Chickpea Curry
If you’re looking for a delicious meal that’s both comforting and healthy, try my vegan chickpea curry with mixed veggies. Perfect for summer, this recipe focuses on flavor rather than intense spice, though you can easily add chili powder or green chilies to your taste. It’s a hearty and delicious meal that’s simple to prepare.
Chickpeas: Dried or Canned?
It doesn’t matter. While you can use canned chickpeas (making sure to rinse them well), I prefer the taste and home-cooked chickpeas.
My Kitchen Tip
Soak a large batch of dried chickpeas overnight (at least 8 hours), rinse them, and pressure cook them for about 3 whistles. This might seem time-consuming, but I portion the cooked chickpeas, store them in containers, and freeze them for future use. This time-saving trick works for lentils, kidney beans, and other legumes too! Simply defrost a portion when needed.
The Nutritional Power of Chickpeas
Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) are packed with fiber and protein, making them a nutritional powerhouse. They also contain manganese, folate, copper, zinc, and iron. Here are some of their health benefits:
- Blood Sugar Management: Chickpeas have a low glycemic index and are rich in fiber and protein, which helps manage blood sugar levels by slowing down carbohydrate absorption.
- Improved Digestion: The high fiber content in chickpeas supports a healthy digestive system by preventing the overgrowth of unhealthy bacteria.
- Menstrual Support: During menstruation, iron and B12 levels can drop due to blood loss. Chickpeas can help replenish these nutrients. Important note: If you experience persistent fatigue and heavy bleeding during your period, please consult a healthcare professional. These symptoms could indicate an underlying health issue.
If you want to learn more about the health benefits of chickpeas, check this post from Healthline.com
My Chickpea Curry
For this chickpea curry I used the vegetables I had on hand, but feel free to substitute with your favorites. I added just enough tandoori powder for a beautiful colour and delicious flavour. While I usually garnish with coriander, I used basil leaves this time, which turned out to be a great choice.
This curry has a rich, thick consistency, almost like a daube. To thicken the gravy without adding cream, I simply mashed a spoonful of chickpeas at the end of cooking. This vegan-friendly trick also makes the curry lighter. Since I cooked the chickpeas the same day, I used some of the chickpea water in the curry in the sauce but regular water works just as well.
The video
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Chickpea Curry
Ingredients
- 400 G Chickpeas (canned or boiled)
- 2 Medium size carrots chopped
- 1 Tomato chopped
- 100 G Brocoli Florets
- 100 G Cauliflower Florets
- 1 Medium size onion
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- 1 Ginger Pod
- 400 ML Chickpea Water If you boiled your chickpeas on the same day. Else use 400 ML normal water
- 150 ML Water
- Salt to taste
- Handful of chopped Basil or Coriander Leaves
Spices
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- 1 Star Anise
- 3 Cardamom Pods
- 1 Tablespoon Tandoori Powder
- 2 Tablespoons Cumin Powder
- 2 Bay Leaves
Instructions
- Sauté your onions in 1 tablespoon oil. Once the onions are slightly golden, add your grated ginger, garlic and tomatoes. Add your cumin powder and tandoori powder, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, cardamon pods and star anise. Stir and add a little bit (about 6 tablespoons) of chickpea water.
- Add the carrots and let cook for some 8 minutes. Next add in the broccoli and cauliflower florets. Season with salt and stir. Add the remaining chickpea water and cover. Let that cook for some 10 minutes.
- Next, add your chickpeas and 150 ml water. Stir and cook for another 4minutes. Mash a few of those chickpeas to thicken the sauce.
- Finally, garnish with chopped basil leaves. You can use coriander leaves instead of basil leaves.
Are you looking for other delicious vegetarian or vegan recipes? My Mauritian Banana Curry, using green bananas, is rich of flavours. If you want a simpler way to use chickpeas, you can try this chickpea hummus that’s easy to prep!
By the way, did you know that you can use chickpeas for a yummy sweet dish? These healthy Chickpea Laddoos are packed with nutrients and what sets them apart is that I use my own Homemade Peanut Butter with no artificial flavours or additives.