Creamy Chickpea Curry

This is an easy, flavor-packed creamy vegan chickpea curry that comes together in about 40 minutes.  It’s an oil-free curry full of veggies, a little spicy from the red chili, creamy from the coconut milk, and loaded with flavor from the spices and fresh cilantro.  

How to Sauté Vegetables Without Oil

I sauté my vegetables oil-free by starting with a hot nonstick skillet on medium heat.  I add the vegetables then turn down the heat so they don’t burn.  The vegetables will release some of their own water, but if they start to stick just deglaze the pan with a tablespoon or two of water or vegetable broth.

Having a cup of water that you can scoop from makes the process faster.  A squeeze bottle full of water also works great to deglaze the pan and prevent the vegetables from burning. 

Be careful though, if you use too much liquid it will boil the vegetables instead of sautéing them.  Browning the vegetables in the pan will add flavor to the dish.  The more often you cook this way the more you’ll get familiar with the proper settings you need to cook the vegetables without burning them.  

Keep in mind that different pans hold heat differently.  Some hold heat better than others, which also means it takes longer to reduce the heat in the pan when needed.  I wouldn’t recommend sautéing garlic alone, it burns easily.  I always wait to add garlic to the pan when the vegetables have cooked most of the way through.

How to Make Creamy Chickpea Curry

Sauté the red bell pepper, zucchini, white parts of the bok choy (reserving the green parts for later), and red chili in a preheated pan, for about 10 minutes or until vegetables have softened. Add a splash of water or vegetable broth to keep the vegetables from sticking for oil-free cooking.  Alternatively, you can saute the vegetables in ¼ cup of water or a ¼ cup of vegetable broth if you don’t have a nonstick pan.  Or use a tablespoon of neutral-tasting oil.

When the vegetables have softened add the garlic and ginger, then sauté for 1-2 more minutes.

Add curry powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, and ground turmeric (if using), and salt and stir to coat the vegetables. Sauté for about 30 seconds until it’s aromatic.

Use ½ cup of water to deglaze the pan, scraping off any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.  Now add the tamari, maple syrup, coconut milk, and chickpeas. Bring to a simmer and cook covered for about 10 minutes, for the flavors to blend together.

Then stir in the green parts of the bok choy and cook uncovered on a gentle simmer for about 5 minutes, or just until green parts have wilted.

Then stir in the fresh lime juice, serve over rice, and top with fresh chopped cilantro.

Tips

Less spicy - remove the seeds and white ribs from the red chili.

More spicy - leave the seeds and ribs in, garnish with more fresh red chilies or add another red chili to the recipe.

Don’t like cilantro - just leave it out, the dish will still be delicious without it.

Worried about cutting chilies - wear plastic or rubber gloves to protect your skin from the oils from the chilies.  After slicing them avoid contact with your eyes and wash your hands thoroughly.  

Substitutions

Red Chili Pepper - if you can’t find a fresh cayenne pepper it can be substituted with about ⅛ teaspoon of cayenne powder.  It’s an estimate though because spice can vary from pepper to pepper.  Another substitute is a Serrano pepper (not as hot as a cayenne pepper), or a Thai chili (hotter than a cayenne pepper).

Vegetable Substitutions - substitute with your favorite veggies or whatever you have on hand.  Just keep in mind the dish will take longer to cook if you substitute with veggies that take longer to sauté.

Frozen Vegetable Substitution - if you use frozen vegetables, no need to thaw.  Add them to the pan without the red chili.  With the lid on (it will redirect any condensation back to the skillet) sauté the vegetables until they’re softened and almost done, then add the chili, garlic, and ginger.  Then continue with the rest of the recipe.  

Fresh Ginger Root

In a pinch, 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger root can be substituted with about ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger.  The ground ginger will be milder than fresh grated ginger root.

How to Freeze Fresh Ginger

To freeze ginger, peel before hand and pop the root in a freezer safe bag.  When ready to use there’s no need to thaw, just pull it out of the freezer, and use a microplane to grate the frozen ginger.  It’s really easy to grate ginger when it’s frozen!

More Plant-Based Meals

• Red Lentil Dal with coconut milk
• Potato Curry
• Spicy Chickpea Stew with Zucchini
• Butternut squash lentil soup
• White bean potato soup

I hope you enjoy this easy vegan chickpea curry recipe!

Originally posted on April 7, 2020, and updated on June 5, 2021.

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