Vegan Peanut Butter Chickpea Curry

This peanut butter chickpea curry is creamy, spicy, and full of vegan protein in the form of chickpeas. An easy vegan dinner that is ready in under 30 minutes and meal-prep friendly.

What makes this vegan curry special?

• MEAL PREP This curry is a great meal to make a big batch of because it only becomes more flavorful while it waits for you in the fridge.
• RICH AND INDULGENT Peanut butter and coconut milk add an incredible creaminess to this curry, making it satisfying and filling. 
• PROTEIN PACKED One of the cheapest and healthiest forms of plant protein, chickpeas are the star of this vegan curry.
• GET YOUR GREENS  I chose to add chopped baby spinach to the peanut butter chickpea curry because that’s what I had and I like how spinach melts away so easily into the sauce of a curry without much time or effort. Other vegetables can easily be substituted according to your preferences!

Peanut Butter Chickpea Curry Tips:

• onion, garlic, ginger, and chili are a classic flavor team to start any Indian-style stew
• use your favorite curry powder blend- each one is different. I’m partial to the mild curry powder from Gneiss Spice because it has a well-rounded flavor that isn’t too heavy on the chili or turmeric like a lot of curry powders can be! I get the mild one because I like to control how much heat goes into my dishes.
• along with curry powder, add more of any spices you have an affinity for- I always like to have more turmeric and cumin in any curry I make. With time, you can start making your own spice blends.
• Use a high-powdered blender if you have one, but a stick blender or food processor would do just fine here!
• If you’re concerned about the fat content of this dish, remember that it makes multiple servings and that fat helps you absorb many of the nutrients in your food, so don’t be too scared of it! That said, you could use light coconut milk or omit the coconut milk altogether and replace it with more water if you like.
• Serve alongside rice or naan, or roast some sweet potatoes like I’ve done- the peanut butter curry sauce pairs so well with the creamy roasted sweet potato!

Peanut Butter Chickpea Curry

This peanut butter chickpea curry is creamy, spicy, and full of vegan protein in the form of chickpeas. An easy vegan dinner that is ready in under 30 minutes and meal-prep friendly.

• Author: Jillian
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 tbsp unrefined coconut oil
• 1 medium sweet onion
• 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 large “thumb” of fresh ginger, about 2–3 inches
• 1 small green chili
• 1 tbsp curry powder of choice
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp tamari
• 3 cups cooked chickpeas (about 2 cans’ worth)
• 4 cups baby spinach
• the juice of 1 large lime
• optional, to serve: chopped peanuts, cilantro, chili flakes, sriracaha

Instructions

1. Start preparing your rice or roasted sweet potatoes now if you’ll be serving them.
2. Heat a large pan over medium with your coconut oil ( I used a large cast iron. A soup pot would be fine too)
3. Dice your onion and add it to the pan with the salt. Cook for about 5 minutes.
4. Roughly chop your garlic, peeled ginger, and chili. They are getting blended later, so don’t worry about perfection here. Add these to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes
5. Add the curry powder, turmeric, and cumin along with a splash of water and mix well. Let the spices cook for a minute or so and then scrape the contents of the pan into a blender along with the tomato paste, peanut butter, coconut milk, water, and tamari. Blend until very smooth.
6. In the same pan, add the cooked chickpeas and the blended sauce. Heat this mixture until it’s nearly boiling, then reduce to low and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook for longer if desired.
7. Roughly chop your baby spinach and add it to the pan along with the lime juice and more salt if needed.  Stir well.
8. Once the spinach wilts, serve with desired sides and garnishes and enjoy! Store in the fridge for up to a week.

I hope you enjoy my recipe for Peanut Butter Chickpea Curry. It’s such a versatile little stew to add to your meal plan! Please feel welcome to contact me here or @plantandsoulkitchen on Instagram if you have any questions or issues regarding this recipe! And please tag me in a snapshot of your creation of any of my recipes. xo Jillian