15-Minute Chickpea Vegetable Curry Recipe

Though it may draw on relatively simple ingredients and takes just a short time to make, this delicious curry dish packs a ton of flavor into a vegan meal centered on chickpeas. Recipe developer Catherine Brookes has not only managed to put some dynamic flavoring into this meal but does this with only a 15-minute prep time.

This is a meal that's sure to satisfy everyone at the table, even dedicated carnivores. "This curry is packed with flavor!" says Brookes. "I love that it tastes like you spent hours making it but it's ready in just 15 mins. It's creamy, mildly spicy and so delicious!"

While the vegetables and curry paste gives this an unmistakable and dynamic flavor, the nutritious heart of this meal is really the little powerhouse known as the chickpea. "Chickpeas are a great source of protein, fiber, potassium and B vitamins," says Brookes. Healthy, tasty, and quick? This is arguably the perfect meal for the busy, health-minded chef sure to fill up everybody at your table.

This easy curry recipe is still packed full of flavor thanks to all the great vegetable-based ingredients. Most of the ingredients can be found in the vegetable aisle. Start with one red onion, one red pepper, and a zucchini. Take a few minutes and a properly sharpened knife to dice all three. Plus you will need three cloves of garlic, which you'll crush, and 1 tablespoon of freshly grated ginger. 

Next, you will need to go to the canned aisle. Grab two cans of chickpeas, one can of chopped tomatoes, one can of coconut milk, and a jar of mild curry paste.

There are also some optional ingredients you can pick up to compliment this meal when it's time to serve, though there's a good chance that you'll have at least some already waiting in your pantry. These include some rice (a light and fragrant variety like basmati or jasmine rice would work nicely here), as well as a container of yogurt or sour cream. The sour tang of these last to complement this vegetable curry perfectly. 

Now, it's time to get cooking! Start off by heating some oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. When the oil is warm, throw in the diced onions, bell pepper, and zucchini. "Courgette is the British word for zucchini," says Brookes, so try calling them courgettes to really impress your guests (and maybe confuse a few). 

Fry the vegetables until they have begun to soften, which should take about 5 to 7 minutes. Make sure to stir and toss the vegetables a bit to ensure that they cook evenly and nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning.

Make sure you've crushed three cloves of garlic from the bulb and grated a tablespoon of fresh ginger. Add the prepared garlic, ginger, and curry paste to vegetables in the pan and cook all of this together, stirring well. And, yes, your kitchen is about to smell amazing. You're welcome.

Cook this combination for about another minute until you have one well-combined base for the eventual curry sauce. Don't overcook things, though. "You just want to give the ginger/garlic/curry paste about a minute to fry off and release their flavors," Brookes explains. "One minute is generally long enough."

Once the vegetable and curry mixture has been seasoned and cooked, you're in the home stretch! Next, add the drained canned chickpeas, canned tomatoes, and coconut milk to the pan. Give it all a good stir, making sure everything is well-combined, and keep cooking until the sauce starts boiling. Once you've hit that point, lower the temperature to a simmer and let it cook for another 5 minutes. 

If the sauce isn't thick enough for your liking after a few minutes, you can stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour (all-purpose flour should do just fine here). Make sure that you're mixing everything together thoroughly so that the sauce is creamy and smooth — making a slurry of flour with a bit of water can help to prevent unpleasant lumps of dry flour. 

Finally, plate the curry chickpea mixture and serve it with about half a cup of cooked rice per person and a dollop of some yogurt or sour cream. "A few tablespoons is generally a good amount," Brookes notes of the yogurt and sour cream. If you're feeling extra ambitious in the kitchen, you might also want to make some naan flatbread, which is perfect for dipping into this easy, tasty curry!