South Indian chickpea curry recipe
This delicious chickpea curry recipe combines tender chickpeas with tomatoes, coconut milk, curry leaves and an aromatic homemade spice blend. Serve it with basmati rice, jeera rice or roti for a tasty vegan and gluten-free dinner.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 245kcal
Equipment
- Spice grinder (or blender)
- Large pot or saute pan (or saucepan)
Ingredients
For spice mix
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi seeds)
- 4 pods green cardamom pods
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
Other ingredients
- 3 cups cooked chickpeas (or two 15,5 oz cans of chickpeas, drained)
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil (or any neutral oil of choice)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 sprigs curry leaves (about 24 leaves)
- 1 medium onion (finely diced)
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste (or crush together 4 pieces garlic and a 1-inch knob of ginger)
- 2 medium tomatoes (finely diced)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- 1½ cups water or vegetable stock
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons cilantro (chopped)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Make the spice mix
- Place all ingredients for the spice mix in a spice grinder or blender. Blend to a fine powder and set aside. The recipe yields approximately two tablespoons of spice mix - use all of it for the curry.
Make the chickpea curry
- Heat the oil in a sauté pan or saucepan. Add cumin seeds. When they darken a couple of shades and turn very fragrant, add the onions, curry leaves and ginger garlic paste. Add ½ teaspoon salt and sauté over medium heat until onions turn translucent.
- Add the tomatoes, paprika, cayenne, turmeric, and the blended spice mix. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes darken and most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Add the chickpeas and salt and stir well to mix. Add 1½ cups of water or vegetable stock. Bring the chickpea curry to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer for another 10 minutes, giving the chickpeas time to absorb the sauce.
- Add the coconut milk and let the chickpea curry warm through without boiling, which can separate the coconut milk. You can mash some of the chickpeas with the back of a ladle if you want to thicken the curry.
- Check salt and add more if needed. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro and serve hot.
Video
Notes
Ingredient notes
- Coconut milk: Use full-fat coconut milk. If substituting lite coconut milk use the full can and reduce the amount of water or vegetable stock in the recipe accordingly.
- Coconut oil: Unrefined coconut oil has a rich, coconutty flavor that works beautifully in south Indian recipes like avial. If you don't have it, use any neutral oil.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 20mg | Potassium: 508mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 641IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 5mg