This Chickpea and lentil curry is the perfect warming comfort food. It is creamy, packed with flavor and plant-based protein. Made with just a few staple ingredients, this wholesome dish comes together in just around 30 minutes.
Curry with lentils and chickpeas is one of my favourite warming meals to make when I am craving a big bowl of healthy comfort food. Packed with flavor and perfectly spiced. The spice level is easy to adjust to your liking. Using red curry paste is a great way to add a lot of flavor in very little time. A great way to serve this dish is with some rice and a freshly made Vegan Naan Bread.
Another one of my favourite curries is this Butternut squash chickpea curry. It is also perfect for meal prep!
More warming winter recipes to try: Roasted Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup, Sweet potato, coconut and chilli soup, Vegan Minestrone Soup or this Spiced carrot and lentil soup.
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Ingredients
This lentil chickpea curry is easy to make with healthy and budget friendly ingredients listed below.
For the full ingredient measurements, scroll down to view the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Sunflower oil, or other neutral oil like avocado or grape seed oil.
- Yellow onion, red or white onion can also be used.
- Green bell pepper, can also be replaced with red, yellow or orange pepper.
- Garlic, this curry recipe uses 3 cloves, if you are a big garlic lover, feel free to add more.
- Fresh ginger, peeled and grated. Fresh always tastes best, but minced ginger in a can works too. In a pinch it can also be replaced with 1 teaspoon dried ginger.
- Red curry paste, there are a lot of different varieties out there, use your favorit. Depending on how spicy your spice preference, use a mild or spicy version.
- Peanut butter, just a little ads a lot of flavor. Use smooth or crunchy peanut butter and I prefer using all natural.
- Coconut milk, use full fat coconut milk in a can, this adds a lot of flavor and creaminess to this lentil and chickpea curry.
- Pasata, or tomato sauce has a smooth and creamy texture. It can also be replaced with a can of chopped tomatoes for more texture.
- Vegetable broth, preferably organic. If you like a looser curry, add a little more.
- Chickpeas, I have used canned chickpeas in this curry recipe. It is a real time saver and that way this curry comes together fast and easy. Of course you can boil your own chickpeas as well, just follow the the package instructions.
- Lentils, I have used canned brown lentils in this recipe. Feel free to use any color of lentils you like, but a firm texture kind works best. Canned lentils is a real time saver and that way this curry comes together fast and easy. Like with the chickpeas, you can also boil your own, just make sure to not overcook them so they turn mushy.
- Lime juice, a little lime brings a freshness to to this curry.
- Salt and black pepper to taste.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Chickpea and lentil curry is fast and easy to make. Just follow along with the step-by-step photos below.
For the full instructions see the recipe card at the bottom.
Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion and green pepper. Sauté for 5 min or until the onion until it is soft and translucent.
Add the garlic, ginger and curry paste. Stir well while sautéeing for 2 min. Add the peanut butter and stir well.
Stir in the tomatoes, vegetable broth and coconut milk.
Add the chickpeas and lentils, stir and bring to a simmer.
A great way to serve this Lentil and chickpea curry is to top it with a squeeze of lime, some chopped cilantro and peanuts. Fore some extra spice, add some chili flakes.
Hint: Tastes great served up with some basmati rice and Vegan Naan Bread.
Substitutions and Variations
- Veggies – Feel free to add more veggies to this curry with lentils and chickpeas. Some chopped carrots, pumpkin, sweet potato or normal potato are great additions to this curry.
- Canned chickpeas and lentils – They are a real timesaver! But you can also cook your own lentils and chickpeas, just follow the package instructions.
- Allergy friendly – For nut allergies, simply omit the peanut butter and peanuts for the topping. Instead of the peanut butter, tahini or sunflower butter can also be used.
- Herbs – A fresh and flavourful topping to this Chickpea and lentil curry is cilantro. The cilantro can also be omitted, or replace it with some freshly chopped parsley.
For another tasty recipe using lentils and chickpeas, try this healthy and delicious Lentil and chickpea salad a try.
Storage
This chickpea and lentil curry makes a great meal prep, perfect to double this recipe and keep the leftovers for another day. This is how to best store curry.
First, make sure to cool down leftovers to room temperature as fast as possible. Don’t leave the curry out in room temperature for longer then necessary. Add the chickpea curry to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days.
This curry with lentils and chickpeas also freezes well. Add the leftover curry to freezer friendly containers or ziplock bags. Do not fill the containers all the way to the top, the liquid in the curry will expand when frozen and can cause the lid to pop off!
This curry will keep in the freezer for 2-3 months. I recommend labelling the containers with the date for reference.
Top tip
If you like a thicker and creamier Curry, take about ¼ of the fully cooked curry and blended it until smooth in a high speed food processor or blender. Add it back to the pan and stir well. Adjust the consistency with a little water if needed.
A potato masher can also be used directly in the pan. Mash part of the curry until it has a thicker consistency.
FAQ
Absolutely! Some great options are chopped eggplant or zucchini. Some frozen peas stirred in at the end works too.
Yes! In fact, it’s even better the next day. Wait to add the toppings and store the lentil and chickpea curry in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to serve the next day. Serve with some freshly cooked rice and homemade naan bread.
More dinner recipes to try:
Warming soup recipes:
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This Chickpea and lentil curry is the perfect warming comfort food. It is creamy, packed with flavor and plant-based protein. Made with just a few staple ingredients, this wholesome dish comes together in just around 30 minutes.
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small pice of ginger, peeled and grated
- 2-3 tablespoon red curry paste
- 2 tablespoon peanut butter
- 1 400g (14oz) can of full fat coconut milk,
- 1 400g (14oz) can pasata or chopped tomatoes
- 1 cup (240ml) vegetable broth
- 1 400g (14oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 400g (14oz) can lentils of your choice, drained and rinsed
- Juice of one lime
- salt and pepper to taste
- optional topping, fresh cilantro and peanuts
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Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion and green pepper. Sauté for 5 min or until the onion until it is soft and translucent. Add the garlic, ginger and curry paste. Stir well while sautéeing for 2 min.
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Add the peanut butter and stir well, then add the tomatoes, vegetable broth and coconut milk and stir well. Add the canned chickpeas and lentils, stir and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10-15 minutes, if needed add more stock to desired consistency. Give the curry a taste, and season with salt and pepper.
Serve with a fresh squeeze of lime, some chopped cilantro, rice and naan bread. Enjoy
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