Easy Chickpea and Potato Curry (Chana Aloo Curry)

This easy chickpea and potato curry is a naturally vegan one-pot recipe that's just perfect for a quick weeknight treat.

It has a good mix of protein from the chickpeas and heartiness from the potatoes and it's great with rice and warm naans.

Chickpea and potato curry (chana aloo curry) is a very delicious and healthy curry that's naturally vegan and very easy to make.

The chickpeas and potatoes combination results in a hearty curry that will keep you full for hours.

What I like most about this type of curry is that it's made with cupboard ingredients and a handful of spices. There are no strange ingredients here and you'll likely have them all on hand on any given day.

Why you'll love this chickpea and potato curry

• It's naturally vegan and gluten-free. You don't have to make any substitutions if you're looking for a gluten-free curry that's also plant-based.
• It's not too spicy (unless you want it to be). This is a mildly spiced curry that's family-friendly. You can easily adjust the spice level to suit your taste, though.
• It's healthy and nutritious. Chickpeas are a natural source of protein, fibre and minerals while spinach adds loads of vitamins and iron.

Ingredients and substitutions

Coconut oil - I like to make this curry with coconut oil because it's resistant to heat but you can use sunflower or canola oil instead.

Onion - Dice the onion as fine as possible for this curry. Alternatively, you can use a food processor to chop it very finely.

Garlic and ginger - Fresh garlic and ginger are best for this chickpea spinach and potato curry, but the jarred stuff will do if you don't have any fresh ginger or garlic.

Spices - I use a mix of ground cumin, coriander, cinnamon and cayenne pepper for this curry. You can also add turmeric or garam masala.

If you want the curry to be extra fiery, double or triple the amount of cayenne pepper.

If you don't have anything else than curry powder on hand, you can use two tablespoons of that instead of all the other spices.

Chopped tomatoes - Canned chopped tomatoes are perfect in this vegan chickpea potato curry, but you can also use plum tomatoes crushed by hand. Fresh tomatoes also work well here.

Chickpeas - I typically make this curry with canned chickpeas for convenience. You can soak yours from scratch if you have time.

Potatoes - Baby potatoes are great in this curry but feel free to use your favourite waxy potatoes. Yukon Gold potatoes are a good choice here.

Spinach - Fresh spinach is perfect in this chickpea curry, but you can use any other greens on hand, like kale.

Coconut milk - This is optional so only add some full-fat coconut milk if you want your chickpea and potato curry creamy.

How to make chana aloo curry

Heat the coconut oil in a large, deep frying pan that has a lid and saute the onion for 6-7 minutes over medium heat until slightly caramelized.

Add the garlic and ginger and continue to cook for another minute until the smell of raw garlic and ginger is gone.

Stir in the ground cumin, coriander, cinnamon and cayenne pepper and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.

Add the chopped tomatoes, then fill half of the can with water and add that too.

Stir in the chickpeas and baby potatoes and bring to a boil.

Lower the heat, cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.

Add the spinach and cook for a couple of minutes to allow it to wilt. Stir in the coconut milk, if using, and allow it to heat through.

Serve over basmati rice or naan bread and topped with some mango chutney, lime juice, or fresh cilantro.

Leftovers and storage

• This chickpea curry will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
• Reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop until piping hot.
• You can freeze this potato chickpea curry for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight before reheating.

Recipe notes and tips

• Add other veggies to this easy chickpea curry to make it even more nutritious. Ideas include green beans, frozen peas, broccoli and cauliflower florets.
• You can make this chickpea curry in the Instant Pot - simply follow the recipe as written up until adding the potatoes and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, followed by a quick release. Add the spinach and coconut milk after you open the lid.
• Brown rice and cauliflower rice are two healthier sides for this chickpea potato curry.

If you liked this chickpea and potato curry, you might also like some of my other easy vegan curry recipes:

• Thai Coconut Chickpea Curry
• Vegan Chickpea and Lentil Curry
• Thai Mango Curry with Chickpeas
• Aubergine and Chickpea Curry
• Spicy Brazilian Coconut Curry with Chickpeas

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