With a creamy, curry-spiced sauce and so much tomato goodness, Chickpea and Tomato Curry is one of my favorite dinner recipes lately! It comes together super quickly – in less than 30 minutes – on the stovetop, and chickpea tomato curry leftovers make basically the best leftovers in the history of leftovers.
Table of Contents
- The Story Behind the Recipe
- Chickpea & Tomato Curry Ingredients
- How to Make It
- What to Serve with Chickpea & Tomato Curry
- More Favorite Curry Recipes
The Story Behind the Recipe
I’ve been making this vegan and vegetarian curry recipe for at least a year, and keep thinking I need to share it! I originally found it on BBC Recipes, and have made tiny tweaks here and there to make it my own.
The spices are so well-balanced, and with the creamy coconut milk, the hearty chickpeas, and the tangy tomatoes, this tomato chickpea curry is a such a simple stovetop curry that tastes so much more complex than you’d expect! I love a scoop of it over brown rice with a generous sprinkle of cilantro. YUM.
Chickpea & Tomato Curry Ingredients
- Olive oil – For sautéing the onion and aromatics.
- Yellow onion – Most every recipe I have calls for diced onions, but this one calls for cutting them into longer strands, and it makes for the most interesting texture in this curry! I love it.
- Garlic – For lots of flavor
- Garam masala, turmeric, and ground coriander – This spice combo is *chefskiss* perfect and adds 95% of the flavor to this delicious curry.
- Canned whole tomatoes – Break them down with a wooden spoon, then cook them down a bit more. So much tomato flavor.
- Salt – Highlights the spices and ingredients!
- Crushed red pepper flakes – Totally optional, but a little pinch adds a nice little bit of heat.
- Coconut milk – I sometimes use full-fat, and sometimes use light. Full fat canned coconut milk gives a more unctuous, rich and creamy feel while light is less rich and thick but equally delicious.
- Chickpeas – One can, drained.
- Fresh tomatoes – Gotta double up on the tomatoes for a tomato curry!
- Cilantro – Adds pretty color and highlights the curry flavors.
- Brown rice – For serving. Use your favorite rice! I like brown basmati.
How to Make It
This Chickpea and Tomato curry comes together quickly! First, you saute your onion, garlic, and spices. Then, add the tomatoes and break them up with a spoon, then cook until thick. Stir in the coconut milk and chickpeas, and simmer lightly for just a bit, then add the ripe tomatoes and cilantro. Taste, add more salt, and serve over rice. That’s it!
What to Serve with Chickpea & Tomato Curry
I think that, served over a scoop of rice, this Chickpea Tomato Curry is a meal in and of itself. But if you want a heftier meal, a kale salad would be great on the side. And in keeping with the curry flavors, how about finishing the meal with a Golden Milk Latte?
More Favorite Curry Recipes
- Creamy Coconut Chickpea Curry with Sweet Corn & Zucchini
- Slow Cooker Red Lentil & Chickpea Curry with Potatoes & Peas
- Slow Cooker Pumpkin, Chickpea, & Lentil Curry
- Thai Red Curry Winter Vegetables
Chickpea & Tomato Curry
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion (halved and finely sliced from end to end)
- 2 garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 14 ounces whole tomatoes (1 can; with juices)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Pinch crushed red peppers (optional; increase or decrease depending on how much heat you like)
- 14 ounces coconut milk (1 can; can substitute lite coconut milk)
- 14 ounces chickpeas (1 can; drained and rinsed)
- 2 medium ripe tomatoes (cut into eighths)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
- 4 cups cooked brown basmati rice
Instructions
- Start rice according to package instructions.
- While the rice is cooking, add olive oil to a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.
- Add garlic, garam masala, turmeric, and coriander. Cook, stirring frequently, for one minute, until fragrant.
- Pour in the can of tomatoes and juices, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pinch of crushed red pepper, stirring and scraping to pick up the flavors from the aromatics and spices with the tomato juices. Use a wooden spoon to break up the tomatoes as you go. I prefer to break them up pretty small. Simmer for 10 minutes until thickened.
- Add the coconut milk and the drained and rinsed chickpeas. Return gently to a simmer. Continue to simmer very gently for about 10 more minutes, until thickened.
- Stir in the fresh tomatoes and the fresh cilantro. Taste and add more salt if desired.
- Serve scooped over rice. Garnish with additional cilantro and fresh tomatoes, if desired.
I’m so glad you’re here! I’m a vegetarian home cook, certified plant-based pro, and mom. I’m married to an enthusiastic carnivore, and my mission is to achieve peace in the kitchen – one tasty recipe at a time. These days, with a name like mine, I also try not to ask to speak to the manager.
Very easy and I already had all the ingredients in my kitchen. Most of all very yummy. I also live in a divided kitchen. However, I’m the only one that’s vegetarian, but the rest of my family loved it. I substituted vegi stock for the oil as I don’t use oil and it turned out perfectly. I just sauteed with the natural juices from the onion with a tablespoon of vegetable stock. 😋
Hi Natalie, I’m so happy to hear this was a winner for you and your family! Sounds like your family is very similar to mine in that I’m the only vegetarian too. Thanks so much for sharing your tips for making this without the oil, and thanks also for coming back to leave a review! ❤️
This is a nice recipe, although it does need the spices increasing. I doubled the chickpeas and the spices and it made 4 decent portions. A nice, cheap recipe and fairly simple.
Thank you so much for the review!