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Hi friends, how are you doing?
We are all staying home as often as we can during the Covid 19 pandemic, which means fewer trips to the grocery store. No quick run to grab just one or two items you are missing for a recipe (this one is a challenge for me, especially when photographing my recipes). But it’s okay, we are making it happen. We are using our resources and making what we already have on hand work.
And that’s exactly what I am here to help you do with this anything you have chickpea curry. We are in this together, friends. We’ve got this!!!
Let’s make some cozy, comforting, delicious curry together, shall we?
Okay so for anything you have chickpea curry I am going to include a large list of substitution ingredients that you can use. But first, let’s start with what I used to make this delicious chickpea curry with what I already had on hand, because that’s the entire point.
Ingredients I used in my chickpea curry:
- white rice – for serving
- organic extra firm tofu – for the protein (more options to come later)
- yellow onion
- homemade curry paste – that I found in the freezer from 2016!!!! (Use what you have, that’s the name of the game, so I used what I had. Thank you to my past self from 2016, for making and freezing curry paste). I have written the recipe for using a curry powder and garlic and ginger instead. However, if you want to make homemade yellow curry paste, it is so yummy and so worth it. (Recipe from Pinch of Yum).
- 1 zucchini – for some beautiful fresh green veggie action
- 1 red bell pepper – a nice sweet crunch
- a can of full fat coconut milk – so creamy and luscious
- juice of half of a lime – for a little zing
- a can of chickpeas
- salt
- cilantro leaves or green onion – for garnish (I so wish I would have had cilantro leaves for this photo).
- lime wedges – for garnish
Pretty simple, easy ingredients that make for one tasty chickpea curry dish.
But let’s discuss all of your other options, shall we?
Substitution ideas for chickpea curry:
-
Protein substitutions :
- chicken
- shrimp
- or even omit an extra protein all together and use 2 cans of chickpeas.
-
veggie substitutions:
- cauliflower
- broccoli
- kale
- spinach
- sweet potato
-
White Rice substitutions:
- brown rice
- cauliflower rice
- quinoa
- pretty much any other grain you like, and have on hand.
Whoa, that’s a lot of options. I am pretty confident that from that list you can probably make this chickpea curry happen very soon.
No matter which variety of ingredients you use it will be a delicious and nutritious meal that will satisfy you and make you feel all cozy. The other cool thing is with so many ingredient options you can make this recipe on repeat and mix up the ingredients for a different vibe each time.
See, we’ve got this social distancing thing!
One day at at time.
Anything you have chickpea curry is so delicious. It’s got the richness from the coconut milk, that earthy, spicy flavor from the curry powder (or paste), creamy chickpeas, tender zucchini, sweet crunchy bell pepper, crispy tofu, and fluffy rice. This bowl is literally one of my favorite comfort foods. You’re gonna love it.
It’s kind of like choose your own adventure…only with a bowl of chickpea curry lol.
This chickpea curry is naturally gluten free and dairy free. It can be adapted to be vegan, it’s packed with veggies, fiber, and protein. It’s easy to make (40 minutes), and it’s so satisfying. Perfect for fall, winter, or spring, or anytime you need a way to warm up.
It’s food like this that makes this phase of life not so bad, am I right?
A tip: light a candle, or two and turn on some music, to make dinner at home (oh, how I miss eating at a restaurant) feel a little extra special. Really, it makes a difference. I have also been thinking about actually busting out some place mats and fancy cloth napkins this weekend, to elevate our eating-at-home-every-single-meal experience. Let’s take it from 10 to 11!!!
Do whatever you need to do to add some ambiance and joy to your meals, friends. Trust me, it’s worth the effort.
Hope you’re staying safe and healthy, my friends. Sending big virtual hugs to all.
More Curry recipes:
- Instant pot creamy lentil curry
- 10 minute curry chicken salad
- curried cauliflower tacos with crispy tofu and curry sauce
- Thai curry soup with crispy tofu
Did you make this recipe? The biggest way to say thank you is by leaving a comment down below along with a star rating. This helps my blog rank higher in google, and it makes me smile to hear from you. Thanks, friends!
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Anything You Have Chickpea Curry
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 5 to 6 1x
- Category: entree, chicken, seafood, easy, healthy
- Method: saute, simmer
- Cuisine: vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, dairy free, vegan, chicken, seafood, superfood
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Chickpea curry can be made with a wide variety of veggies and protein. This is the perfect, easy, meal to make the most of whatever you already have on hand. So warming, comforting, and satisfying.
