Dinner / Indian-inspired
Chickpea Tomato Curry
A budget-friendly curry with chickpeas, tomatoes, coconut milk, and warming spices.
Why this works
This curry leans on two cheap staples that do most of the work for you: chickpeas, which hold their shape and soak up sauce, and canned tomatoes, which give the sauce its body and gentle acidity.
The flavour comes from blooming the spices in oil before anything wet goes in. That brief sizzle wakes up the curry powder and cumin and turns a tin of tomatoes into something that tastes like it simmered far longer than it did.
Ingredients
Metric
- 2 cans chickpeas, drained
- 400 g canned tomatoes
- 200 ml coconut milk
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp oil
- Fresh coriander or cilantro
US
- 2 cans chickpeas, drained
- 14 oz canned tomatoes
- 3/4 cup coconut milk
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp oil
- Fresh cilantro
Make next
Vegetable Coconut Curry
A flexible coconut curry for the vegetables in your fridge and a tin of chickpeas.
Smoky Chickpea Tomato Soup
A rich blended chickpea and tomato soup with paprika, cumin, and a bright squeeze of lemon.
Coconut Lentil Soup
A creamy red lentil soup with coconut milk, tomatoes, and warming spices.
Method
- Cook onion in oil until golden at the edges.
- Add garlic, curry powder, and cumin, then stir for 30 seconds.
- Add tomatoes and simmer until slightly thickened.
- Stir in chickpeas and coconut milk.
- Simmer for 15 minutes and season to taste.
- Top with coriander or cilantro.
Cook's notes
- Fry the spices for about 30 seconds before adding liquid. They should smell fragrant, not dark or burnt.
- Mash a few chickpeas against the side of the pan near the end to thicken the sauce naturally.
- Stir the coconut milk in gently and keep the heat low; a hard boil can make it separate.
- Season in layers: a pinch of salt after the tomatoes, then again once the chickpeas are in.
- Let it rest off the heat for a few minutes before serving so the spices settle into the chickpeas.
What can go wrong
The sauce is too thin
Simmer uncovered for a few more minutes, or mash more chickpeas in to give it body.
It tastes too sharp
Add a pinch of sugar, a little extra coconut milk, or a knob of butter to round the acidity out.
The flavour is flat
Add salt first, then a squeeze of lemon and a little more cumin — acidity and salt usually fix a dull curry.
Ways to change it
Add greens
Stir in spinach or chopped kale at the end and let it wilt for a fresher, brighter finish.
Roast the chickpeas
Crisp half the chickpeas in the oven and scatter them over the top for texture.
Coconut-free
Swap the coconut milk for the same amount of stock and finish with a spoonful of yogurt off the heat.
Substitutions
Chickpeas
white beans, lentils, butter beans
Coconut milk
cream, plain yogurt stirred in off heat
Curry powder
garam masala, mild masala blend
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- The flavor improves after resting overnight.
FAQ
Is this curry spicy?
It depends on your curry powder. Use a mild blend for a gentle version.
What should I serve with it?
Rice, naan, flatbread, or boiled potatoes all work well.
Can I use dried chickpeas?
Yes. Soak them overnight, then cook until tender before adding them to the sauce. A drained 400 g tin is roughly 240 g of cooked chickpeas.
Does it freeze well?
Yes, this freezes beautifully for up to three months. The coconut milk can split slightly on thawing, but a gentle stir brings it back together.