Vegan Tomato Chickpea Curry

This vegan chickpea curry features a tomato coconut sauce, pan-seared cabbage, and a whole lot of flavor. Ready in just over 30 minutes, this is a fantastic balanced weeknight meal!

This vegan chickpea curry is warming, cozy, rich, and draws from both Indian and Thai cuisines. I had a lot of trouble naming this recipe because it is simply a fusion of many of my favorite types of meals, but in the end it feels most like a tomato chickpea curry.

The aromatic red curry paste and coconut milk in these curry chickpeas remind me of red curry noodles and my Instant Pot chickpea curry, while the combination of spices and tomatoes reminds me of butter chicken (or butter chickpeas), as well as the convenience of peanut chickpeas.

Either way, you are in for a treat! The chickpeas are simmered in the tomato-ginger-coconut sauce and then paired with zesty pan-fried cabbage and rice for a satisfying, colorful, and nourishing meal.

Jump to:

• Why this recipe works
• Ingredients
• Step-by-step instructions
• Cassidy's tips
• Storage tips
• More ways to use chickpeas
• Recipe
• Comments

Ingredients

• Tomatoes: Choose fresh tomatoes on the vine or Roma tomatoes. Are tomatoes not in season or don't feel like chopping? A 15-ounce can of crushed tomatoes works instead.
• Coconut milk: I prefer full-fat coconut milk because it creates a rich base for the curry. For a lighter option, choose lite or reduced-fat coconut milk. Note that it won't be as creamy.
• Chickpeas: Choose one 15-ounce can of chickpeas or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas. I often cook chickpeas from dry using my Instant Pot chickpeas recipe.
• Red curry paste: I use Thai Kitchen red curry paste because it's available at most grocery stores. This usually includes a combination of lemongrass, lime, and spices.
• Sweet yellow onion: Adds a touch of sweetness. Regular yellow onion or white onion also works.
• Ginger and garlic: Saute these to create the flavorful backbone of the chickpea curry.
• Rice vinegar: A small amount of rice vinegar adds acidity and balances flavors. Lime juice is a good substitute if you don't have rice vinegar on hand.
• Za'atar seasoning: This is a spice blend originating from the Middle East, and it usually includes sesame seeds and thyme when purchased in the US. I buy it at an International farmers market, but I've noticed that it's available at most grocery stores. It may seem random here (it kind of is) but I threw it in on a whim while testing and loved the result.
• Red cabbage: This is optional and is served on the side, but I highly recommend it as it adds crisp texture and a fantastic flavor to the dish.

Step-by-step instructions

Equipment: I recommend using a 4-quart Dutch oven or a large, tall-walled skillet for the chickpea curry. For the pan-fried cabbage, I love using my cast iron skillet but any large non-stick skillet works well.

1. Heat a medium pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Drizzle with neutral oil, such as canola oil. Once hot, add the onion, tomato, garlic, ginger, and salt. Saute until the onion is softened and the tomatoes are reduced, about 10 minutes.
2. Stir in the red curry paste and za'atar seasoning, toasting for just 1 to 2 minutes to bloom and enhance the flavor. Stir in the drained chickpeas, coconut milk, and 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar. Simmer the chickpeas over medium-low for at least 15 minutes to marry the flavors.
3. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle with enough neutral oil to coat. Once hot, add the shredded red cabbage. Saute for 6 minutes or until the cabbage becomes golden, then stir in the sesame seeds. Continue cooking until almost blackened in some places. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar.
4. The image for step 4 shows what the final chickpea curry looks like. Assemble servings of chickpea curry by dividing the rice, chickpea curry, and pan-fried cabbage between bowls. Garnish with cilantro.

Cassidy's tips

• Add spice: Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of Aleppo pepper flakes at the same time as the za'atar seasoning (note that 2 tablespoons will make this quite spicy). After cooking, drizzle with sriracha for a quick splash of heat.
• Also works with tofu: Instead of chickpeas, or in addition to chickpeas, try adding marinated baked tofu.
• Adjust flavors to taste: If the curry is too acidic for your taste, add ¼ teaspoon of granulated sugar, or more as needed. Taste for salt at the end of cooking, adding more as needed.
• Add more vegetables: Want to increase the fiber or just add an extra serving of veggies? Saute onions alongside the onions, or add broccoli, cauliflower, or green beans at the same time as the chickpeas.
• Simmer for longer: The longer the chickpeas simmer, the more flavorful the curry becomes. Just 15 minutes is enough, but an hour is even better if you have the time.

More ways to use chickpeas

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