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Creamy Tomato Chickpea Curry

30 min

Main

Freezer-friendly
I know I’ve struck gold with a new recipe when my husband, Robin, asks for it three times in one week. The recipe is absurdly simple, comes together quickly with mostly pantry staples, but still delivers BIG on flavor. The whole seeds are my favorite part. They sizzle in the oil, fill the kitchen with the most amazing aroma, and add little bursts of flavor in every spoonful. It’s creamy, comforting, and has been on repeat in our kitchen ever since I first made it.

Servings

Total

30 min

Prep

15 min

Cook

15 min

Contains

Sesame symbol

sesame

Free from

Soy symbol

soy

Peanut symbol

peanut

Treenut symbol

tree nut

Gluten symbol

gluten

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp (15ml)
    vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp (3.5g)
    coriander seeds
  • 2 tsp (4g)
    brown mustard seeds
  • 1
    large onion, chopped
  • 6
    garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 Tbsp (33g)
    tomato paste
  • 2 tsp (4g)
    grated fresh ginger
  • ½ Tbsp (3g)
    curry powder
  • ½ Tbsp (9g)
    salt
  • 1 tsp (2g)
    ground cumin
  • ½ tsp
    chili flakes
  • 1⅔ cups (400ml)
    canned full-fat coconut milk†
  • 1⅔ cups (400g)
    canned diced tomatoes†
  • 1½ cups (245g)
    cooked chickpeas†
  • 2 cups (60g)
    spinach, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp (32g)
    tahini (optional)

Serves well with

  • fresh cilantro
  • lime wedge
  • cooked brown rice
  • vegan naan

Directions

  1. In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the coriander and mustard seeds and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute, or until the seeds start to pop.
  2. Add the onion, raise the heat to medium-high, and cook for about 3 minutes, or until translucent.
  3. Add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes, or until golden.
  4. Add the tomato paste, ginger, salt, curry powder, cumin, and chili flakes. Stir to toast until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  5. Stir in the coconut milk, tomatoes, and chickpeas and cook for 5 minutes, uncovered, for the curry to thicken slightly.
  6. Stir in the spinach and tahini (if using), and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the spinach has wilted.
  7. Serve in bowls with warm rice or naan. Serve with any or all of the garnishes. Enjoy!

Notes

  • †One (13.5 oz / 400ml) can yields about about 1⅔ cups.
  • †One (14.5 oz / 410g) can diced tomatoes yields about 1⅔ cups.
  • †One (15 oz / 425g) can yields about 1½ cups when drained.

Storage

  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • Freeze for up to 2 months.
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Let us know what you think

Watch it step-by-step!

Plate method

The Plate Method is a visual tool that helps us ensure our dietary needs are on track. Touch the image below to see how this recipe measures up.

Grains & Starches 0%
Proteins 25%

• cooked chickpeas

• tahini

Fruits & Veggies 75%

• large onion

• garlic clove

• tomato paste

• grated fresh ginger

• canned diced tomatoes

• spinach

Calcium
No significant sources of calcium
Fat

• vegetable oil

• canned full-fat coconut milk

• tahini

Nutrition info

Focusing on numbers can harm our relationship with food. Instead, our philosophy is to Nourish the Cells & the Soul. For specific nutrition needs due to a medical condition, consult a dietitian or physician. While we strive to provide accurate nutritional information, we cannot guarantee its accuracy. See our disclaimer for details.

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More for the eyes

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Maria del Mar - Aug. 24, 2026, 8:15 p.m.

Soo good!! We'll be making this curry again and again, I'm sure.

PUL small logo PUL Team - Aug. 24, 2026, 8:46 p.m.

Eeeek 🥰 beyond happy to hear the chickpea curry recipe will be a repeat one! This is the biggest compliment, Maria ☺️✨

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Savvas - Aug. 24, 2026, 7:52 p.m.

Such an awesome recipe!

