Chickpea and Spinach Curry

Published on September 21, 2021 | By
chickpea and spinach curry

I write frequently about local blogger and cooking instructor, Rupali Agarwal, and her blog Enhance your Palate, healthy vegetarian cooking. This chickpea and spinach curry does not use the ubiquitous bottled and already blended curry powder. Rather it is the combination of freshly roasted and ground cumin and coriander seeds, turmeric, cayenne, ginger and other spices that make this Indian chickpea and spinach curry so flavorful and complex.

I soaked my chickpeas overnight and cooked them for about 45 minutes before adding them to the curry. Rupali has an instant pot and so her process is much quicker than my old-fashioned method. You can also substitute canned chickpeas if you wish to take a shortcut and really speed things up.

After the chickpeas are cooked, the remainder of the cooking process for the curry is quick and easy.

Sauté the onions and tomatoes in ghee with all of the spices. I used jalapeños for the green chilis required in the recipe because I wanted the curry to be spicy, and it was!

In the tradition of northern Indian cuisine, the recipe calls for asafetida. Asafetida, also referred to as hing, is used to aid in digestion.  I purchased the hing at a local international market. You can also order it online. If you cannot find it, you can substitute 1/4 tsp garlic powder or onion powder. Asafetida mellows during cooking and does result in a flavor similar to onion or garlic.

I like to serve the chickpea and spinach curry with basmati rice as a vegetarian main course but it can also be served as a hearty side.  Serve the curry with Indian condiments such as chutney, pickled, spicy vegetables or a cooling yogurt raita. And if you do have some naan, its always good for dipping into the yummy sauce, right? Enjoy!

    • Prep Time
    • Minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 cups spinach
  • 3 medium tomatoes, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1/2" ginger, grated
  • 2-3 green chilis, minced
  • 1 TBSP lemon juice
  • 1 cup of dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and then boiled until tender
  • 1 TBSP ghee
  • 1/8 tsp asafetida
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne, optional
  • 1 TBSP coriander powder or ground coriander seeds
  • 1/4 tsp garam masala

Instructions

  1. Soak the chickpeas overnight. Rinse the chickpeas then add water to pot to cover them by about an inch. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook the beans until tender. Set aside.
  2. Add the ghee to a large, deep skillet over medium heat. When the ghee has melted and the skillet is hot, add the spices, green chilis and ginger. Sauté for 30 seconds. Add onion.
  3. Sauté the onions until they are wilted. Add the tomatoes and cook until soft.
  4. Add the remainder of the spices except garam masala and lemon juice. Stir until all ingredients are well combined. Reduce heat to low.
  5. Add cooked chickpeas and spinach. Stir well to combine. I like to add a cup of water at this point to create some broth for the curry. Cook gently for about 10 minutes.
  6. Add garam masala and lemon juice. Stir. Taste the curry and adjust spices, especially salt and cayenne as needed. Serve with rice if you like.
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