Budget-Friendly Chickpea and Potato Curry
Hearty, wallet-friendly chickpea and potato curry — quick, vegan and fragrant with warming spices. Ready in under an hour and perfect with rice.
This chickpea and potato curry is my go-to when I want something filling, healthy and kind to the purse. It uses storecupboard tins and a few fresh bits to make a fragrant, family-friendly curry that stretches well.
Ready in under an hour, it’s vegan, freezes beautifully and is perfect with boiled rice or a chunk of flatbread. The trick: toast the spices briefly and simmer gently to get depth without fuss.
Ingredients
- 30 ml rapeseed oil
- 1 brown onion — finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves — crushed
- 25 g fresh ginger — grated
- 600 g potatoes — peeled and cut into 2 cm chunks
- 2 tinned chickpeas — 400 g tin each, drained and rinsed
- 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 15 ml tomato purée
- 5 ml ground cumin
- 5 ml ground coriander
- 5 ml turmeric
- 5 ml chilli powder — adjust to taste
- 5 ml garam masala
- 400 ml vegetable stock — hot
- 200 g frozen spinach — no need to thaw
- 5 ml salt
- 5 ml black pepper
- 15 g fresh coriander — chopped, to serve
- 1 lemon — cut into wedges, to serve
Equipment
- large saucepan with lid
- colander
- measuring spoons
Instructions
Heat the rapeseed oil in a large saucepan set over a medium heat. Add the finely chopped brown onion and sauté for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and beginning to caramelise.
Add the crushed garlic cloves and grated fresh ginger and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Stir in the ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, chilli powder and the tomato purée. Toast the spices for 30 seconds, stirring constantly so they don’t burn.
Add the potatoes, tinned chopped tomatoes, tinned chickpeas, hot vegetable stock, salt and black pepper. Stir, bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and cook for 20–25 minutes until the potato pieces are tender when pierced with a knife.
Uncover and mash a handful of the chickpeas and potato against the side of the pan to thicken the sauce slightly. Stir in the garam masala and the frozen spinach, then simmer uncovered for 4–6 minutes until the spinach has wilted and the sauce has thickened to your liking.
Taste and adjust seasoning with extra salt or chilli if needed. Serve scattered with chopped fresh coriander and lemon wedges to squeeze over.
Tips
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas well — it removes the tinny edge and prevents the sauce becoming cloudy.
- If the curry looks too thin after simmering, mash a few potato chunks against the pan side and stir to thicken naturally.
- Make ahead and refrigerate for up to 3 days; the flavours improve overnight. Reheat gently on the hob with a splash of water if needed.
- To stretch further, add a tin of mixed beans or an extra 200 g of diced potato — the texture changes slightly but it stays delicious.
- Freeze cooled portions in airtight containers for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge before reheating on the hob.
Substitutions
potatoes → sweet potato, same weight (600 g)
Stays closetinned chickpeas → red lentils, 200 g dried (add straight to step 4, reduce stock by 50 ml)
Noticeably differentfrozen spinach → fresh spinach, 150 g (add in step 5 and cook a little longer)
Stays closerapeseed oil → vegetable oil, same quantity
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 405
- Calories
- 14 g
- Protein
- 62 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 550 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use dried chickpeas instead of tinned?
Yes, soak and cook 200 g dried chickpeas until tender before adding — this will increase total time significantly. Alternatively, pressure-cook them and add in step 4.
How do I make the curry milder for kids?
Reduce the chilli powder to 0.25 tsp and omit the extra chilli at the table. Adding a spoonful of coconut yoghurt when serving can also cool the heat.
Can I freeze this curry?
Absolutely. Cool completely, portion into airtight containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight and reheat gently on the hob.
What should I serve with this curry?
Boiled basmati rice or simple flatbreads work best. A quick cucumber raita or tossed salad brightens the meal if budget allows.
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