After I had finished cooking these curried chickpeas and spinach, I checked my notepad to make sure that I had remembered the ingredients for the recipe properly.

The list was so short. It seemed as if I had forgotten something. It seemed to me that I must have forgotten something.

In a nutshell, how was it possible for me to make so much tasty food using so few ingredients and yet accomplish such delicious results?

I couldn’t stop sneaking spoonfuls of this dish as I photographed it, because it was just so delicious.

It’s the way food should be. It’s quick, easy, and delicious. In this recipe, we spruce up the tomato sauce with curry powder (hot or mild, your choice) and it is a great way to top any variety of vegetables.

Besides being very filling and incredibly nutritious, this combination of spinach and chickpeas is also very beautiful and is very easy to prepare.

A delicious recipe in 3 quick steps that Apronese would like to introduce to you. Let’s get to work right away.

Spinach Can Be Used Fresh or Frozen

The reason why I used fresh spinach here is that I bought a huge 2.5 pound bag of fresh spinach the other day, so I am going to use it all before it goes bad, but you can substitute frozen spinach to suit your budget.

To replace the fresh spinach in the skillet, add 8 oz. of frozen spinach to the skillet and sauté it until the spinach has thawed and warmed through.

Once the spinach is thawed and warmed through, proceed with the recipe as usual. Also, I used a very large can of chickpeas.

If you cannot find them in your area, you could use two regular 15-oz. cans.

Not a fan of chickpeas? You can use two regular 15-oz. if you want to make this recipe. There is also the possibility of adding lentils to this recipe!

The Best Way to Serve Curried Chickpeas with Spinach

It would also be delicious to serve this curried chickpeas over naan to soak up the sauce instead of serving it over rice. The curry chickpeas with spinach would also be amazing served over rice.

What Kind of Curry Powder Do You Use?

The type of curry powder you use can depend on how spicy you want your curried chickpeas to be. You can either use 365 brand curry powder or Sharwood’s curry powder, depending on your desired level of spice.

I’ve tried both brands. It is also possible for you to make your own curry powder, using this recipe from Spiceitupp.com entitled Easy Homemade Curry Powder.

Curried Chickpeas with Spinach

It’s so easy to make these extremely flavorful and nutritious Curried Chickpeas with Spinach. They’re dairy-free, gluten-free, and extremely filling! They can also be frozen for later use.

Prep Time: 5 mins/ Cook Time: 20 mins/ Total Time: 25 mins

Servings: 4 (1 cup each)

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.26)
  • 1 yellow onion ($0.47)
  • 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
  • 1 inch fresh ginger ($0.16)
  • 1 1/2 Tbsp curry powder ($0.45)
  • 8 oz. spinach (fresh or frozen) ($1.49)
  • 1 15oz. can tomato sauce ($0.59)
  • 2 15oz. cans chickpeas ($1.10)

Instructions

  • It is essential to slice the onion, mince the garlic, and grate the ginger on a small hole cheese grater. Place the onion, garlic, and ginger in a large skillet with the olive oil over medium heat until the onions have softened (3-5 minutes), and then remove from the pan.
  • As the onion mixture continues to sauté, add the curry powder and continue to stir until the spinach has completely wilted. Then, add about 1/4 cup of water to the skillet, as well as the fresh spinach, and continue to cook until the spinach is completely cooked. If you are using frozen spinach, you do not have to use water to steam and wilt the spinach (no water is needed if you use frozen spinach).
  • Taking the chickpeas out of the bag and rinsing them thoroughly in cool water, add them to the skillet along with the tomato sauce. Stir well to distribute the spices throughout the sauce, and then heat through (5 minutes). Sprinkle with cilantro or parsley, and serve

Nutritional

Serving: 1 Cup ・ Calories: 322 kcal ・ Carbohydrates: 43 g ・ Protein: 15 g ・ Fat: 12 g ・ Sodium: 1234 mg ・ Fiber: 14 g
The nutritional values shown here are only estimates. Please see our nutrition disclaimer.
A bowl full of Curried Chickpeas with Spinach and brown basmati rice.

How to Make Curried Chickpeas with Spinach – Step by Step Photos

Onion Garlic and Ginger for Curried Chickpeas with Spinach
The first thing you need to do is to dice one onion and mince two garlic cloves.

In addition to grinding a small amount of fresh ginger (you can also mince it), I usually use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin before I grated it. I usually use this technique to remove the skin from the ginger before I grate it.

Once the onion, garlic, and ginger have been sautéed for about 5 minutes in olive oil, you should serve them.
Toast Curry Powder for Curried Chickpeas with Spinach
As you are sautéing the mixture, add 1.5 tea spoons of curry powder. You may use either a hot or a mild curry powder.

You may also choose to add a few drops of honey at this point. Continue to sauté the mixture after adding the spices to toast them slightly and to enhance their flavor.
Wilt Spinach for Curried Chickpeas with Spinach
Then add about 1/4 cup of water and 8 ounces of fresh spinach to the skillet. The spinach will likely fill the skillet up very quickly, so stir carefully until it has wilted down.

Fresh spinach is generally sold in either an 8 oz or 16 oz bag. So use the label to estimate 8 oz. It is important to add some water to the spinach to help steam and wilt it.

If you are using frozen spinach, you do not need to add any water at all, you just need to heat it through in the skillet, no matter how hot it is.
Add Chickpeas and Tomato Sauce
I recommend draining and rinsing a large 29-ounce can (or two 15-ounce cans) of chickpeas and adding them to a skillet, along with a 15-ounce can of tomato sauce.

You could also substitute strained tomatoes or tomato purée for tomato sauce if you don’t have tomato sauce in your area (although you might need to add some salt at the end of your cooking).
These super fast Curried Chickpeas with spinach are packed with flavor and nutrients, vegan, gluten-free, and filling! Plus they freeze great! BudgetBytes.com
It is then a matter of whisking everything together well, letting it heat through, and then serving, all in a skillet. How easy is that? I would say “Pshhhftftfft.” to all boxed skillet meals.
Front view of a bowl of Curried Chickpeas with Spinach and brown basmati rice.

This dish is delicious and worth your while in the kitchen with Apronese, isn’t it? Share your cooking stories in the comments below.