This Chickpea Curry Recipe is full of a warm curry flavor, has the perfect balance of sweetness and heat due to the honey and sriracha sauce — plus it’s vegetarian! It’s easy to prepare and healthy! This Indian dish is the perfect way to spice up your dinner menu. 

I love Indian food and experimenting with different flavors and spices. Some of my favorites are Indian butter cauliflower (another great vegetarian option!), Indian butter chicken, Massaman curry, and don’t forget the must-have side of homemade naan!

Overhead photo of 2 bowls filled with rice and chickpea curry, cilantro for garnish.

Why This Recipe Works

  • A nice bonus to this recipe is that I use canned garbanzo beans (AKA chickpeas). It speeds up the process and helps this recipe come together in just over 30 minutes. Once you make this recipe you’ll quickly agree that chickpeas turn out to be the perfect vehicle for curry.
  • It’s vegetarian! Although I do use meat in my cooking, it’s refreshing to have a dish that is vegetarian and still something packed with protein that will fill me and my family up. This is a great refreshing vegetarian take on the classic meat curry dish.
  • This recipe takes only 30 minutes to cook — making it a quick and easy dinner recipe for those weeknight meals.

Ingredients

Ingredients used to make chickpea curry.
  • Garbanzo Beans: Using canned garbanzo beans (which are the same as chickpeas) is a great way to speed up the dinner making process, utilize a vegetarian option, and still create a meal that will fill your families’ tummies!
  • Coconut Milk: I love the coconut flavor this dish has — it isn’t overbearing, it’s just enough to give it a coconut chickpea curry touch.
  • Curry Powder: Just enough to get that delicious curry flavor saturated throughout the dish, but not too much that it’s over the top.
  • Honey: The touch of honey is a delicious way to make the dish a touch sweet, and it adds a depth of flavor so you aren’t just blasted with only curry flavoring.
  • Sriracha: The sriracha sauce is a great way to add flavor and a bit of zing!

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Heat a pan over medium heat. Add butter and chopped onions to the pan. Cook until the onions are browned and turn translucent.
  2. Add the curry powder and garlic.
Curry powder mixed with sautéed onions.
  1. Add the chicken stock (or vegetable stock) and stir to combine everything.
  2. Add the coconut milk, chickpeas (or garbanzo beans), honey, and sriracha to the pan. Bring everything to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and simmer for 15 minutes. Simmering it will help the flavors meld together.
Chickpea curry in a white pot, with a wooden spoon lifting out some chickpeas.
  1. Adjust seasonings by adding salt and pepper or more sriracha sauce if you want a spicier dish.
  2. Serve the chickpea curry over rice and top with cilantro. This dish would also be great served with naan!
A bowl of rice topped with chickpea curry and cilantro for garnish.

Recipe Tips

Feel free to add additional vegetables to this dish. Great options include spinach (add it after the chickpeas) and/or chopped potatoes or carrots (add the potatoes or carrots to the onions and cook until the potatoes are just about done).

If you don’t have coconut milk, some possible substitutions include Greek yogurt (a bit tangier than coconut milk), sour cream (contrary to the name, sour cream has a sweeter taste than Greek yogurt), Soy milk or almond milk. If you have coconut extract you’re welcome to add a dash of that if you’re still wanting the coconut flavor.

This isn’t a crockpot or instant pot curry recipe because it’s already really quick to make and whip up in no time!

FAQs

Is this an authentic Indian curry recipe?

I’ve never been to India, but this recipe incorporates common Indian ingredients in curries to create a quick, easy weeknight meal.

How long does chickpea curry last in the fridge?

This chickpea curry will last in the fridge for about 5 days in an airtight container.

What do you eat chickpeas with?

Chickpeas go great with rice and vegetables (such as potatoes, peppers, onion, carrots, etc.) Try my chickpea gyros if you’re looking for another chickpea dinner option.

Do I need to cook canned chickpeas?

Nope! They are precooked and just need to be reheated. Another reason this

Overhead photo of 3 bowls of rice, two topped with chickpea curry and a cilantro garnish.

More Easy Dinner Recipes

A bowl of Chickpea Curry on a blue napkin.
Print Review
5 from 5 votes

Chickpea Curry Recipe

This Chickpea Curry recipe is full of that warm curry flavor! It has the perfect balance of sweetness and heat due to the honey and sriracha sauce. 
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 40 mins
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients
 

  • 2 1/2 cups Basmati Rice
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 large yellow onion - chopped (about 2 heaping cups)
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons curry powder
  • 2 garlic cloves - minced
  • 1 1/4 cups chicken stock - (or vegetable stock)
  • 2 15.5 oz cans garbanzo beans - drained and rinsed
  • 1 13.5 oz can coconut milk
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1/2-1 tablespoon Sriracha sauce - or more to taste if you like spicier foods
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions
 

  • Cook the rice according to package directions.
  • In a large pot over medium to medium-low temperature, melt the butter. Add the onions. Cook until soft and brown, about 12-15 minutes. Add the curry powder and garlic. Stir. Cook for one minute more. 
  • Pour in the chicken (or vegetable) stock. Stir well, making sure to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. 
  • Add the chickpeas, coconut milk, honey, and sriracha to the pan. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and adjust additional seasonings (more sriracha or honey if desired). 
  • Serve the chickpea curry over the rice and top with cilantro if desired. 

Video

Notes

Feel free to add additional vegetables to this dish. Great options include spinach (add it after the chickpeas) and/or chopped potatoes or carrots (add the potatoes or carrots to the onions and cook until the potatoes are just about done).
If you don’t have coconut milk, some possible substitutions include Greek yogurt (a bit tangier than coconut milk), sour cream (contrary to the name, sour cream has a sweeter taste than Greek yogurt), Soy milk or almond milk. If you have coconut extract you’re welcome to add a dash of that if you’re still wanting the coconut flavor.
This isn’t a crockpot or instant pot curry recipe because it’s already really quick to make and whip up in no time!
 
Recipe adapted from Ree Drummond 

Nutrition

Calories: 536kcal (27%)Carbohydrates: 75g (25%)Protein: 8g (16%)Fat: 22g (34%)Saturated Fat: 18g (90%)Cholesterol: 16mg (5%)Sodium: 360mg (15%)Potassium: 354mg (10%)Fiber: 3g (12%)Sugar: 9g (10%)Vitamin A: 175IU (4%)Vitamin C: 4.4mg (5%)Calcium: 44mg (4%)Iron: 2.1mg (12%)
author: Whitney Wright
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
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This recipe was originally published on Aug. 28, 2018. It was republished on July 8, 2021, to include additional information and photos.