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Chicken and Chickpea Curry

chicken and chickpea curry garnished with yoghurt and herbs served with rice.
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This delicious chicken and chickpea curry is the perfect easy mid week meal. Imagine juicy, tender chicken with chickpeas in an aromatic spiced tomato and creamy coconut curry sauce. All finished off with crunchy toasted almonds, cooling yoghurt, spicy chillies and fresh coriander. So good… 

Ingredients

Scale

For the curry:

  • About 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, finely diced
  • A pinch of salt
  • 3 garlic cloves, grated
  • 1 thumb size piece ginger, grated
  • 2 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp ground cumin  
  • 500g skinless, boneless chicken thighs, diced into chunks
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • ½ x 400g tin chopped tomatoes (200g)
  • 1 x 400g tin chickpeas, drained
  • 200ml full-fat coconut milk
  • Handful fully-prepared fresh spinach

To serve:

  • Cooked basmati rice for 4 people (usually I do 75g uncooked per person or use 2 microwavable pouches)
  • About 2 tbsp full-fat yoghurt
  • A handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
  • About 2 tbsp toasted flaked almonds, for sprinkling
  • 1 red chilli, sliced (deseeded, if desired)

Instructions

  1. Heat a drizzle of vegetable oil in a large non-stick pan set over a low-medium heat. Add the diced onion and a pinch of salt and sauté for 10-12 minutes, stirring often, or until softened.
  2. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute, stirring, before adding the spices. Cook for a further 1-2 minutes before adding the diced chicken.
  3. Cook the chicken for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until golden on all sides.
  4. Stir in the tomato purée and cook out for 1 minute, stirring to coat the chicken. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and bring to a simmer.
  5. Simmer for 2-3 minutes before adding the coconut milk and chickpeas. Stir well and leave to simmer for 5 minutes. Stir the spinach for the final 2 minutes. It should gently wilt into the curry.
  6. Serve warm with rice, garnished with a dollop of yoghurt, toasted flaked almonds, freshly chopped coriander and sliced red chilli. Enjoy!

Notes

Spice: this is a mild curry. You can leave the seeds in the chilli garnish if you prefer something spicier. 

Make ahead: you can make this chicken and chickpea curry ahead of time. Simply leave to cool completely before covering and chilling for up to 3 days. Reheat on the hob or in the microwave until piping hot. 

Make it plant based: you can easily adapt this chicken and chickpea curry for vegetarians and vegans. For vegetarians, swap the diced chicken for paneer or halloumi. For vegans, use an extra-firm tofu with a plant-based yoghurt. 

Serving suggestions: I love to serve this chicken and chickpea curry with fluffy basmati rice. You can also opt for jasmine rice which has a delicate floral flavour. Brown rice is great for nuttiness. Warm naan or flatbread is delicious instead (or as well as). Ideal for mopping up the creamy spiced coconut and tomato curry sauce. 

To store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container (tupperware) in the fridge for 3 days.

To reheat: Reheat the curry either in a saucepan on the stove or in the microwave until hot all the way through (including the chicken).

To freeze: this curry freezes well. Let it cool completely then transfer to an airtight container like a freezer bag or tupperware. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, defrost it overnight (or through the day) and then reheat in a saucepan on the hob until bubbling hot. I sometimes add a splash of water to loosen it if needed.

Find it online: https://desertislanddishes.co/chicken-chickpea-curry/