Go Back

Skillet Chickpea Curry

A pantry curry built on cans. Chickpeas, tomatoes, and coconut milk, blended smooth and spooned over rice. Gluten-free and dairy-free as written.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian-Inspired
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tbsp olive oil or butter
  • 1 large yellow onion diced small
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger optional
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon optional
  • 1 can 28 oz diced tomatoes, or two 14.5 oz cans
  • 3 cans 15 oz chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 can 13.5 oz full-fat coconut milk
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt more to taste
  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 1 handful chopped cilantro

Method
 

  1. Heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook 6 to 7 minutes, until soft and just coloring.
  2. Add the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute, until fragrant.
  3. Add all the dry spices straight into the oil, stirring constantly, 30 to 45 seconds, until toasty. Do not let them scorch. This step is the difference between a curry and canned tomatoes.
  4. Add the tomatoes, scraping the bottom of the pan. Simmer 5 minutes, until slightly thickened and darker.
  5. Add the chickpeas and coconut milk. Simmer uncovered 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it coats a spoon.
  6. Blend with an immersion blender for a smoother curry, or leave it as is if you prefer it chunky.
  7. Off the heat, add the lemon juice, salt, and cilantro. Taste again. It almost always wants more salt and more lemon than you would guess.

Notes

Feeds 6 to 8 depending on what you serve it over.
Gluten-free and dairy-free as written, if you use the olive oil rather than the butter.
The spices. They go into the hot oil before any liquid and cook there 30 to 45 seconds. Keep the spoon moving. This is the step that makes it taste like a curry.
Coconut milk. Full-fat, not light. The fat is what makes the sauce coat a spoon.
Blending. An immersion blender makes it smooth and creamy. Leave it alone for whole chickpeas in a thick sauce. Either is right.
To stretch it further. Stir in shredded chicken or tofu at the end. Serve it over rice, over a baked potato, or spooned over eggs.
Keeping it. Several days in the refrigerator and better on day two. It freezes well, and blended it thaws in better shape than chunky.