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Chickpea Spinach Curry

This chickpea spinach curry is a delicious & nourishing plant-based meal that comes together in 30 minutes! Vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free.
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Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time:20 minutes
Servings: 3

Ingredients

Cream Sauce

  • 30 grams (¼ cup) raw sunflower seeds soaked in hot water for 10 minutes
  • 150 grams silken tofu
  • ½ cup water
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 100 grams raw spinach or ½ cup cooked spinach chopped

Spices

  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • ¼-1 tsp pure chili powder*1
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • ¼ tsp black pepper

Curry

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 1 tbsp ginger minced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 carrots sliced
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 100 grams raw spinach or ½ cup cooked spinach chopped
  • 1 ¼ cups water or vegetable broth
  • 2 cups chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • ½ lemon juiced

Instructions

  • Blanch spinach (skip if using cooked spinach): Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add raw spinach (for the cream sauce and the curry) and cook for 1 minute, then drain and rinse under cold water. Once cool enough to handle, grab a handful of spinach and squeeze out the water. Repeat for all of the spinach. Chop spinach and set aside half for the cream sauce and half for the curry.
    Tip: It's easy for dirt to hide in the leaves and stems, so rinse your spinach well before cooking. I cut them in half, add to a large bowl with water, and rinse a few times until the water isn't dirty.
  • Make cream sauce by blending all the ingredients until smooth.
  • Mix spices in a small bowl and set aside near your stove.
  • Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onion and some of the salt and cook until onions just start to brown, about 3 minutes.
  • Add carrots, garlic, ginger, and the rest of the salt. Cook and stir for 1 minute.
  • Add spices and stir for another minute.
  • Add tomato paste and stir for 30 seconds.
  • Add spinach, water, and chickpeas. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until carrots are tender.
  • Stir in cream sauce and simmer another 5 minutes.
  • Turn off heat and stir in lemon juice You can also garnish with some chopped cilantro. Taste and add more salt or lemon juice as desired. You can also add some sugar if you like your curry a bit sweet.

Notes

1) You want to use chili powder that is just ground chilis, as opposed to American chili powder that is a spice blend of chilis, paprika, cumin, etc. You can also chop 1-2 dried or fresh chilis with the seeds removed. Adjust chili powder amount depending on how spicy you like your curry. In a pinch, you can also use cayenne pepper for some heat.