Some nights call for a dinner that’s quick, filling and made mostly from ingredients you already have tucked away. This Thai Red Chickpea Veggie Curry ticks all three boxes, with chickpeas, vegetables and coconut cream coming together in a creamy curry that’s ready in around half an hour.

The chickpeas make this surprisingly hearty without needing any meat, while the potato and kūmara help stretch the meal and soak up all that lovely curry sauce. A couple of handfuls of spinach go in towards the end, making it an easy way to add some extra greens without creating another dish on the side.

You can also adjust the Thai red curry paste depending on who you’re feeding. Keep it mild for the family or add a little more if you prefer some heat. Served over rice with something crunchy on the side, it’s a simple meat-free dinner that doesn’t feel like it’s missing anything.

Other Recipes You May Like

• Creamy Pumpkin Peanut Soup
• Thai Chicken Noodle Soup
• Creamy Tomato Soup
• Sweet Corn & Potato Chowder
• Easy Skillet Flatbreads

Love This Recipe?

This veggie curry comes from my Family Favourite Dinners eBook, but it’s also a good example of why I like keeping a few meat-free meals in the dinner rotation. They’re often economical, easy to pull together and a great way to make use of vegetables already in the kitchen.

You’ll find simpler, family-friendly meal ideas alongside this one in Family Favourite Dinners.

Recipe Card

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• 1 medium kūmara, diced (about 2 cups)
• 1 large potato, diced (about 2 cups)
• 2½ Tbsp Thai red curry paste, or to taste
• 1 can (400ml) coconut cream
• 1 cup water
• 1 can (400g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp Vegeta or vegetable stock powder
• 1–2 cups spinach

To Thicken

• 1 Tbsp corn flour
• 2 Tbsp water

Method

1. Heat a little oil in a large frying pan or saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook gently until softened.
2. Add the diced kūmara and potato. Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, to start the cooking process.
3. Stir in the Thai red curry paste and cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
4. Pour in the coconut cream and 1 cup of water, stirring well to combine.
5. Add the chickpeas, brown sugar, salt and vegetable stock powder.
6. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potato and kūmara are tender.
7. In a small bowl, mix the cornflour with 2 Tbsp water until smooth. Pour the slurry into the curry while stirring and cook briefly until the sauce has thickened.
8. Add the spinach and stir through until just wilted.
9. Taste and adjust the seasoning or curry paste if needed, then serve hot.

What to Serve With

• Steamed jasmine or basmati rice
• Naan or roti
• Easy Skillet Flatbreads
• Poppadom’s
• Steamed green vegetables
• Fresh coriander
• Lime wedges

Stacey’s Kitchen Tips

• Cut the potato and kūmara into similar-sized pieces so they cook at roughly the same rate.
• Frying the curry paste for a minute or two before adding the liquid helps bring out its flavour.
• Different brands of Thai red curry paste vary quite a bit in heat, so start with less if you’re unsure and add more to taste.
• Rinse and drain the chickpeas well before adding them to the curry.
• Add the spinach right at the end. It only needs enough time to wilt into the hot sauce.
• If your curry is already as thick as you like after the vegetables have cooked, you may not need all of the cornflour slurry.

Variations & Substitutions

• Swap the kūmara or potato for pumpkin or butternut squash.
• Add cauliflower, capsicum, green beans or peas depending on what needs using.
• Replace the spinach with silver beet or another suitable leafy green.
• Add extra chickpeas if you’d like to stretch the curry further.
• Adjust the amount of Thai red curry paste to make the curry milder or hotter.
• For a little freshness at the end, add a squeeze of lime juice and some chopped coriander.

Storage, Freezer & Make-Ahead Notes

Leftover chickpea curry can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The flavours develop nicely as it sits, making this a particularly good option for lunch the following day. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave until piping hot.

The curry can also be made ahead and refrigerated, then reheated when needed. If it thickens considerably while sitting, simply stir through a splash of water or coconut cream as it reheats.

For longer storage, allow the curry to cool completely before transferring it to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months and defrost overnight in the refrigerator before reheating thoroughly.

Final Thoughts

Having a few reliable meat-free dinners in your recipe collection can be really useful, particularly when you’re trying to stretch the grocery budget or simply want to cook from what’s already in the pantry. Chickpeas are brilliant for that because they’re inexpensive, filling and work so well with stronger flavours like Thai red curry.

This recipe is also very forgiving when it comes to the vegetables. Potato and kūmara make a lovely combination, but there’s no reason you can’t swap things around depending on the season or what’s lingering in the vegetable drawer.

Pile it over some rice, add a poppadom or flatbread on the side, and you’ve got an easy family dinner from some very ordinary ingredients.

Stacey

Thai Red Chickpea Veggie Curry

A creamy Thai red curry packed with chickpeas, potato, kūmara and spinach. An easy, flavourful meat-free family dinner that's ready in around 30 minutes.

Print Recipe

Prep Time:10 minutes mins

Cook Time:20 minutes mins

Total Time:30 minutes mins

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion diced
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• 1 medium kūmara diced (about 2 cups)
• 1 large potato diced (about 2 cups)
• 2½ Tbsp Thai red curry paste or to taste
• 1 can 400ml coconut cream
• 1 cup water
• 1 can 400g chickpeas drained and rinsed
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp Vegeta or vegetable stock powder
• 1-2 cups spinach

To Thicken

• 1 Tbsp corn flour
• 2 Tbsp water

Instructions

• Heat a little oil in a large frying pan or saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook gently until softened.
• Add the diced kūmara and potato. Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, to start the cooking process.
• Stir in the Thai red curry paste and cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
• Pour in the coconut cream and 1 cup of water, stirring well to combine.
• Add the chickpeas, brown sugar, salt and vegetable stock powder.
• Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potato and kūmara are tender.
• In a small bowl, mix the cornflour with 2 Tbsp water until smooth. Pour the slurry into the curry while stirring and cook briefly until the sauce has thickened.
• Add the spinach and stir through until just wilted.
• Taste and adjust the seasoning or curry paste if needed, then serve hot.

Notes

Notes

• Adjust the amount of Thai red curry paste to suit your preferred heat level.
• Cut the potato and kūmara evenly so they cook at the same rate.
• Serve with rice or flatbreads to stretch the meal further.

 

Variations

• Add pumpkin, cauliflower, capsicum or other vegetables.
• Add extra chickpeas for a heartier curry.
• Finish with fresh coriander and lime juice if you have them.

 

Storage

• Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
• Freeze for up to 3 months.
• Add a splash of water or coconut cream when reheating if needed.

Servings: 4 Servings

Author: Farmers Wife Homestead