This Slow Cooker Chickpea Curry is a make-and-forget meal. Just add all the ingredients to the slow cooker and come back hours later for a hot meal. Soak your chickpeas overnight to make them extra tender.
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This chickpea curry is so flavorful yet so easy to make. Just a few minutes of prep and a push of a button on the slow cooker, and the smell of curry is wafting through the kitchen.
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Canned dried chickpeas
I use dried chickpeas for this recipe as they hold up better to the longer cooking time, are more economical to cook and are so much spicier than canned.
I don’t usually pre-soak the chickpeas for this recipe as the cooking time is so long you don’t need to. If for some reason you prefer to soak your beans, your overall cooking time will likely be shorter.
How to make chickpea curry in the slow cooker
Simply add diced onions and chickpeas to the slow cooker and sprinkle curry powder over them. Sweet potatoes, peppers, tomatoes and coconut milk follow. I love how the sweet potato breaks down adding body and a touch of earthy sweetness to the dish.
How to serve chickpea curry
I like to serve the steaming hot curry over a bowl of chopped raw spinach. The heat of the curry perfectly wilts the spinach as you stir it all together. I also love adding a nice squeeze of lime juice to liven things up and add some brightness.
Freeze chickpea curry for later!
This dish freezes wonderfully. I freeze in pint-sized Mason jars so I have a microwaveable one-serving dinner ready! Simply thaw in the fridge and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Tips for Success
- I prefer white-fleshed sweet potatoes for this recipe because they are stronger and hold up better to prolonged cooking. If you use orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, they’ll break down a bit more and make for a thicker, creamier sauce — which is good too!
- You may think there isn’t enough liquid in the pot to cook the chickpeas – Resist the temptation to add extra water! The vegetables release a lot of liquid as they cook, which is usually enough to cook the chickpeas. After 4 hours, or whenever you can, check and stir the curry, adding another 1/2 cup of water if the pot seems dry.
- The exact cooking time depends on your slow cooker and your chickpeas. If you are making this for the first time, give yourself some buffering space with the cooking time to ensure the chickpeas are fully cooked by the time you serve. (It’s also okay if the curry cooks longer.)
- This results in a curry with a thick tomato sauce. If you want a creamier, more coconuty sauce, stir in a second can of coconut milk after cooking.
- To reduce cooking timesoak the chickpeas overnight, skipping the extra water, and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours.
Chickpeas still crisp after cooking?
Slow cookers are tricky because temperature and evaporation vary from model to model. Dried beans can be tricky too! your Cooking time may vary based on age, quality, and soaking time.
- If they’re slightly al dente but seem to be cooking well (albeit slowly), Just let them continue to cook in the slow cooker, checking every half hour.
- If your beans are still quite crunchy after cooking, your slow cooker temperature may be getting a little hot (beans cook best at a lower temperature). Try putting the curry on the stove on the lowest setting and letting it simmer a little longer.
- If your beans are STILL crispy, they may be a bit old. These beans just take an extra long time to tenderize (and even then, they might be a little crispy in the middle). Keep cooking and you will eventually make it!
One last suggestion: If you’re pretty sure your beans are old — say, if you pulled them out of the back of the cupboard and can’t remember when you bought them — then by all means soak them overnight. Adding 1/2 teaspoon baking soda or 1 teaspoon salt to the soaking water can also help soften the beans.
Instant Pot Chickpea Curry
We love this recipe so much we adapted it to an Instant Pot! A change? Briefly soak the chickpeas according to the instructions on the bag, then drain. Layer the ingredients (including the 1 1/4 cups water) as directed in Step 1. Then secure the lid and cook at high pressure on the manual setting for 25 minutes, allowing the pressure to release naturally. Open the stove, listen for steam, and stir in the spinach (the residual heat should wilt it nicely, but you can use the saute function if you need a little help). Drizzle with lemon or lime, season to taste and enjoy!
love chickpeas? Try these recipes!
- Quick Cauliflower Chickpea Curry
- Kale sausage soup with tomatoes and chickpeas
- Mediterranean chickpea shells with tahini sauce
- Lemon Chicken Chickpea Soup
- Baked potatoes stuffed with curry chickpeas
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Slow cooker chickpea curry with sweet potatoes and peppers
I prefer white-fleshed sweet potatoes for this recipe because they are more starchy and hold up better to prolonged cooking. If you use orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, they’ll break down a bit more and make for a thicker, creamier sauce, which is good too!
To reduce cooking time, soak the chickpeas overnight, skipping the extra water, and cook on high for 4 to 6 hours.
ingredients
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1 tablespoon olive oil
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1 Middle yellow onion, rolled
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1 lb dried chickpeas, flushed
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2 tablespoon curry powder
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1 big white-fleshed sweet potatopeeled and diced (see recipe note)
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1 big or 2 small ones sweet peppersdiced (red or yellow, about 1/2 pound)
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1 (28–ounce) can diced tomatoes
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1 (15.5–ounce) can coconut milk
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1 1/4 cups water
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3 cloves Garlic, chopped
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1 rolled serranoJalapeño or Fresno Chili, Optional
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1 teaspoon Salt
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6 cups spinachroughly chopped for serving
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Cooked riceto serve, optional
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Chopped Coriander, serve
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lime or lemon wedgesserve
method
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Combine the ingredients in the slow cooker:
Drizzle olive oil in the bottom of a 6-quart or larger slow cooker, then add the onion and stir to coat. Pour over the dried chickpeas, then sprinkle the curry powder evenly over the beans.
Follow with sweet potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, coconut milk, water, garlic, chilli (if using), and salt. Do not stir (leaving the chickpeas on the bottom and the sweet potatoes on top cooks more evenly).
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Cook 6 to 8 hours on low:
If you’re around, after about 4 hours, stir the curry and check. At this point the curry should appear soupy and the chickpeas will likely be edible but still crunchy. If the slow cooker seems dry, add another 1/2 cup of water. (The curry is fine if you’re not around to stir it, too.)
Total cooking time will depend on your slow cooker and chickpeas. The curry can be served anytime after the chickpeas are soft and tender.
It’s also okay if the curry cooks a little longer, or if you leave it on the “warm” setting for a while. The recipe is very forgiving! The curry will get thicker and creamier the longer it cooks.
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Serve with spinach:
Stir the curry well. Taste and add additional salt if needed. Serve the curry over bowls of chopped spinach, stirring to wilt the spinach. (You can also stir the spinach directly into the curry if that’s more convenient for you.)
Garnish with coriander and a squeeze of lemon or lime.
Leftovers will keep for about a week or can be frozen for up to three months.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 349 | calories |
| 14g | Fat |
| 48g | carbohydrates |
| 15g | protein |
