5-Ingredient Pantry
Chickpea Curry

This is the curry you make when you haven't been to the grocery store in a while and the fridge is holding almost nothing of consequence. Chickpeas, canned tomatoes, coconut milk, garlic, curry powder. That's the list. It takes twenty-five minutes and produces something genuinely satisfying — a thick, aromatic curry that looks and tastes like you had a plan.

The key move with any pantry curry is blooming the spices properly before you add liquid. It sounds like a small thing, but it's the difference between a sauce that tastes like canned goods with some powder stirred in and one that tastes like a real curry. The spices go into the oil with the garlic, they sizzle and deepen for sixty seconds, and then everything else goes on top of that base. Don't skip it, and don't rush it.

Full-fat coconut milk is not the same as light coconut milk. The fat in full-fat coconut milk is what gives the curry its body and richness. Light coconut milk is mostly water and will give you a thin, watery sauce. If full-fat is what you have, use it. If you only have light, reduce the sauce for longer at the end.

What you need

• 2 cans (400g / 14oz each) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 can (400g / 14oz) crushed or diced tomatoes
• 1 can (400ml) full-fat coconut milk
• 4 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder if you're out of fresh)
• 2 tablespoons curry powder — or build your own with 1 tablespoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil
• Salt
• Rice or flatbread to serve

How to make it

Step 1: Start with garlic. Heat the oil in a large skillet or pot over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for about sixty seconds, stirring often. You want it fragrant and just softened — if it starts to brown, turn the heat down slightly.

Step 2: Bloom the spices. Add the curry powder directly to the garlic and oil. Stir constantly for sixty seconds. The spices will absorb the oil and begin to toast. The smell will shift from raw and grainy to something warmer and deeper — that's what you want. This step is not negotiable.

Step 3: Add the tomatoes. Pour in the canned tomatoes. Stir everything together, scraping the spiced oil from the bottom of the pan. Cook for three to four minutes, stirring occasionally. The tomato mixture will darken slightly and the sharp, raw tomato smell will fade. This is the sauce base.

Step 4: Add chickpeas and coconut milk. Tip in the drained chickpeas and pour in the coconut milk. Stir to combine. The sauce will be fairly loose at this point. Bring it to a steady simmer and cook for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally. The coconut milk will reduce and the sauce will thicken to coat the chickpeas. If it's reducing too fast, turn the heat down and add a small splash of water.

Step 5: Season and serve. Taste the curry. It needs salt — add it gradually and taste as you go. The chickpeas absorb more salt than you might expect. Serve over rice or with flatbread. A squeeze of lime or lemon over the top at the end adds brightness. A spoonful of yogurt on the side helps if you want to cut the heat.

What to add from the fridge

A diced onion cooked down before the garlic adds sweetness and body to the sauce. Fresh ginger (about a tablespoon, grated) added with the garlic adds heat and complexity. A handful of spinach stirred in at the end wilts instantly and adds color. Frozen peas added in the last five minutes of cooking are a good addition. All of these are optional — the five-ingredient version works on its own.

The curry powder question

Pre-blended curry powder varies quite a bit from brand to brand. Some are mild, some are hot, some are heavy on turmeric, some lean more toward cumin. Use whatever you have. If you want to build more specific flavor, the combination of garam masala, cumin, and turmeric noted above gives you a more layered result. Either approach is fine here.

See also: 30-minute chickpea curry from pantry · 30-minute lentil soup from pantry · NowCook pricing