Creamy Coconut Chickpea Curry with Cucumber Salsa

Coconut chickpea curry, rice and naan on a wooden surface.

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Creamy Coconut Chickpea Curry with Cucumber Salsa

This gorgeously creamy coconut chickpea curry turns cupboard staples into a very lovely 30-minute dinner. Thai red curry paste does the heavy lifting, while a few fresh additions liven things up. Finish with zingy pickled cucumber salsa, a good drizzle of spicy chili oil, then serve over steamed rice and two-ingredient dough garlic naan for scooping.

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chickpea curry

Servings: servings

Calories: 675kcal

Author: Kate Phillips

Ingredients

For the rice -

1 cup long-grain rice like basmati
1 ½ cups water

For the cucumber salsa -

1 cucumber diced
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon chili oil (or chili crisp)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

For the curry -

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves crushed
1- inch piece of ginger grated
Handful of cilantro leaves and stems separated and stems finely chopped
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1 can of coconut milk (14oz or 400g)
1 teaspoon fish sauce
2 cans of chickpeas, drained (14oz or 400g cans)
2 big handfuls of spinach leaves (roughly 100g/4oz)
1 tablespoon chili oil
1 lime sliced into wedges
Garlic naan or cheese naan to serve (optional)

Instructions

Make the rice.
Add 1 cup of rice to a pot you have a lid for, then add 1 ½ cups of water. Set over medium-high heat, then when you see foamy bubbles on top, pop the lid on. Turn the heat right down and leave for 12 minutes. After this time, remove the pot from the heat but keep the lid on for another 10 minutes until you're ready to serve.
Make the cucumber salsa.
While the rice cooks, add your diced cucumber to a small bowl, then pour over the 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, chili oil and sesame seeds. Toss to combine then set aside.
Cook the aromatics.
Set a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the ginger, garlic and chopped cilantro stems and cook, stirring for a couple of minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of red curry paste and stir through the aromatics for another two minutes until fragrant.
Add the coconut milk and chickpeas.
Pour in your coconut milk and stir it through the aromatics. Add the chickpeas and 1 teaspoon of fish sauce. Stir into the sauce and bring the curry to a simmer. Let simmer for five or so minutes, to thicken up slightly.
Add spinach.
Scatter the spinach leaves into the curry, then stir as the leaves wilt into the sauce. Taste, and add a little more salt if needed.
Garnish and serve.
Divide the steamed rice between bowls, then spoon the curry on top. Drizzle with the chilli oil, then serve with the cucumber salsa and lime wedges on the side.

Notes

PREP AHEAD: Like most curries, this one gets even better with time as the flavor can sit and really infuse into the chickpeas. That means it's perfect for meal prep - I love this one for lunches throughout the week. Leftovers keep well, for five days in the fridge.

INGREDIENT NOTES: Canned or jarred chickpeas are fine here - jarred offer the best flavor and texture but are more expensive so I don't use them all the time. Try to find red curry paste that doesn't list water as its first ingredient, and doesn't include added sugar, starches or preservatives. I'm using Mae Ploy paste here. To make this vegetarian or vegan, read the ingredients list carefully, as red curry paste traditionally includes shrimp paste. You'll also need to swap the fish sauce for a plant-based fish sauce, or use light soy sauce. I recommend using full-fat coconut milk, with a high percentage of actual coconut (upward of 60%). This will give you a super creamy curry sauce that thickens up and becomes gravy-like rather than staying very watery.

MAKE IT YOUR OWN: This curry is a wonderful base to play around with. Add sliced onions, red bell peppers, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower florets, diced sweet potato, pumpkin, butternut squash or throw in a handful of frozen peas. You could also add chicken or shrimp - add shrimp straight into the curry with the chickpeas (they'll cook in the heat of the sauce) - and cook chicken (ideally thigh pieces) in a little oil before adding the aromatics and curry paste.

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