Chickpea, lentil and spinach curry is an easy and flavorsome vegetarian curry – spice it up or just have it fragrant. It’s hearty, healthy and delicious.
This post may contain affiliate links, where we earn from qualifying purchases. See more details in the policy page.
I sometimes find it funny how tastes can change so much. I know there are a few things I like now that I didn’t really as a child, although I was far from picky then. Even my seven month old who is just getting in to eating food has already had a couple things go in and out of favor (and back again).
Thankfully while kids can change their minds, if you make it a habit they can also often be persuaded to give something a try again and they might have changed their mind. True some ages are trickier, and it helps they may not always remember when they had something a while back.
As an example, my eldest used to not like chickpeas at all and these days they are one of the things he actively picks out from a Moroccan-style dish I make. So, I decided to try to combine them into one of his favorite things: curry. This chickpea, lentil and spinach curry is an easy vegetarian curry that can be spiced up or down (my son hasn’t got into chili yet) and so seemed perfect to share for today’s Sunday Supper.
Our love of spice
Today’s theme is ‘spice is nice and some like it hot’ which seems a perfect summary of a lot of our family’s eating. We all like things with spices added, and my fragrant chicken curry is a favorite for all. Then my husband and I are more than happy to enjoy a bit of heat as well, in various forms, from Malaysian fish or veggie laksa to Thai red curry and Indian lamb and paneer to Ethiopian dishes (still to work on spicier ones but this is delicious too).
Often if we are having one of these spicier dishes, I make something slightly different for my son or make a couple dishes so he can enjoy the non-spicy one along with rice. This chickpea, lentil and spinach curry is perfect as one of those two dishes or one for all of us to enjoy.
How to make chickpea, lentil and spinach curry
This curry is also very easy to make and can be made ahead, both of which makes it even better for having as part of a range of dishes that you might be serving. The fact it is also vegan, gluten free and nut-free is also perfect where that’s something you are looking for as well.
To make it, all you need to do is soften the onion and garlic, add your spices then the chickpeas, lentils, tomatoes and water and leave the lentils to cook. Once they are tender, add the spinach and cilantro then that’s it. The flavors, as with most curries, are probably deeper after being left overnight so there’s even more excuse to make it ahead.
This chickpea, lentil and spinach curry is such an easy vegetarian curry that has lots of nice, warming spices in it to give it lots of flavor. As a result, it doesn’t necessarily need to be spicy although you can certainly make it spicy if you like. It’s full of comforting textures and is really healthy as well, so there’s really no excuse not to make it and enjoy.
Looking for more ideas to make an Indian-inspired vegetarian meal? Try these:
Plus try more vegetarian meals.
Chickpea, lentil and spinach curry
Ingredients
- 1/2 large onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 in ginger 2.5cm
- 1 chili optional, can also use more if you prefer hotter
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 14 oz chickpeas (1 can) 400g
- 14 oz diced tomatoes (1 can) 400g
- 1/4 cup red lentils 50g
- 1 cup water 240ml
- 2 oz spinach 60g
- 2 tbsp cilantro approx, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Dice the onion relatively finely and finely chop the garlic, ginger and chili, if using.
- Heat a little oil in a pan (around 1tbsp, not olive oil - vegetable or other unflavored is better) and add the onion. Cook for around 3-5 minutes until starting to soften. Add the garlic, ginger and chili, if using, and cook for another minute or two.
- Add the cumin and coriander and stir in, cook a minute then add the drained chickpeas, tomatoes, lentils and water. Stir well then bring to a boil.
- Cover, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and leave to cook until the lentils have cooked, around 25 minutes, stirring now and then to avoid it sticking too much.
- While the lentils are cooking, chop the spinach relatively small and roughly chop the cilantro. When the lentils are cooked, add both to the pan, stir in and cook a minute until they have wilted down then serve. Can be made ahead and stored a day or two in the fridge.
Nutrition
See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline’s Cooking Amazon store.
See more ideas with a bit of spice: –
Aromatic Appetizers
- Buffalo Chicken Spring Rolls by Cupcakes & Kale Chips
- Cajun Shrimp Dip by Cooking with Carlee
- Jalapeno Cheddar Roasted Chickpeas by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
- Spicy Apricot Chicken Meatballs by My Life Cookbook
- Spicy Jalapeno Chickpeas by Helpful Homemade
- Spicy Sugared Cashews by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Distinctive Drinks
- Cilantro Jalapeno Mojito by Manu’s Menu
- Shoo Fly Punch with a Kick by Our Good Life
Daring Desserts
- Chipotle Peanut Butter Cookies by Renee’s Kitchen Adventures
- Mexican Chocolate Pudding by Pies and Plots
- Spicy Fudge Brownies by The Chef Next Door
- Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate Fudge by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Masterful Mains
- Chicken Karahi (Pakistani Chicken Curry) by Curious Cuisiniere
- Chicken Stuffed Poblano Peppers by Feeding Big and more
- Ddukboki (Spicy Stir Fried Rice Cakes) by kimchi MOM
- Devil’s Chicken by Monica’s Table
- East Indian Chard and Lentils by Wholistic Woman
- Fried Chicken with a Kick by A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Grilled Chipotle Pork Chops by Cooking Chat
- Jalapeno Popper Pizza by Hardly A Goddess
- Kung Pao Chicken by Palatable Pastime
- Spicy Penne all’arrabbiata by She Loves Biscotti
- Sweet & Spicy Pulled Pork Tacos by Grumpy’s Honeybunch
- Sweet Chili Pork by Cookin’ Mimi
- Tunisian Garlic Chickpea Soup by What Smells So Good?
Seasoned Sides
- Baked Sriracha Sweet Potato Fries by Magnolia Days
- Green Mango Sambal by Food Lust People Love
- Grilled Potato Salad with Spicy Picada Sauce by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
