Chickpea Curry with Vegetables and Coconut Milk

Easy and quick Chickpea Curry is flavourful with vegetables and coconut milk.

Curry is not a favourite meal of mine but I do like it and occasionally want to eat it.  And when I eat it I say to myself I should make this more often.  I was in such a mood as that last week.  I came across a picture and recipe for a chickpea curry on Facebook and it started me thinking of curry.  I looked at the recipe and it was easy, much like the curries I have been making but I like mine better because of the vegetables.

So we ate curry. Twice.  There are only two of us and there was enough for a second meal which was good because the day after we ate it the first time there was a water line break in the neighbourhood and there was no water to cook or clean (or flush!!!) with for several hours.  I was thankful to have left over curry and rice for our meal.  And do you know what?  The Chickpea Curry with Vegetables and Coconut Milk was even better the next day.  Who knew?

Printable recipe at end of post.

Chickpea Curry with Vegetables and Coconut Milk

• 1 chopped medium onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 pepper, cut in chunks (any colour or mix)
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 tablespoon curry powder or your favourite curry paste to taste
• 2 tablespoon tomato paste or 2 cups chopped tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
• 1 large potato diced (about 1 cup)
• ½ cup water + more as needed
• 1 can 540 ml /19oz chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups other vegetables (cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, sliced carrots, etc)
• ½ - 1 can 400 ml/14 ounces coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon sugar, optional
• Few drops hot sauce, optional
• Fresh lime for squeezing, optional

How to make it:
In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, sauté the onion in the oil until onions are just soft. Add the garlic and peppers and cook another 2 minutes. 

Add the curry powder (or curry paste) and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. (If using diced tomatoes instead of tomato paste add them after you cook the curry powder.)

Stir in the salt, potato and water; cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add remaining vegetables and chickpeas and continue cooking covered an additional 5 minutes or until potatoes and vegetables are just cooked.  They can be slightly under cooked at this stage. Add more water if mixture becomes dry. 

Remove cover and stir in the coconut milk, sugar and hot sauce if using and continue to cook the mixture, stirring occasionally, until thick and creamy about 10 minutes.  (I used ½ a can of coconut milk and found it sufficiently rich and creamy.)

Serve the curry on a bed of rice accompanied with hot naan bread or chapattis. A squeeze of lime juice over the curry is also delicious!

Makes 4 servings.

 Sauté onions until soft, then add the pepper and garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes.

Add the curry powder.  I use powder but you can use your favourite curry paste.  I've never used curry paste because I'm afraid it will be too hot.  One day I'll get brave and try it out.

Actually add the curry powder and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.  This helps release the flavour of the curry powder and cooks the raw flavour from the tomato paste.

 To the mix add the salt, potatoes.  Cover and cook 5 minutes.

Add remaining vegetables and drained and rinsed chick peas. Cover and cook an additional 5 minutes until vegetables are just about cooked.

 Add more water if the mixture seems dry.

When vegetables are cooked stir in the coconut milk, sugar and hot sauce if using.  Cook uncovered an additional 10 minutes stirring occasionally until mixture is thick and creamy.

 Serve over a bed of hot rice.

 Chickpea Curry with Vegetables and Coconut Milk

To print click on arrow upper right side.⇩