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Jonathan - Aug. 24, 2026, 7:42 p.m.

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Heidi - Aug. 24, 2026, 7:14 p.m.

Absolutely delicious! My husband and I both loved it! Definitely will be making this again.

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Savvas - Aug. 24, 2026, 3:40 p.m.

Is there any good alternative to coriander seeds? Would the ground coriander work well?

PUL small logo PUL Team - Aug. 24, 2026, 6:01 p.m.

Hiii Savvas, yes, ground coriander could work well as a substitute 😊 Since the coriander seeds add little bursts of flavour throughout the curry, you’ll miss that texture, but the ground coriander will still bring a lovely coriander flavour. You could use about 1 tsp ground coriander in place of the 2 tsp coriander seeds, and adjust to taste as needed. You can add it with the other ground spices in step 4! Hope you enjoy the chickpea curry recipe 🫶

Savvas - Aug. 24, 2026, 6:35 p.m.

🙌 I’ll give it a try today!

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Sofia Bustamante - Aug. 24, 2026, 11:10 a.m.

Loved it!

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Shriya - Aug. 23, 2026, 9:35 p.m.

this was stupid easy, tho I did make some modifications:

-chopped and blended tomatoes instead of canned diced
-added a bunch of chili powder and tbsp of chili flakes at the end
-didnt have spinach so i put some soy beef crumble and frozen pras!

PUL small logo PUL Team - Aug. 23, 2026, 11:51 p.m.

Yummm thanks for the modification ideas, Shriya! 🙌

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Andrea - Aug. 23, 2026, 6:17 p.m.

Only one Word: Delicious! We love how the flavours come together, the Tahiti gives a very nice twist! A new entry on our most-loved list! 💚

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Amélie Labrie - Aug. 23, 2026, 11:50 a.m.

Excellent recipe, flavourful and simple to make. This will be part of our rotation

Reply
Karolina - Aug. 22, 2026, 6:46 p.m.

Awesome!❤️❤️❤️

Reply
Manami - Aug. 22, 2026, 6:20 p.m.

Very tasty !!! Could not find
Mustard seeds at all. Any alternative ?

PUL small logo PUL Team - Aug. 22, 2026, 9:11 p.m.

Thanks so much, Manami 🤗 If you can’t find mustard seeds, you can simply leave them out, or use another seed like cumin seeds instead! The curry will still be delicious either way. Using mustard seeds just gives lovely little bursts of flavour throughout. In case it helps, we often have better luck finding some spices at our local international food store 🫶

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Terhi - Aug. 22, 2026, 1:58 a.m.

Just made this for dinner tonight and we all liked it. It has very nice flavors and it's so easy and quick to make with simple ingredients. I couldn't find mustard seeds, so I omitted them, but we all thought it still had enough flavor. Tahini was a nice addition. This is a perfect dinner when you need to get something yummy on the table, and you need to do it fast. 😋😃

PUL small logo PUL Team - Aug. 22, 2026, 5:11 a.m.

Aww yay!! So happy you all enjoyed it, Terhi 🥰 the tahini is such a lovely addition, right?! So glad the chickpea curry recipe still turned out delicious without the mustard seeds too 🙌

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Miri - Aug. 21, 2026, 8:27 p.m.

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Chantal - Aug. 21, 2026, 7:17 p.m.

This recipe was simple to make and full of pantry staples!! My family and I loved it:)

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Keira Tatton-Willis - Aug. 21, 2026, 12:07 p.m.

Can I use yellow mustard seeds instead of brown?

PUL small logo PUL Team - Aug. 21, 2026, 6:23 p.m.

Hi Keira, oouu sure! Yellow mustard seeds have a slightly milder flavour, but there’s enough going on in this curry that the difference should be pretty subtle. Hope you enjoy it 🫶

Keira Tatton-Willis - Aug. 21, 2026, 6:27 p.m.

Thank you! Excited to try it!

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