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Easy chickpea lentil curry with just a few simple, inexpensive pantry staples for a high-protein, flavor-packed, creamy, comforting, satisfying, meatless meal!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Vegan lentil and chickpea recipes (check out these 23 delicious vegan chickpea recipes for more) are an impressive staple for a low-budget, plant-based household. Not only are these pulses inexpensive, but they’re nutrient-dense and perfect for pulling together hearty, comforting, filling, and satisfying meat-free meals like vegan lentil Bolognese, vegan chickpea noodle soup, and this meal-prep, freezer-friendly chickpea lentil curry.
When combined with a base of curry powder, garlic powder, diced tomatoes, and coconut milk, this cozy curry with lentils and chickpeas is naturally dairy-free and gluten-free, rich, creamy, and spicy, with a thick texture. Plus, the use of dried seasonings means it’s much easier to make than a traditional curry, with a far shorter ingredients list, minimal effort, and comes together in just 45 minutes.
If you love this, you might also enjoy chickpea carrot curry, curried chickpeas, or quick curried lentils.
The Ingredients
Please refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
Recipe Variations + Add-ins
- Spinach/kale: Add several handfuls at the end for added color and nutrients.
- Starchy veg: Make a heartier red lentil and chickpea curry with added sweetness by adding diced (½-inch pieces work well) starch. Add extra liquid if needed, or pre-cooked.
- Butternut chickpea curry
- Chickpea and sweet potato curry
- Chickpea pumpkin curry
- Other vegetables: Add color, texture, and nutrients to this basic chickpea curry with cauliflower, diced eggplant, sliced carrot and/or mushrooms, etc.
- Mango chickpea curry: Add creamy sweetness to the coconut chickpea curry with mango pulp/puree (fresh or canned), added to taste.
- More heat: Choose a hot curry powder or add some chili/cayenne powder.
- Spices: Add depth to this basic chickpea curry with garam masala, ground ginger, cumin, and/or cinnamon. Add a pinch, then increase to taste.
- To garnish: I.e., fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley, a dollop of vegan yogurt, lime wedges, and/or a sprinkle of chopped peanuts/cashews.
How to Make Coconut Chickpea and Lentil Curry
Keep scrolling to the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and recipe instructions.
Step 1: Rinse, peel, and chop the onion and bell pepper.
Step 2: Then, heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the onion and pepper. Cook for 3-4 minutes until tender and translucent. Then add all the spices and sauté for a further minute to temper the spices.
Step 3: Stir in the coconut milk, canned tomatoes, lentils, and chickpeas, then cover and bring the chickpea lentil curry to a boil.
Step 4: Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 35 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so to prevent burning.
Add a splash of extra water (or vegetable broth), if necessary, at any point.
Step 5: Turn off the heat and stir in the juice of half a lime (or more, to taste). Then, finally, taste the lentil chickpea curry and adjust any of the seasonings, serve, and enjoy!
FAQs
Yes, you could make this lentil chickpea curry recipe with brown or green lentils, too, but the cooking time and amount of liquid needed will vary. As they don’t break down the same way as red lentils, the texturevaries. Refer to this complete guide to lentils to learn more.
Canned lentils should also work (it isn’t something I’ve tried, though, so I can’t guarantee results), though it will be brothier unless you blend a portion of lentils/chickpeas.
Sometimes, the tomatoes can be overly acidic and require a small amount of coconut sugar, brown sugar, or maple syrup to help balance the flavors.
Pro Recipe Tips
- Sauté the spices: Heating spices (like the curry powder) in oil helps to bloom them, bringing out and improving the flavor of the coconut chickpea lentil curry.
- For a thicker curry: Optionally blend a portion of the lentils and mix it back into the lentil chickpea curry for a thicker, creamier consistency.
- To adjust spice: Use mild, medium, hot, or extra hot curry powder, then adjust it further with extra chili or cayenne powder to taste.
- Season to taste: You can add as much or as little of each as you’d like.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy a portion of this hearty chickpea and red lentil curry alone or with:
- Steamed rice – white rice, brown rice (how to cooked brown rice), or basmati rice
- Quinoa (a complete guide to quinoa) or couscous
- Naan bread, roti, or chapati
- Simple side salad – like healthy carrot raisin salad or a simple cucumber tomato salad
- Sauteed spinach
- Chutney – like mango chutney
- Vegan cucumber raita
- Roasted vegetables – like oven charred broccoli, glazed carrots, or cauliflower
Storage Instructions
Leave the lentil and chickpea curry to cool and store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
You can also freeze it for up to 3 months in an airtight container or Ziplock/Stasher bag/s (spread flat with excess air squeezed out). Then, leave it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating/serving.
Reheat the chickpea red lentil curry in a microwave or on a stovetop, adding an extra splash of water or broth if needed.
Easy Chickpea Lentil Curry
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 yellow or green bell pepper diced
- 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
- 1 ½ tablespoon of curry powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 (14-ounce) can of full-fat coconut milk
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can of diced tomatoes in their juices
- 1 cup of uncooked red lentils
- 1 (15-ounce) can of chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 lime
- Rice for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and bell pepper. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the onion starts to become tender and translucent. Add the spices, salt, and pepper. Constantly mix for one minute.
- Stir in the coconut milk, diced tomatoes, lentils, and chickpeas. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 35 minutes. Stir every 5 minutes to prevent burning. Add a splash of water if needed.
- Turn off the heat and mix in the juice of ½ a lime. Add more if needed.
- Optionally serve with rice.
Notes
- Sauté the spices: Heating spices (like the curry powder) in oil helps to bloom them, bringing out and improving the flavor of the coconut chickpea lentil curry.
- For a thicker curry: Optionally blend a portion of the lentils and mix it back into the lentil chickpea curry for a thicker, creamier consistency.
- To adjust spice: Use mild, medium, hot, or extra hot curry powder, then adjust it further with extra chili or cayenne powder to taste.
- Season to taste: You can add as much or as little of each as you’d like.
Love this curry dish!