eaten!

(The products above contain sponsored links to products we use and recommend)

Notes

Curry powders vary greatly in the ingredients they have. In addition, if they’ve been sitting for awhile, they may have lost some flavor. Taste your curry at the end and feel free to add 1 to 2 additional tablespoons for even more flavor.
Serving Suggestions: Serve chickpea curry with vegan naan bread and steamed broccoli. Also having additional tamari and sriracha is nice too.
Calories: 475kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Sodium: 154mg | Potassium: 644mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3760IU | Vitamin C: 22.7mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 4mg

The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

This post was originally published in 2019 and was updated to include new photos, new text, and an updated recipe in 2021.

20 Responses to Vegan Chickpea Curry

  1. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyJenny Reply

    You mentioned curry seasoning….are you talking about the spice curry…Thank you…cannot wait to try this

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      Hi Jenny. Thanks for your comment. Yes, I’m referring to curry. Because curry is made with a variety of spices I thought it might be easier to refer to it as a seasoning, but you raise a good point. So, I changed it to curry powder. Hope this helps to clarify…and I hope you enjoy it!

  2. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyEsther Reply

    Do you cook this covered or uncovered? Can’t wait to try it.

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      I cook this uncovered. It works like a charm!

  3. Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyYasmine Issurdutt Reply

    Allergic to coconut milk. What can I substitute? Would love to try.

    • Avatar thumbnail image for MarlyMarly

      You don’t have to put any kind of cream as a substitute – you could just use water. However, if you wanted a creamy flavor, you can use any variety of plant-based milks that work for your diet – like soy, almond, hemp, etc.

Rate / Comment

Your email address will not be published.

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.