Tomato Chickpea Curry
Inspired by my mom's homestyle chhole, this tomato chickpea curry utilizes pantry-friendly ingredients to create a deliciously spiced and satisfying one-pot Indian vegetarian dinner.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 222kcal
Ingredients
Chickpea Spice Blend:
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon Diamond-Crystal Kosher Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder or ½ teaspoon for a spicy version
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ¾ teaspoon ground sumac
- 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
- Pinch sugar
Chickpea Curry:
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 large onion finely diced and divided
- 3 cloves garlic finely grated
- 1 1-inch piece ginger finely grated
- 2 Roma tomatoes or plum tomatoes | finely diced
- 1 tablespoon Chickpea Spice Blend store-bought or homemade (see above)
- 1 15-ounce can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 1 ¼ cups water plus more if needed
Cilantro Salsa (optional):
- 1 lime or lemon
- ½ cup cilantro finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic finely chopped
Instructions
Chickpea Spice Blend:
- In a small bowl, combine ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon Diamond-Crystal Kosher Salt, ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder, ½ teaspoon garam masala, ¾ teaspoon ground sumac, 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast, and a small pinch sugar. Smash the mixture between your fingers to dissolve any larger bits of spices, then set aside.
Chickpea Curry:
- Set a large skillet over medium heat and add 3 tablespoons neutral oil and ½ teaspoon cumin seeds. Once the seeds begin to sizzle, add ¾ of 1 large onion (finely diced; reserve the rest for the salsa) and saute for 8 - 10 minutes or until nicely golden brown. Season with a pinch of salt.Note: Color is good here!
- Reduce heat to medium-low and add 3 cloves garlic (finely grated) and 1 1-inch piece ginger (finely grated). Stir constantly until aromatic, about 1 minute. Add 2 Roma tomatoes (finely diced) and 1 tablespoon Chickpea Spice Blend, and saute over medium heat for 5 - 8 minutes until thick and pasty. If you start to see some oil oozing out of the tomatoes, that's good!Note: If your tomatoes are on the drier side, you can add 1 - 2 tablespoons of water to prevent stickage.
- Add 1 15-ounce can chickpeas (rinsed and drained) along with 1 ¼ cups water and a good pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the flavors have nicely melded and the chickpeas are saucy but not watery, about 15 minutes.
Cilantro Salsa (optional):
- Meanwhile, juice half of 1 lime into a small bowl, and cut the other half into wedges. To the bowl, add ½ cup cilantro (finely chopped), ¼ remaining onion (finely chopped), 1 clove garlic (finely chopped) and a pinch of salt.
Serve:
- Taste the curry and season again with salt. The finished dish should taste of warm spices, with a bit of heat and acidity. If desired, you can squeeze some lime into the chickpeas for more acidity.
- Divide curry amongst serving bowls, garnish with cilantro salsa, and serve with lemon wedges. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Spice Blend: Feel free to make a larger batch of the spice blend to cut down on prep in the future! This is also a great blend to toss with potatoes or even make salad dressing with.
Tomatoes: For a more "restaurant-style" version, add 2 tablespoons tomato paste.
Storage: Leftover chickpea curry will last 5 days in the fridge stored in an airtight container. Re-warm on the stove or in the microwave.
Nutrition
Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 601mg | Potassium: 349mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 492IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 2mg
