Easy Chickpea and Spinach Curry is filled with healthy aromatics like green curry paste, garlic, and ginger. Chickpeas, spinach, cauliflower make it feel substantial without being too heavy.

finished curry in a pink bowl with rice and herbs.

Like stir fry, making curry is one of those recipes that I can always count on when I need to finish up several things all at once. Lots of veggies can be added, using whatever you have in the fridge.

Sometimes when I make this chickpea spinach curry, I make it with chicken as well, but I am sharing it as a vegan dish so everyone can enjoy. Don't worry, it's still totally hearty! Using cauliflower and chickpeas really helps this dish to stand on its own. This healthy curry also happens to be dairy free and gluten free. It is made creamy from coconut milk and it's so tasty!

For another tasty stew with spinach, try Lentil Soup with Spinach.

finished curry in a pan with serving ideas to the side.

What does chana mean?

Chana is the indian word for chickpea or a dish made from chickpeas. So when you see dishes like chana masala or chana palak masala, the "chana" is referring to chickpeas or garbanzo beans. Interestingly, chana means "gracious" in hebrew. What a beautiful word.

Ingredients

coconut oil
garlic cloves
onion
green curry paste
fresh ginger
cauliflower florets
coconut milk
garbanzo beans
veggie stock
fresh baby spinach

How to make chickpea and spinach curry

Add coconut oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add in garlic, onions, and ginger and saute for 3 minutes.

garlic, ginger, and onions being sauteed.

Add curry paste and stir to coat aromatics, and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Add in cauliflower, garbanzo beans, stock, and coconut milk. Stir and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until cauliflower is tender.

Add spinach in the last few minutes, and allow to wilt.

large pan filled with curry being stirred with a spoon.

Turn off heat and serve over rice with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Recipe Tip

I love to keep grated fresh ginger on hand in the freezer for recipes just like this one! It makes the prep work that much easier. Here are full instructions for how to freeze fresh ginger, it is very simple. You can do the same with garlic, as well.

finished spinach and chickpea curry topped with cilantro and limes with rice in a low bowl.

What to serve with vegan chickpea and spinach curry

When deciding what to serve the curry with, I normally choose regular white basmati rice or brown rice. The curry is already bursting with flavor, so I prefer to not cover it up with anything else.

Adding cilantro and lime on top gives it the perfect balance of freshness and zest. Sometimes I add a dash of sriracha as well.

green curry with chickpeas and spinach served with limes and cilantro.

Variations and Substitutions

You can always add more veggies. Try jalapenos, chopped tomatoes, sweet potato or regular white potato, carrots, peas. Whatever you have on hand in the fridge or freezer!
Make it spicy. We love spicy food, but green curry actually is quite mild in flavor. Make this chickpea curry recipe spicier by adding in diced jalapeno, sambal oelek, or a teaspoon cayenne pepper.
Use red curry paste instead of green. Simply swap in red curry paste for a totally different (but delicious) flavor. We love red curry because of its rich flavor and it is often spicier.