If you are looking to add to this vegetarian curry, give my Perfectly Spiced Roasted Baby Potatoes a try for an Indian feast at home. Flavour through the roof! For many years now I’ve considered Indian food to be my comfort food. Although I’m of European descent, somehow the taste of warm and slightly spicy curries make me feel at home. It’s no wonder we eat them regularly in my house, especially since we moved to Britain where where curries of all sorts are considered to be staples. There are not too many things that are better than a good curry, coupled with crispy poppadoms dipped in mango chutney and lime chilli pickle!
Chickpea Curry
I get so many requests to post a curry recipe, which tells me you guys love Indian food too! I am not claiming to be an expert, so what I am sharing today is something I cook often. This dish is loved by everyone in my family. It’s a vegetarian curry but so delicious you won’t miss meat! There are many types of Indian curries. This particular one is based on a Korma, which is a blend of aromatic spices like ginger and coriander and ground nuts like cashews or almonds. It’s has a mild taste, so is you are a fan of heat, I would recommend moving onto something else like Madras Curry or Vindaloo. Korma is an excellent curry to start with for beginners because of its creamy consistency and mild taste. Even kids will love it. Traditionally, Korma is cooked with chicken but this version is meat free. Instead I am using canned chickpeas as the star of this recipe. The brilliant thing about chickpeas is that they are chameleons. They soak up all flavours around them and end up tasting delicious no matter where they are used!
How to make it
As I mentioned earlier, this recipe is a cheat version since we are using a pre-made curry paste, that is responsible for the flavour. However, there are certain ingredients you need to add to make this curry your own and very delicious! I always start by frying onion and garlic in vegetable oil until tender. Sometimes I add grated ginger to develop an aromatic base. I also add chopped cilantro stalks. Most people discard them and use leaves only but there is so much concentrated flavour in the stalks! Then I add a store bought curry paste and fry it briefly. This step releases the flavours by heating the paste. Once you’ve done the groundwork to build the curry flavour, add your chosen ingredients as per recipe and simmer until desired consistency. Easy!
Serving suggestions
Serve chickpea curry with steaming hot basmati rice. Or try coconut rice for a delicate and flavourful twist. We also love having naan bread or chapatis as well as various Indian pickles and chutney with our curries. My personal favourite and a must have is chilli lime pickle and mango chutney. My children go crazy for crunchy poppadoms! You can also add a traditional lentil curry called Dahl to round off this delicious dinner.
Storage and leftovers
Any leftovers are going to keep well when refrigerated in an airtight container. It will last for at least 3-4 days and may actually improve slightly with time as flavours have more of a chance to combine. Butternut squash and chickpea curry can also be frozen for up to three months, so this is a good one for making a bit extra to enjoy down the road. When it is time to serve it, let it thaw out completely before reheating and use it up within two days. Reheating can happen in a microwave or in a saucepan over medium-low heat with a splash of water to keep it loose.
More curry recipes
What is your favourite Indian curry? It’s hard to choose but I think for me personally Butter Chicken is definitely in the top 3! Here are a few more I know you’ll love:
Coconut Lentil Curry with Butternut Squash Indian Kofta Curry Chicken Curry with Potatoes Chicken Tikka Masala
