Thai Red Chickpea Curry

Creamy, flavorful and so easy to make, this is a delicious vegan Thai Red chickpea Curry the whole family will love. It’s protein rich from the chickpeas and is freezer friendly so it’s the perfect recipe for meal prep!

This Vegan Chickpea Curry could not be more perfect. It’s loaded with warming flavor and freezer friendly so it’s perfect for those chilly winter nights when you just don’t feel like cooking!

Like my Chana Masala and Tikka Masala, this curry is really easy to make and requires just a few ingredients you probably already have on hand like coconut milk, tomatoes and curry paste.

It also has the perfect amount of sauce to dunk some bread in or serve on top of fresh white rice. Or, you can throw in some sauteed vegetables! It’s freezer friendly, perfect for a one pot family dinner and can be made as spicy or mild as you like it. Be sure to try my tofu red curry or enjoy this alongside my gluten free naan!

Before we get started…

• You need only one cup of canned coconut milk for this recipe and a can has about 1 1/2 cups. I like to use the leftover in a smoothie or golden milk latte!
• Some curry pastes are spicy and some are mild. It will often say on the label, but you can start with just 4 tablespoons if you’re worried about spice and add the extra two once you taste it.
• This is a Thai chickpea curry, which has a different flavor profile than an Indian chickpea curry.

How to make vegan chickpea curry

First, heat the oil in a large pot or pan over medium heat.

Add the onions and sauté until translucent (about 5-10 minutes on low heat). 

Stir in the garlic and ginger and saute an additional 1-2 minutes. Add in all remaining ingredients aside from the chickpeas.

Transfer contents to a high speed blender or food processor and process until completely smooth, then transfer back to the pan. Let simmer on low heat until the sauce begins to thicken. 

Once thickened, add in the drained and rinsed chickpeas. It will continue to thicken once you add the chickpeas, but if it’s not thickening, whisk in a second tablespoon of tapioca starch.

Keep in mind it will thicken quite a bit as it sits (in the fridge or just on the stove) so avoid adding too much starch if you’re prepping this ahead of time.

Mix until everything is well combined and let simmer for 15 minutes, uncovered (this will help it thicken a bit more). Serve with rice and garnish with cilantro and red pepper flakes. Enjoy and try my marry me chickpeas next!

Serving Suggestions

I like to serve this chickpea curry with steamed white rice, but it’s delicious with naan, brown rice, or just as is!

This is Thai curry, so naan doesn’t really fit in the picture, but it’s the extra sauce is practically screaming for some bread to get dunked in it.

The best thing about curry is that you can really add in whatever you like. Tofu, chicken, chopped bell pepper, whatever you see fit! You can steam up some veggies, or have a side salad, or just enjoy it exactly as is.

Make it spicy

This recipe is not spicy as written, depending on the curry paste you use. If you want it to be spicier, you can add a pinch of cayenne, or a chopped chili pepper when you add in the ginger. Red pepper flakes on top also add a little kick!

As written, this curry will produce a good amount of sauce, which I personally love! This is a good thing because it will thicken a bit as it sits in the fridge, but also ensures the rice or whatever you serve this with gets nice and saucey too.

If you don’t like too much sauce, you can reduce the coconut milk to 1/2 cup.

Try these recipes next!

• Sticky Sesame Chickpeas
• Orange Chickpeas
• Sweet Potato Curry
• General Tso’s Chickpea Stir Fry
• Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

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