Finally – a chickpea recipe worth making!!! With a simple coconut curry sauce made with astonishingly few ingredients, this Brazilian Chickpea Curry transforms lifeless cans of chickpeas into something that sounds exotic, smells enticing, and tastes so, so good….
This is a recipe we regularly make at our food bank, RecipeTin Meals, because it ticks a lot of boxes:our patrons love it, it’s easy to scale up, economical, gluten-free, freezes perfectly!
Brazilian Chickpea Curry
The sauce for this curry is swiped from Brazilian Fish Stew, a traditional Brazilian dish that’s been a reader favourite for many years now. It tastes like a coconut curry, yet it’s made with just 2 spices – paprika and cumin. Far simpler than most of the from-scratch curry pastes I’ve shared over the years!
That fish stew really is all about that sauce, so it was inevitable that I’d start playing around with other ways to use it. Chicken – done. Shrimp/prawns – a winner.
And it turns out it can also totally transform a dull looking can of chickpeas into something totally fabulous!!
What you need for Brazilian Chickpea Curry
Here’s what you need.
Just a few notes on some of the ingredients:
Chickpeas – canned for convenience, dried if you prefer (directions in notes)
Cayenne pepper is optional – it’s for a kick of spice. Because, well, you know. Curry. Spicy.
Coriander haters – sub with chives.
Baby Spinach – it’s just to cram some extra greens in. Sub with kale or anything leafy that’s wiltable.
How to make this Chickpea Curry
All in one pot – and it comes together quickly. Once you sauté the onion, garlic and capsicum, you literally just dump everything else in then leave to simmer for 10 minutes to let the sauce thicken.
That is one mighty delicious bowl for something that requires relatively little effort with a “normal” ingredients list.
It’s got a nice workflow flow to it as well. There’s no need to measure out all the spices etc before you start cooking. You pop open the cans and dump them into the pot. Then just measure the spices straight from the jar into the pot.
Oh – speaking of “pot” – I keep saying “pot” even though you see a skillet in the photos and video. The skillet I used was too small – I had to stir the sauce so carefully to avoid spillage.
Don’t make my mistake. Use a pot so you can stir enthusiastically and with abundance. – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Brazilian Coconut Chickpea Curry
Ingredients
Chickpea Curry:
- 1.5 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion , finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves , minced
- 1 red capsicum/bell peppers , cut into 3 x 0.75cm / 1.25 x 1/3″” strips
- 2 cans chickpeas , drained (Note 1)
- 400ml/14oz coconut milk , full fat for best flavour (Note 2)
- 400ml/14oz can crushed tomato
- 1 cup (250ml) chicken or vegetable stock/broth , low sodium
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tbsp cumin
- 1/2 – 1 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust spiciness to taste)
- 1.5 tsp sugar (any type)
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 50g / 2oz baby spinach leaves (or kale)
Finishing & Serving:
- 3 tbsp coriander/cilantro , roughly chopped, plus more for serving (Note 3)
- 1 tbsp lime juice , plus extra wedges for serving
- Yogurt (optional)
- Rice – or something to soak up the sauce (Note 4)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pot or large deep skillet over high heat. Add garlic and onion, cook for 1 minute.
- Add capsicum, cook for 2 minutes until onion is translucent and slightly golden on edges.
- Add remaining Curry ingredients except baby spinach. Stir, bring to simmer then lower to medium low so it’s simmering gently.
- Simmer 12 – 15 minutes until it changes from pale pink to an orangey red colour.
- Stir in spinach until just wilted, then stir in coriander and lime juice. Add more salt it needed.
- Serve over rice with a dollop of yogurt, extra sprinkle of coriander and squeeze of lime (don’t go overboard, I often do and it’s too sour!)
Recipe Notes:
- STOVE: soak overnight in lots of water. Pick out anything that doesn’t look like chickpeas that floats to the surface. Place in a saucepan with 3 cups of water and simmer on medium for 40 – 50 minutes (depends on chickpea size) until they are very soft. Skim off any skin that floats to the surface. Drain, proceed with recipe.
- PRESSURE COOKER: No soaking required, cover with 3 cups of water and cook 45 minutes on high.
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
You’d think I had a stash of treats in my slippers or something, the way he was snuffling around inside it! (Just to confirm, I did not)
My compliments, Nagi because, unlike many others, you use the word ‘curry’ properly ! The word is not descriptive of a hot Indian or Thai or other Asian dish but correctly used just means a protein or vegetable in a spiced sauce. Brazil is not a ‘curry’ country but this is a curry ! Just paprika and cumin +/- chilli sounds v moreish and the whole ingredient list will make me check my kitchen in a few minutes ! Like the spinach also . . .Rinsed chickpeas will do. I can see it with a strong side: couscous or polenta methinks . . . Oh, made your fish stew and shall surely prepare it again !!
Thanks Eha, I was wondering why it was called a curry!
Beth, the word NOT used by the ‘natives’ anywhere goes back to the Raj era and the British East India Company etc – the British memsahibs tried to teach their Indian etc staff to cook ‘British’ – the latter thought the dishes abysmally plain, boring tasteless and began adding their own spices 🙂 ! Oft the British loved the result and kept on asking for the names . . . it was simply easier for the cook to smile and say ‘curry’. ie dish with spicy sauce. Well, the English returned home, so missed the cooking and thus the abysmal ‘Madras Curry Powder’ the Indian chefs despise, was born . . . Lot more to it . . . but . . .Nagi, as usual, is so right 🙂 !
It’s so morish Eha, you’ll have to try. Perfect with couscous or polenta, even rice or pasta (just dollop the yogurt and I’m in heaven!) N x
Thank you for this recipe Nagi – I shall be trying it for next weekend When my vegan son returns from uni.
Perfect Mary, I’d love to know how it turns out!
Nagi, can’t wait to make this! Love chickpeas, love spicy curries, win, win. Thank you for another lovely recipe. Just watched the tv news – we so hope you and Dozer are dry, safe and sound in all of Sydney’s downpour.
Thanks so much Liz, we are dry for the moment, but the forecast doesn’t look great!! N x
bring Cold weather and This will be on my tale/ Plate and tummy, yummi, Yum. Thank YOU and Bone Appetite! Sily Dozer. Nagi Are YOU Ok with storm/ rain?
Yes perfect for the cooler months Vera! We are ok here thankfully, I’m high up and not in the flood zones ❤️