Storecupboard Chickpea & Tomato Curry with Basmati Rice
Cheap, filling one-pot curry from tins and dried rice — vegan, quick and perfect for weeknight dinners.
This is the sort of dinner that makes your storecupboard feel like a supermarket aisle of culinary possibility. Cheap tins and a bag of rice turn into a proper, filling curry in under an hour — and it’s all vegan.
Make it on a weeknight when you’ve got nothing fresh in the fridge and a craving for something spiced. It keeps well in the fridge for lunches all week and stretches brilliantly with extra rice or a side of frozen veg.
Ingredients
- 300 g basmati rice
- 2 tinned chickpeas — 400 g tins, drained (about 240 g drained per tin)
- 400 ml tinned chopped tomatoes
- 1 brown onion — about 150 g, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves — crushed or finely chopped
- 30 ml olive oil
- 15 ml tomato purée
- 1 vegetable stock cube — make up to 450 ml stock with boiling water
- 10 ml smoked paprika
- 5 ml ground cumin
- 5 ml chilli flakes — adjust or omit for less heat
- 5 ml sugar — balances the tomatoes
- salt — to taste
- black pepper — to taste
Equipment
- large saucepan with lid
- frying pan
- colander
- measuring spoons
Instructions
Rinse the basmati rice in a fine colander under cold running water until the water runs almost clear. This removes excess starch for fluffy rice.
Bring 450 ml boiling water to the boil in a large saucepan, dissolve the vegetable stock cube, add the rinsed rice, stir once, cover and reduce to a gentle simmer. Cook for 12 minutes until the water is absorbed.
Remove the pan from the heat and leave the rice covered to steam and settle for 10 minutes.
While the rice cooks, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the finely chopped brown onion and sweat for 6–7 minutes until soft and starting to colour.
Add the crushed garlic, smoked paprika, ground cumin, chilli flakes and tomato purée. Fry for 1 minute, stirring, until fragrant.
Add the tinned chopped tomatoes, drained tinned chickpeas, sugar and 100 ml boiling water (or extra stock). Stir, bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 10 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. Taste and season with salt and black pepper.
Fork the rice to separate the grains. Spoon rice onto plates and top with the chickpea and tomato curry. Serve hot.
Tips
- Rinse the rice until the wash water is clear — that little extra effort gives separate, fluffy grains.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas well to remove tins’ saltiness; if you prefer a creamier sauce, mash about a third of the chickpeas against the pan.
- Make this in advance: the flavours deepen overnight. Reheat gently on the hob with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.
- If you only have dried spices, toast them briefly in the dry pan for 20–30 seconds before adding oil to boost flavour.
- Freeze leftovers in portions for up to 3 months; defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat thoroughly.
Substitutions
basmati rice → brown rice, same quantity (300 g) but increase cooking time and simmer until tender — noticeably different
Noticeably differenttinned chickpeas → red lentils, 200 g dried (rinse) — reduce simmering time and add 250–300 ml extra water; results in a thicker, quicker-cooking dish
Noticeably differenttinned chopped tomatoes → passata, 400 ml — slightly smoother sauce, same colour and acidity
Stays closeolive oil → vegetable oil, same quantity (2 tbsp) — neutral flavour, no other change
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 550
- Calories
- 16 g
- Protein
- 95 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 700 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this gluten-free?
Yes — this recipe as written is gluten-free because it uses rice and tinned goods. Check the vegetable stock cube label, as some brands contain barley or gluten-derived ingredients.
How long will leftovers keep?
Keep in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat until piping hot; add a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.
Can I use dried chickpeas?
Yes, but you must pre-soak and cook them first (this adds several hours). For speed and cost-effectiveness, tinned chickpeas are recommended.
My sauce is too watery — how do I thicken it?
Simmer uncovered until reduced, or mash a third of the chickpeas into the sauce to naturally thicken it without adding flour or thickeners.
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