Ingredients
For serving
- white or brown rice, or cauliflower rice
For the tofu (see notes for more options)
- 1 package organic extra firm tofu, drained from liquid
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce, gluten free soy sauce, or coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon corn starch, or arrowroot starch
For the curry
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil, or avocado oil, or ghee
- 1/2 yellow or white onion, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 inch ginger, grated
- Optional: red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1 zucchini, sliced (see notes for substitutions)
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1 15 ounce can full fat coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon curry powder (see notes)
- 1 15 ounce can (2 cups) of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- Juice of 1/2 lime
- 2 to 4 teaspoons honey or coconut sugar
- Optional: few dashes of fish sauce
- salt to taste
For garnish
- cilantro leaves or chopped green onion
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Prepare: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. And line a medium rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper Set aside. At this time you can also start cooking your rice. Unless you plan to use some microwave rice (3 to 4 minutes), a short cut that I often take advantage of.
- Press the tofu: Drain the tofu from water (at this point you can use a tofu press if you have one and skip the next step) cut the tofu into 1 inch bite sized cubes. Place the cubes on a few layers of paper towels or a clean, lint free kitchen towel, cover the top with more paper towels or the other end of the kitchen towel. Place a cutting board on top of the tofu and place 2 to 4 heavy jars or cans on top of the tofu. Allow the tofu to dry out while you prepare the other ingredients. If you have time to do this step 30 minutes in advance it is best for resulting in a crispier tofu, but okay doing at beginning of recipe.
- Prep the veggies: chop all the veggies as instructed above and place them in separate bowls so that they are ready to go.
- Cook the tofu: Toss the drained tofu in a bowl with olive oil and the gluten free soy sauce/gluten free soy sauce/coconut aminos until the tofu is well coated. Add the corn starch/arrowroot powder and toss until well coated. Transfer to the baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake closest to the heat source for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping half way through. The tofu is done when it’s nicely browned and slightly crispy.
- Make the curry: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Melt the coconut oil, or ghee. Add the onions, saute for 5 minutes. Add the zucchini, and red bell pepper, saute for 3 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes (omit these if using homemade curry paste), saute for another minute. Stir in the coconut milk, turn up the heat to medium high to bring the to a simmer. (NOTE: if using homemade curry paste add the 2 tablespoons of it at this time). Stir in the curry powder (omit if using homemade curry paste), and add the drained and rinsed chickpeas. Simmer for 5 minutes, just until everything is heated through. Add the lime juice, honey or coconut sugar, and fish sauce. Add salt to taste. Remove from the heat.
- To serve: Add some rice to each serving bowl. Spoon over the chickpea curry sauce making sure to get a good amount of the saucy liquid. Add a few pieces of tofu to each bowl, and garnish with cilantro leaves and lime wedges, if desired. Enjoy hot.
- For leftovers: Store any leftovers in separate containers. To re-heat the tofu saute it for a few minutes in a nonstick skillet with little coconut oil, it will crisp right back up.
Notes
Protein Options: Instead of tofu you could use chicken, shrimp, or even omit an extra protein all together and double up on the cans of chickpeas. For the chicken I would recommend cutting it into 1 inch pieces, seasoning it well with salt and pepper and cooking it in the skillet, removing it, and then proceeding with the recipe as normal. Same with the shrimp.
Veggie substitutions: I created this recipe to make use of what you already have on hand, use any kind of veggie you have on hand, or like. Some ideas are: cauliflower, broccoli, kale, spinach, or sweet potato. For the sweet potato you will want to cube it, and either steam it, or roast it in a 400 degree oven for 15 to 25 minutes or until tender. Add the cooked sweet potato in at the end of cooking the curry.
curry powder: In the photos I used a homemade curry paste that I found in my freezer from 2016, yikes! Since this recipe is all about using what we have on hand I figured it would be perfect. However, I wrote the recipe for using curry powder and adding fresh ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes to create a very similar taste to the homemade curry paste.
Curry paste recipe: However, if you want to try your hand at making a curry paste yourself, I highly recommend this Thai yellow curry paste recipe from Pinch of Yum. It’s pretty easy to make, super delicious, and lasts a long time in the fridge and even longer in the freezer (like 4 years lol).
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