Chickpea Curry With Lentils, Sweet Potato & Quinoa (Vegan)

Vegan Chickpea And Lentil Curry With Sweet Potato And Quinoa

A Filling, Budget Friendly Vegan Curry With Coconut Milk And Warm Spices.

Ready In About 20 Minutes Once The Vegetables Are Chopped.

 

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Short answer: chickpea curry is a medium heat vegan curry of chickpeas, lentils and vegetables in coconut milk, served on quinoa. This one is ready in about 20 minutes once the vegetables are chopped.

Introduction to chickpea curry with lentils

Chickpea and lentil curry is a medium heat vegan curry of canned chickpeas and lentils, sweet potato, pumpkin, tomatoes, mushrooms and spinach, simmered in coconut milk with warm spices and served on quinoa. Once the vegetables are chopped, it’s ready in about 20 minutes. It made lunch for two of us, with plenty left over for another meal. The cans of cooked beans from the supermarket are cheap protein, even the organic ones I prefer when I can get them. With the spices, this curry is filling, healthy and delicious. I don’t get hungry after it, because there’s plenty of protein. I first made this for lunch after teaching the morning yoga classes. Trying new food mixes like this is a habit I picked up at Flametree Bali yoga retreats, where I learnt new recipes and eating styles, including at the free cooking class. I’d put some of those food mixes off for a lifetime, and I feel better for trying them. So, despite the sometimes unkind comments about lentils, I’m proud to be a lentil lover! (Although I do think black beans are the best of the whole bean family.) If you have any comments or questions, please contact us. Or chat with me at a Flametree yoga or meditation class via these timetables.

Chickpea and lentil curry, ready to eat

Ingredients for chickpea and lentil curry

Here are the ingredients for this Flametree Yoga Studio dish.

The spices

• One white or brown onion
• 1 to 2 cloves of garlic
• About a tablespoon of grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons of coriander powder
• A teaspoon of garam masala
• A teaspoon of smoked paprika
• One teaspoon of turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoons of ground cumin

The curry and the quinoa

• One can of cooked lentils
• One can of cooked chickpeas
• A full can of coconut milk, ideally organic
• 2 to 3 cups of water
• Pepper, to your taste
• A couple of tablespoons of olive oil, for sautéing
• Half a packet of washed baby spinach, or the equivalent
• A medium orange sweet potato, finely cubed
• A cup of finely chopped pumpkin
• 4 medium tomatoes, chopped, or a can of tomatoes
• 4 medium to large mushrooms
• 1 cup of uncooked quinoa
• Parsley, to garnish

You’ll find all the spices at your local supermarket.

The spices, ready to go

The vegetables, chopped and ready

How to make chickpea and lentil curry

Use these steps to make this vegan lentil curry with quinoa.

Step 1: Cook the quinoa

• Start with the quinoa. Cook it just as you would white rice.
• Put it in a saucepan and cover it with water to the depth of a finger laid across the top of the quinoa.
• Bring it to the boil, then turn it down to a very low simmer.
• It takes around 15 minutes. It’s done when it fluffs up and dries out, so it’s not wet and watery.

Step 2: Soften the onion, garlic and ginger

• Chop the onion and garlic quite finely.
• Heat the oil in a pan, then add the onion, garlic and ginger.
• Sauté, and watch that it doesn’t burn.

Step 3: Add the spices and vegetables

• Add the other spices and stir well.
• Stir in the vegetables, except the spinach, and cook them briefly with the spices.

Step 4: Simmer in coconut milk

• Add the coconut milk and let it simmer until all the vegetables are cooked.
• You may need to add water to get a good consistency.

Step 5: Add the chickpeas and lentils

• Drain the lentils and chickpeas, and rinse them under running water.
• Stir them in, and simmer on low heat for 5 to 7 minutes.

Step 6: Add the spinach and serve

• Add the spinach and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add pepper to taste and garnish with parsley.
• Serve with the quinoa.

The quinoa, cooked and fluffy

Is chickpea and lentil curry vegan and gluten free?

It’s vegan. Everything in it comes from plants, and the creaminess comes from coconut milk rather than cream. The ingredients are naturally gluten free too. But spice blends like garam masala, and some canned goods, can vary, so check the labels if you need to avoid gluten.

Is quinoa or rice better with lentil curry?

Both work well, so use whichever you like. I like quinoa because it’s relatively higher in protein than white rice, it has other advantages, and it’s tasty. Cook quinoa just as you would white rice. It’s ready in around 15 minutes, which is about the time the curry takes.

Lunch for two, on my back verandah

What makes this chickpea curry so filling?

This chickpea curry gets its protein from two cans of cooked beans: chickpeas and lentils. Canned beans are cheap and quick, and I like the organic ones when I can get them. Sweet potato, pumpkin, tomatoes, mushrooms and spinach add bulk and colour, and the coconut milk makes it creamy without cream. The spices do the flavour work: ginger, garlic, coriander, garam masala, smoked paprika, turmeric and cumin. You’ll find them all at your local supermarket. I don’t get hungry after a bowl, because there’s plenty of protein in it. Serve it on quinoa, which takes around 15 minutes, about the same time as the curry, so everything is ready together. As written, it’s a medium heat chickpea curry. If you like it hotter, add some chilli. It made lunch for two of us with plenty left for another meal, and what’s left over keeps covered in the fridge.

Chickpea and lentil curry: quick questions answered

How long does chickpea and lentil curry take to make?

Once the vegetables are chopped, it’s ready in about 20 minutes. Start the quinoa first, as it takes around 15 minutes.

How many people does this curry serve?

It made lunch for two of us, with plenty left over for another meal later.

Can I make this lentil curry hotter?

Yes. As written, it’s a medium heat curry. If you like it hotter, add some chilli.

Can I keep the leftovers?

Yes. What’s left over stores easily. Keep it covered in the fridge.

Can I use canned chickpeas for this chickpea curry?

Yes. This recipe uses one can of cooked chickpeas and one can of cooked lentils. Drain and rinse them under running water, then stir them in and simmer on low heat for 5 to 7 minutes.

What do you serve with chickpea curry?

I serve it on quinoa, which takes around 15 minutes to cook. Rice works too. Both are good, so use whichever you like.

Is this chickpea curry filling?

Yes. The chickpeas and lentils give it plenty of protein, so I don’t get hungry after it. It made lunch for two of us, with plenty left for another meal.

More Flametree curry and lentil recipes

Love a good curry? Try my black bean curry (black beans really are my favourite), my roasted eggplant and red capsicum chickpea curry, or my vegetable dahl with green lentils.

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, Flametree runs yoga retreats in Bali. See our upcoming retreats in Bali. 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.