A savory, hearty, and perfectly spiced chickpea curry topped with crispy chickpeas filled with Indian-Inspired flavors. This is a simple, quick, and delicious recipe.
Ask me what my favorite cuisine to cook and eat is. 99.9% of the time I will answer “Indian”
The complexity of flavors and textures is incredible in Indian cuisine. From savory and spicy to citrus and sweet notes, the flavors are absolutely delicious.
I was inspired to make this Indian-Inspired Chickpea Curry by researching many chana masala and curry recipes. This isn’t “authentic” but it wouldn’t be authentic unless I was in India using the proper tools, techniques, and ingredients.
This dish is filled with flavor and textures and might be my new favorite dinner recipe.
Why You’ll Love This Indian-Inspired Chickpea Curry:
It’s easy and quick to make. This recipe contains simple ingredients with options to add a more specialty ones (which I strongly encourage). It takes less than 30 minutes to prepare, making it the ideal weeknight dinner recipe.
It has the perfect balance of sweet, salty, savory, and citrusy. This dish does not lack in flavor. The tomato adds sweetness to the dish, while the curry powder, chili powder, and aromatics add salty and savoriness. I love to finish off this curry with a sprinkle of amchur, which is dried mango powder, to add citrusy and fresh notes.
It’s crunchy and creamy. This dish uses chickpeas cooked in two ways: cooked in the sauce until soft and chewy and baked in the oven until crispy and crunchy. I love the addition of cumin-spiced crispy chickpeas on top to add a crunch to every bite.
It’s high in plant-based protein, fiber, and vitamin A. Chickpeas add a boost of fiber and plant-based protein to this dish. Additionally, tomatoes are a great source of vitamin A, which supports a healthy immune system and vision.
How to Make Indian-Inspired Chickpea Curry:
This is a simple and quick recipe.
- To make the crispy chickpeas, preheat the oven to 425F. Add chickpeas, coconut oil, cumin seeds, ginger, and chili powder to a baking sheet. Toss to coat chickpeas in spices and oil. Bake for 20 minutes or until chickpeas are crispy.
- While chickpeas are baking, prepare the curry. Melt coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Once hot, add onion, garlic, ground ginger, and a pinch of salt. Saute for 4-5 minutes until onion is soft and translucent.
- Add curry powder, chili powder, ground cardamom, bay leaf, and cinnamon stick. Stir well. Cook for 2-3 minutes to toast spices. Add tomato paste and 1 tsp of water and cook for 1 minute or until tomato paste has turned a deeper red color.
- Stir in canned diced tomatoes and chickpeas. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Adjust taste with salt as needed. Add 1/2 cup of water if curry has thickened too much. (Optional): Stir in amchur powder.
- Serve chickpea curry over rice and top with crispy chickpeas and fresh cilantro.
This Indian-Inspired Chickpea Curry is…
- Easy and quick to make.
- Sweet, salty, savory, citrusy.
- Crunchy and creamy.
- High in plant-based protein, fiber, and vitamin A.
- Oh so delicious!
A savory, hearty, and perfectly spiced chickpea curry topped with crispy chickpeas filled with Indian-Inspired flavors. This is a simple, quick, and delicious recipe.
- One 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed, drained, and patted dry
- 1 tbsp neutral-flavored oil
- 1 tsp whole cumin seeds
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp neutral-flavored oil
- ¾ medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp curry powder I used kashmiri curry powder
- ½ tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- One 15 oz. can diced tomatoes
- One 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- (Optional): ¼ tsp amchur powder
- Fresh cilantro
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To make the crispy chickpeas, preheat the oven to 425°F. Add chickpeas, oil, cumin seeds, ginger, and chili powder to a baking sheet. Toss to coat chickpeas in spices and oil. Bake for 20 minutes or until chickpeas are crispy.
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While chickpeas are baking, prepare the curry. Add oil to a large skillet over medium-high. Once hot, add onion and a pinch of salt. Saute for 4-5 minutes until onion is soft and translucent. Add garlic and ground ginger and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.
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Add curry powder, chili powder, ground cardamom, bay leaf, and cinnamon stick. Stir well. Cook for 2-3 minutes to toast spices. Add tomato paste and 1 tsp of water and cook for 1 minute or until tomato paste has turned a deeper red color.
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Stir in canned diced tomatoes and chickpeas. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Adjust taste with salt as needed. Add ½ cup of water if curry has thickened too much. (Optional): Stir in amchur powder.
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Serve chickpea curry over rice and top with crispy chickpeas and fresh cilantro.
