A delicious, easy, vegan chickpea curry that’s ready in less than 30 minutes and can be made in just one-pot – making this the perfect healthy, low-calorie weeknight meal to whip up in a flash!

I spent almost all of 2017 in Asia.

I already loved Asian food, but spending that time exploring the continent and the many different types of fantastic cuisines along the way (highlights go to Thai, Japanese, Sri Lankan, and Indonesian food) really solidified how much I love that part of the world.

So, it seemed like a cruel twist of fate that I was forced to end my trip just before I got to what was, for me, the pinnacle of my food tour: India.

Curries are my go-to food when I’m craving something warm and hearty. I have my favourite Quorn curry and this easy chickpea curry in endless rotation, honestly. The endless combinations of spices and herbs that you can put together to create a true taste explosion in your mouth is one of my favourite things about cooking with these kinds of ingredients – and the fact that this curry is so easy to make is a huge plus, too.

There’s a pretty authentic Indian takeaway place just down the road from me (at least, that’s what I’ve been told), and they do the best chickpea curry I have ever tasted. I can only imagine what it’s like in India itself.

However, my budget (and let’s be real, my waistline) can’t forgive multiple takeaways every week, which is where this chickpea curry comes into play.

I’ve been honing my chickpea curry recipe for a long time now. I’m not going to say it’s 100% authentic, but it’s cheap, easy, and tastes damn good.

That’s good enough for me – I hope it’s good enough for you, too.

I love serving this chickpea curry (also known as chana masala) with brown rice and a squeeze or lemon juice, but it’s also great served with a big, fluffy warm naan bread.

Other recipes you might also like to check out include this delicious red lentil dahl or this vegan laksa noodle soup.

Making this one-pot chickpea curry

I love this easy chickpea curry recipe because you can make it in one pot – and saving on washing up is always a win.

You start by heating a tablespoon of oil in a pan with mustard and cumin seeds, waiting until the seeds start to pop before you add onion and chilli.

Then, add garlic and ginger, tomato puree, chopped tomatoes, a little water, and your curry powder, mixing together before adding in your chickpeas and garam masala.

The longer you leave this curry to simmer and meld together, the thicker and more flavourful the curry will be. If you want it ready super quick, I know a few people have added a little cornflour to the curry to thicken it up, although I haven’t tried this.

Storage notes:

This curry just gets better the next day, so make extra and plan to have it for lunch or dinner the following day.

If you make a big batch, you can also freeze this recipe perfectly fine – I just wouldn’t recommend freezing it with rice in the same container.