Here’s a really great authentic Chickpea Curry that’s made from scratch but is extremely easy! Say goodbye to boring chickpea recipes – this one packs serious flavours but you won’t need to hunt down any unusual spices. You may even have them all!
This vegetarian curry is one of those foods where carnivores truly don’t miss the meat. (I am, of course, referring to myself 🙂 ) And it’s super healthy – 280 calories per serve!
Chickpea Curry
This curry tastes just like Indian curry you get from restaurants. I really mean that.
It has great layers of flavour. Real punchy flavours. And it’s made from scratch – no curry pastes here!
The roots of this particular curry is Trinidad in the Caribbean. But it really tastes just like Indian curries (the tomato based ones, not the creamy ones).
I don’t know if you’ve ever made Indian curries at home before, but I have. And with a few exceptions – like Butter Chicken, Tikka Masala and Biryani– the list of spices almost always includes spices that I need to hunt down at speciality spice stores or Indian grocery stores.
And therein lies the reason why I am obsessed with this. It’s made with spices you can get from your local supermarket. And just as much flavour.
Big flavours. BIG. HUGE!
This Chickpea curry is slightly adapted from a recipe by Imma from Immaculate Bites, an African-Caribbean food blog. Until I came across Imma’s site, I actually didn’t know that much about Caribbean cuisine. Did you know that Caribbean food is a fusion of many different cuisines, including African, American Indian, European, Indian, Arabic and Chinese? Traditions brought to the region by the population.
And this Chana Aloo Curry (Chana = chickpeas, Aloo = potatoes), is one such example. A Caribbean recipe that tastes very Indian!
Ingredients in Chickpea Potato Curry
A great tasting curry from scratch will always call for a fair few spices. However, the really nice thing about this curry recipe is that all the spices are ones you can find at everyday supermarkets.
For me, these are standard pantry spices – and I’m betting I am not the only one! (Bonus: If you’re missing one or two – other than curry powder – it’s not the end of the world.)
The Curry Powder
The main spice used is curry powder. These are the curry powders I typically use – but any brand should be fine, I’ve used plenty over the years.
Other recipes that use curry powder
Don’t feel restricted to just use curry powder in Indian-style curries. It’s used in all sorts of recipes, such as:
Making the Chickpea Potato Curry
Measuring out those spices is definitely the step that takes the most time in this recipe!! So once that’s done, it’s a pretty effortless recipe:
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Sauté garlic and onion
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Sauté spices (brings out the flavour)
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Coat potato in the spices
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Add everything else (chickpeas, tomato, broth/stock)
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Simmer to reduce and thicken, then stir in green onion and parsley at the end
Want to make a lower carb version?
Try this Vegetable Curry! Same sauce, but made with vegetables instead of chickpeas and potato.
What to serve with Chickpea Curry
Rice is essential to soak up all that sauce – preferably basmati rice. If you want to go all out, serve it with Coconut Rice. The combination of the subtle, sweet coconut flavour with the big spicy flavours in this curry is SO GOOD!
If you want to cut back on the carbs, try cauliflower rice (please, someone remind me to share this recipe, I mention it so often!).
Also, a dollop of yogurt goes nicely – the fresh cool tang tempers the spiciness and adds a touch of creaminess.
You get bonus points if you go to the effort of serving these authentic Naan, the perfect vehicle to scoop up that wickedly delicious curry sauce!!! Otherwise, these yeast-free Easy Soft Flatbreads are simpler and taste just like naan.
– Nagi x
Chickpea Potato Curry (Chana Aloo Curry)
Watch how to make it
Fresh salad on the side
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Cabbage, Carrot, Mint Salad – great refreshing salad, ideal to pair with curries
And – more great curries of the world!
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Biryani (it’s amazing!)
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Dal (Indian lentil curry)
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Browse the Curry Collection
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Easy Chickpea Curry with Potato (Chana Aloo Curry)
Ingredients
Spices (Note 2):
- 2 tbsp curry powder (Note 3)
- 1 tsp All Spice powder
- 1 tsp nutmeg powder (or 1/2 tsp freshly grated)
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (or normal or sweet)
- 2 tsp dried thyme leaves (or 3 tsp fresh)
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp white pepper (or 1/2 tsp black pepper)
Curry
- 3 tbsp (65ml) cooking oil (I used vegetable)
- 2 large garlic cloves , minced
- 1 large onion , diced (brown, white, yellow)
- 1 1/2 cups (225g) potatoes , cut into 1.2cm / 1/2" cubes
- 28 oz / 800g canned chickpeas (2 x 14oz/400g cans) , drained (Note 3)
- 14 oz / 400g canned crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups (500ml) vegetable or chicken broth/stock
- 2 scallion/shallot stems , sliced (green & white part)
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley , finely chopped (or coriander/cilantro)
- Salt to taste
Serving - choose
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot or very deep skillet over medium high heat.
- Add onion and garlic, cook for 3 minutes until onion is translucent.
- Add Curry Spices and stir for 1 minute.
- Add the potatoes and stir to coat in the Spices. If the spices start to stick to the bottom of the pot, add a tiny splash of water.
- Add the chickpeas, tomatoes and vegetable or chicken broth. Bring to simmer then turn down the heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked and the sauce has thickened.
- Adjust salt to taste, stir through scallions/shallots and parsley.
