Quick cheap chickpea & spinach curry
Budget-friendly one-pan chickpea and spinach curry — ready in 30 minutes, pantry staples, great for students and batch cooking.
This is the kind of dinner students dream about when funds are low: cheap, quick and impossible to hate. It uses tins and a bag of frozen spinach so you can cook straight from the cupboard and have dinner in 30 minutes.
The curry is forgiving — increase the spice, swap the greens or double the chickpeas for batch cooking. Serve with rice, naan or simply spoon it onto toast for a proper budget supper.
Ingredients
- 1 brown onion
- 3 garlic cloves — crushed
- 20 g fresh ginger — finely grated
- 15 ml vegetable oil
- 30 ml curry powder
- 5 ml ground cumin
- 5 ml turmeric
- 5 ml chilli flakes — adjust to taste
- 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes — one standard tin
- 400 g tinned chickpeas — use the whole tin, drained if preferred
- 200 ml coconut milk — full-fat gives a creamier sauce
- 150 ml water
- 200 g frozen spinach — no need to thaw
- 5 ml salt — plus extra to taste
- 5 ml black pepper
- 1 lemon — juice of to finish
- 10 g fresh coriander — roughly chopped, to serve
Instructions
Peel and finely slice the brown onion. Crush the garlic cloves and grate the fresh ginger.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the sliced onion and fry, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes.
Add the crushed garlic and grated ginger and fry for 1 minute until fragrant.
Stir in the curry powder, ground cumin, turmeric and chilli flakes and cook for 1 minute to toast the spices and release their oils.
Pour in the tinned chopped tomatoes, tinned chickpeas, coconut milk and water. Stir, bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes to thicken the sauce and allow flavours to meld.
Add the frozen spinach straight from the packet and stir it in. Cook for a further 3 minutes until the spinach has thawed and is evenly mixed through the sauce.
Season with salt and black pepper, squeeze in the lemon juice, taste and adjust seasoning.
Scatter over the fresh coriander and serve straight from the pan. Serve with boiled rice, flatbreads or on toast for a thrifty meal.
Tips
- Toast the spices briefly in the pan rather than adding them to wet ingredients — it makes the curry smell and taste much deeper.
- Make a double batch and fridge it for up to 3 days or freeze portions for up to 2 months; defrost and reheat gently.
- If the sauce is too thick when reheating, loosen with a splash of water or a little extra coconut milk.
- Use the lemon to brighten at the end — add it too early and the citrus will be cooked off.
- For an even cheaper protein boost, add a drained tin of red lentils instead of half the chickpeas (see substitutions).
Substitutions
tinned chickpeas → tinned red lentils, same quantity (400 g tin)
Stays closecoconut milk → double cream, 200 ml
Noticeably differentfrozen spinach → fresh spinach, 300 g
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 360
- Calories
- 10 g
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 21 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 500 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use dried chickpeas?
Yes, but they take longer — soak overnight and cook until tender before adding. For a quick meal tinned chickpeas are best.
How can I make this spicier or milder?
Add more chilli flakes or a chopped fresh chilli to increase heat. To tone down, reduce the chilli and add a little extra coconut milk or a spoonful of yoghurt when serving.
Can I freeze this curry?
Yes — cool completely, transfer to airtight tubs and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat gently on the hob.
What should I serve with it?
Boiled rice, naan, flatbreads or even toast are all great. See tips for batch-cooking suggestions.
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