Easy Vegan Chickpea Curry Recipe (No Coconut Milk)

This vegan chickpea curry has all the best flavors of curry dishes without coconut milk. It's a delicious and easy meal to make on busy weeknights.

I've never been a huge fan of curries with a can of coconut milk in them. The coconut taste always feels overpowering to me personally.

But I absolutely love the other flavors of vegan chickpea curry, so I always use unsweetened almond milk when I make mine. I find the flavor of almond milk to be the most neutral and therefore most suitable for savory dishes.

If you're looking for more savory bowl-style vegan meals, I also love these buddha bowls, pesto roasted veggies with tofu, tofu fried rice, and this 3-bean chili. Or if you're interested in adding more beans and legumes into your diet, check out these delicious vegan bean recipes!

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Ingredients

To make this vegan chickpea curry recipe without coconut milk, you'll need these simple ingredients:

• Olive oil
• Chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans)
• Rice of Choice (basmati rice, white rice, brown rice, etc)
• Frozen Onion (or fresh red onion if you prefer)
• Frozen Spinach
• Tomatoes
• Unsweetened Almond Milk
• Spices
• Coconut Sugar
• Fresh Lime Juice
• Fresh Cilantro
• Salt and Black Pepper

See recipe card for quantities and nutritional information.

Instructions

Here's how you make this easy vegan curry recipe.

Preheat oven to 425℉. Drain and rinse chickpeas and place onto a cookie sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Coat with 1 tablespoon olive oil and bake for 20-30 minutes, flipping halfway.

Meanwhile, combine rice and water in a small pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover with a lid and reduce to lower heat. Let rice cook on low until the water is completely absorbed and the rice is tender. Fluff rice with a fork.

While the chickpeas and rice are cooking, heat a large pan over medium heat. Add in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Then add in the onion, spinach, and tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes until the onion is translucent and most of the water has evaporated.

Add in garlic powder, thai red curry paste, curry powder, nutritional yeast, paprika, cumin, coriander, coconut sugar, salt, and lime juice. Stir.

Add the almond milk, stir, bring to a simmer, and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for about 15-20 minutes uncovered and stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened. Stir in chopped cilantro.

Plate cooked chickpeas, curry sauce, and rice. Garnish with cilantro and lime. Enjoy!

Tips For A Quick & Easy Chickpea Curry

• Frozen Vegetables: I love to use frozen pre-chopped onion and frozen spinach when I cook.
  • It's so much quicker and easier to throw frozen veggies in a pan without having to dirty up a cutting board and go through the eye-watering involved when cutting onion.
  • Frozen vegetables are just as nutritious as fresh! They also can help prevent food waste because they will last in the freezer for a long time without going bad.
• Canned Chickpeas: Canned beans make it possible to cook quick vegan meals when you don't have a lot of time. All you have to do is open the can, drain, rinse, and use in the recipe. Similar to frozen vegetables, they're another healthy & long-lasting grocery item to keep on hand!
  • If you don't have the time to roast the chickpeas, no problem. This curry still tastes great using them right out of the can.
• Canned Tomatoes: Using canned tomatoes makes this recipe even faster with less prep.
• Prep Rice Ahead of Time: Another way to ensure this vegan chickpea curry gets onto the table as quickly as possible is to meal prep the rice ahead of time! Then all you have to do at dinner time is whip up the chickpeas and curry sauce.

Of course, if you prefer to chop fresh veggies and cook dry beans yourself, don't let me stop you! But it's so nice to have the quick options available for those busy weeknights.

Want More Vegetables?

For simplicity purposes, this recipe has only a handful of vegetables. But feel free to try it out with more of your favorite vegetables as well.

• Bell peppers
• Sweet potatoes
• Cauliflower rice
• Diced potatoes
• Leafy greens
• Extra diced tomatoes or tomato paste

Equipment

All you need for this recipe is a baking sheet for the chickpeas, a small pot with a lid for cooking the rice, and a large pan to make the curry sauce.

Storage

This is a great recipe for meal prepping. It tastes even better when the ingredients have had time to sit and flavor the sauce for longer.

Store in an airtight container. This vegan chickpea curry will last 3-5 days in the fridge or 1-3 months in the freezer (in a freezer-safe container). Remember to avoid having any food out for longer than 2-4 hours at room temperature for food safety.