Chicken and Chickpea Curry
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…
Servings: 4 servings (depending on sides e.g. rice and naan)
Ingredients
For the curry:
- 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
- 500 g skinless boneless chicken thighs, diced into chunks
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- ½ x 400g tin chopped tomatoes 200g
- 1 x 400g tin chickpeas drained
- 200 ml 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Cook the chicken for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until golden on all sides.
- 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.
- 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.
- Serve warm with rice, garnished with a dollop of yoghurt, toasted flaked almonds, freshly chopped coriander and sliced red chilli. Enjoy!
Notes
Scroll up for a step by step guide on how to make chicken and chickpea curry.
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.
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.
Nutrition Facts: the nutritional info listed does not include anything listed to serve alongside.
Nutrition
Calories: 245kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 215mg | Potassium: 511mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 212IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 3mg