Mango Chickpea Curry: Sweet, Gently Spiced & Vegan
Mango Chickpea Curry: Sweet, Gently Spiced & Vegan.
Ripe Top End Mango, Chickpeas And Coconut Milk, With Spinach, Capsicum And Tomato.
Serves 4. Ready In About 30 Minutes.
Introduction to my mango chickpea curry
This mango chickpea curry is a sweet, gently spiced vegan curry that serves 4 and takes about 30 minutes. You cook onion, garlic, ginger and ground spices in olive oil, add red capsicum and peeled tomatoes, then stir in a puréed ripe mango, 400 g of chickpeas and a tin of full-fat coconut milk. Chopped baby spinach goes in at the end, and you finish it with fresh coriander and serve it with red rice.
It’s a sweet, tasty curry. When people try it, the first thing that surprises them is the pleasant sweetness. And because of the chickpeas, it’s very sustaining, with bundles of protein to keep you full.
I first saw this kind of dish in India. I adapted it to be less fiery, and to use our mangoes. I live in one of Australia’s big mango growing areas, the Top End of the Northern Territory, close to our Coolalinga studio. Mangoes from around here go all over Australia and overseas.
I use a mild Malay curry powder, and just a dash of chilli powder. Add more or less to suit your taste.
If you have any comments or questions, please contact us. Or chat with me at a Flametree yoga or meditation class via these timetables.
Mango chickpea curry, ready to eat
Sweet, gently spiced and filling: my mango chickpea curry with red rice.
Ingredients for mango chickpea curry
Here are the ingredients for this Flametree Yoga Studio curry. It serves 4 people.
The mango, chickpeas and coconut milk
- 1 large ripe mango (frozen mango works out of season)
- 400 g of chickpeas, cooked from dried
- 1 x 400 ml tin of full-fat coconut milk
The vegetables
- 1 red capsicum
- 4 ripe tomatoes, peeled
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 knuckle-sized piece of ginger
- 1 x 100 g bag of baby spinach
The spices
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon of ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon of garam masala
- 1 teaspoon of curry powder (I use a mild Malay curry powder)
- A dash of chilli powder, adjusted to your taste
- Fresh coriander, to garnish
Some of the ingredients
Tomatoes, spinach, capsicum, onion and garlic, ready to go.
The spices
The ground spices, measured out before you start.
Dried chickpeas, cooked yourself, are by far the tastiest way to make this.
I buy my mild Malay curry powder from the Asian Emporium in Darwin. Some delicatessens stock it at times too, but the Asian grocery shops around Greater Darwin and beyond are your best bet.
How to make mango chickpea curry
Use these steps to make this mango chickpea curry. The best guide is how it looks and smells as you go.
Step 1: Prepare
- Finely chop the garlic and ginger.
- Dice the onion.
Step 2: Cook the onion, garlic, ginger and spices
- Heat the olive oil, and sauté the onion until it’s translucent.
- Add the ginger and garlic, and cook.
- Add the spices, and cook for a few minutes.
Step 3: Add the capsicum and tomatoes
- Add the capsicum, and cook a little.
- Add the peeled tomatoes and ½ to 1 cup of water.
- Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft.
Tomatoes and capsicum in the pan
The tomatoes and capsicum cooking down with the spices.
Step 4: Add the mango
- Purée the mango.
- Stir it in, and cook a little more.
The mango purée and coconut milk
Puréed ripe mango, and the coconut milk waiting its turn.
Adding the mango
In goes the mango.
Step 5: Add the chickpeas and coconut milk
- Add the chickpeas and coconut milk, and stir in well.
- Simmer on a low flame for 8 to 10 minutes.
Step 6: Finish with spinach and coriander
- Add the chopped spinach.
- Garnish with chopped fresh coriander.
- Serve with red rice.
Up close
Creamy, golden and full of chickpeas.
How do you cook red rice?
Wash 1 cup of red rice well, and add 2 cups of water. Bring it to the boil, then simmer it on a very low heat until it’s cooked and the water has gone. It should be soft and nutty, and not too wet. You’ll find red rice at Asian grocery shops.
Where does mango chickpea curry come from?
I first saw this sort of dish in India. I’ve made it my own: less fiery, made with Top End mangoes, and filling, because chickpeas are so high in protein.
When are Top End mangoes in season?
Mangoes ripen here in the late dry season and the start of the wet, the build-up, which is why locals call it mango madness. They’re grown in the rural area around Coolalinga, including Humpty Doo, Howard Springs and Acacia Hills. Out of season, frozen mango works well.
Is mango chickpea curry vegan and gluten free?
Yes, it’s vegan. It’s made from mango, chickpeas, coconut milk, vegetables and spices.
Mango, chickpeas, vegetables and coconut milk are naturally gluten free. Curry powder blends vary, so check the label if you need it gluten free.
How much protein is in chickpeas?
Cooked chickpeas have about 8.9 g of protein and 7.6 g of fibre in every 100 g, according to the USDA FoodData Central database. That’s why a bowl of this curry keeps you going.
Mango chickpea curry: quick questions answered
How many does it serve?
4 people.
How long does it take?
About 30 minutes from start to finish, using chickpeas you’ve already cooked.
Can I use tinned chickpeas?
Dried chickpeas you cook yourself are by far the tastiest.
How long does it keep?
A couple of days in the fridge, so leftovers are fine the next day. It would probably freeze well too.
What else can I add?
Green beans go well.
How do I make it milder or spicier?
Change the dash of chilli powder to suit your taste.
More Flametree chickpea and curry recipes
For another chickpea curry, try my eggplant chickpea curry with roasted red capsicum or my pumpkin curry with green beans and chickpeas. For a crunchy snack, try my spicy roasted chickpeas.
Do you have a vegan recipe or dish you’d like to share?
Please contact me with any dishes you’d like to share with me.
Obviously, I’m especially interested in any dish that is already a great Darwin vegan option.
Alternatively, it may be a potential vegan Darwin recipe that I could adapt, or be inspired by, as I did here.
Experience eating alternatives at a Flametree Yoga Retreat
By the way, there are several upcoming Flametree yoga retreats in Bali in 2027.
Contact us for details of our Darwin yoga retreat packages, or our yoga class packages in the orange lines below.
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Meanwhile, start or re-start yoga or meditation with one of the HALF price deals below, or check out the retreat deals.
Learning to eat mindfully, as a result of yoga and pranayama meditation, is a great way to start more of a vegetarian or vegan journey, or simply mindfully eat whatever you choose.
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Recipe by Chris Lalor, Flametree Yoga Studio, Darwin NT. General information only.