- Serve with rice - basmati would be ideal, or Coconut Rice if you're wanting to impress. To go all out, add some Easy Soft Flatbreads!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published January 2016. Updated with new photos, new video and entirely rewritten post in February 2019. No change to recipe.
Life of Dozer
No curry for you, too spicy! What will you give me for this drumstick…???
Julie says
How funny I was just wondering what to do with the two cans of chickpeas I had in the pantry. I was leaning towards humus this looks way more inviting!
Nagi says
Two cans of chickpeas makes a LOT of hummus!!! 😂
Bree says
This curry is awesome! I keep stocks of it in my freezer with rice at all times 😅
Nagi says
BEST validation ever! 😂 PS I don’t have it “all” the time, but I often have it too! N x
Anganie Roach says
Hi Nagi, I am from Trinidad and was so pleased to see you publish one of our favourite foods here, we usually eat it with roti (similar to naan) instead of rice.
Nagi says
I hope I did it justice Anganie! It is honestly one of my favourites, I make variations of this using the sauce but with other ingredients. I even made a fish one the other day! N x
Kevin says
Made this for supper tonight. My wife and ILOVED it. A bunch of spinach pan fried in olive oil and garlic made a perfect nest for the rice and curry.
Nagi says
That’s great to hear Kevin! Glad you enjoyed it! N x
Wynn says
I was thinking of serving it with sautéed spinach as a side, but your idea of it as a nest is so much better! Thanks for the great tip!
Sharon Khan says
Made this tonight, was really flavourful and fast, thank you so much!! One minor adjustment: I added a little more water than what the recipe called for, so to thicken the sauce, i mashed a few of the potatoes with the back of my spoon. Didn’t need to add anything to this already great sauce!
Nagi says
Great idea Sharon! I’m so glad you loved it!
Melissa says
I added a can of coconut milk because it was a little too spicy and garlic salt. It was delicious. I would go with one tablespoon of curry powder before adding the second. Thanks for the great recipe!
Nagi says
Hi Melissa, sorry you thought it was too spicy! I’ve found that different curry powders do differ in heat, but you can always reduce the amount and cut out the cayenne pepper to keep it mild – N x
Kayla says
Can this be made in the crockpot?
Nagi says
Hi Kayla, you could transfer to a crockpot at step 4 if you like ☺️
Mary Ann says
I have made this dish so many times. It is so delicious. I am making it again right now for the 2nd time in a week. Thank you!
Nagi says
That’s great tp hear Mary Ann!
Nikita says
I need help! I’ve made this recipe twice, following instructions exactly but it’s always taken 30+ minutes to cook and my sauce NEVER looks as thick and luscious as yours and is just not saucy at all but thin liquid. I have no idea what I’m doing wrong but the flavours are great!
Lauren says
Nikita, I had the same problem, but I figured it would take longer to cook potatoes; I don’t think I have ever been able to cook potatoes in 15 minutes! I simmered it for around 40 minutes. If you simmer without a lid, it will thicken quicker. I also mixed a little cornstarch with water and added it to help thicken the sauce. It turned out great. I love this recipe!
Morag says
2nd time making this curry – a bit hot the first time, so just used 1 tbsp medium curry powder, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper and 1/4 tsp white pepper. Still a bit hot for me but delicious both times. Will try mild curry powder next time. I’m presuming you can freeze it ? Great curry recipe 👍🏻😋
Nagi says
Hi Morag, Yes I’ve found different brand curry powders vary in heat – Just add less and increase to taste just to be safe. This curry is perfect to freeze!
Michelle C says
I am making this now and it smells amazing. I didn’t know what kind of canned tomatoes to use, so I used crushed as I was trying to only use what I currently had on hand.
Nagi says
Crushed or diced is perfect, let me know what you think! N x
Carli says
Delicious! I made this for a big family dinner tonight and everyone loved it. A unique and comforting dish we will make again and again.
Nagi says
Wahoo Carli, I’m so glad your family loved it!
Lauren says
I’m obsessed with this curry! I’ve been making it at least twice a week for the past few weeks and it’s becoming my go-to lazy meal because it’s so simple and low in calories. I use a completely mild curry powder since my partner and I can’t handle spicy stuff but there is so much flavor, it’s delicious! I find the potatoes sometimes don’t quite get soft enough, no matter how small I dice them, but it still tastes great!
TRACEY LAUER says
Dear Nagi,
Thank you for this delicious recipe and to your followers for their suggestions. I did use a scotch bonnet, so the suggested coconut milk “curbed” the heat! I also had leftover broccoli and asparagus so that went in as well. It was lick the plate yummy!! So happy I found your blog. I have three “Veggie Heads” coming home for the holidays and they will so appreciate this dish!!! It was fantastic!!! Can’t wait to try your other creations!!
Nagi says
That sounds fabulous Tracey!!
Lisa says
I made this last night. It was amazingly awesome!! Hubby loved it too. Thanks for this recipe!
Lisa says
Yummmmmmyy!!
Martha H Pennebaker says
You said the original recipe did not call for canned tomatoes. Does that mean there were fresh tomatoes or no tomatoes? Can’t wait to try this recipe. Thanks!
Cathy says
If I only have one can of chickpeas can I also add a can of Cannellini Beans (white)? Think it will still taste good?
Nagi says
absolutely! It will taste amazing!
Nikita says
what should you do if your sauce doesn’t thicken up??
S koo says
could I use this recipe for the instant pot?