Chickpea curry is also known as kadala curry in Sinhalese.
A vegetarian and vegan Sri Lankan chickpea curry full of wholesome flavours to pair with rice, roti, naans and parathas.
The coconut chickpea curry is a one-pot dish with fragrant curry powder a creamy coconut gravy that soaks up all the seasonings.
If you are looking to replace your favourite Sri Lankan dhal curry then a simple yet delicious chickpea curry recipe would do it.
![thick chickpea curry cooked in coconut milk with curry leaves and spices.](https://www.islandsmile.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/IMG_5468-2-791x1024.jpg)
Serving ideas for chickpea coconut curry
- Serve with various rice dishes.
- Serve with flatbreads, naans, roti etc.
- Other vegetarian side dishes to pair with chickpea curry.
- Easy eggplant stir fry
- okra stir-fry(ladies finger, Bandakka theldala, Sri Lankan).
- spicy green beans stir fry(bonchi thel dala).
- Sri Lankan spicy ash plantain(green banana)curry
- Sri Lankan wambatu moju(eggplant/brinjal pickle).
- Bitter gourd fry(Sri Lankan karawila sambol)
- gotu kola(pennywort salad)sambol.
- Meat, poultry, and seafood to pair with chickpea curry.
![thick chickpea coconut curry](https://www.islandsmile.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Sri-lankan-chickpea-curry.jpg)
Tips to Sri Lankan chickpea coconut curry
- To make the chickpea curry, you can use either the canned version or the raw chickpeas.
- If you are using raw chickpeas, they need to be soaked overnight or for 7-8 hours.
- Then they need to be washed, drained and pressure-cooked to soften them up.
- Once you’ve done the above, you can follow the instructions to cook curried chickpeas given below.
- No need to boil if you are using canned chickpeas.
- How to adapt the chickpea curry recipe to suit you.
- If you need to spice up the coconut chickpea curry, add some green chillies or increase the amount of red chilli powder.
- If you need the chickpea curry to be thick then simmer over a low fire until the coconut milk is completely reduced.
- You can also do the tempering with whole red chillies, garlic, onions and mustard seeds and pour it over the chickpea curry.
- While the chickpea is cooking, mash it up a little with the back of your spoon. this turns the curry thicker. perfect to eat with roti, chapati, naans.
![spoon with some thick chickpea curry](https://www.islandsmile.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/IMG_5463-2-791x1024.jpg)
FAQ: chickpea curry(kadala curry)recipe
- Can I include chickpeas into my diet if I’m following a low-carb diet?
You would think chickpeas would be a great substitute for your meals to reduce your carb intake.
Well, I found out, it’s not. especially if your portion of chickpea is large.
So if you have chickpeas in your meals, I would suggest keeping your intake of it to a cup or half a cup.
![creamy coconut milk chickpea curry served in a black bowl](https://www.islandsmile.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/IMG_5449-2-791x1024.jpg)
Utensils and appliances needed
- Chopping board/knife.
- A large bowl or deep pan with a lid to soak the chickpeas overnight.
- Pressure cooker if you are boiling the chickpeas in this.
- Large pot if you are boiling the chickpeas this way.
- Medium to large skillet or cooking pan to cook the chickpea curry.
More chickpea recipes
chickpea and potato curry(chana aloo curry).
chickpeas, pumpkin and mushroom curry(vegan, vegetarian).
Tempered breakfast chickpeas(Sri Lankan).
RECIPE DIFFICULTY-EASY
Ingredients to cook vegan chickpea curry.
The ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.
3-4 tablespoons of oil
A sprig of curry leaves(substitute with a bay leaf)
4 cloves of garlic minced
1″to 2″ piece cinnamon
1 medium-sized onion sliced fine
3-4 green chillies split(optional)
1 medium-sized tomato chopped
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
2 teaspoons of curry powder(add 1/2 a teaspoon more for an intense curry flavour)
1/2 teaspoon of red chilli powder
1 and 1/2 a cup of chickpeas(soaked overnight and boiled, substitute with canned chickpeas and
Salt to season
1 cup of thick coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon of roasted curry powder(optional)
How to make Sri Lankan chickpea coconut curry
If you are using canned chickpeas, follow the instructions under the title, “Cooking chickpea curry”.
How to soak raw chickpeas overnight
Place the raw chickpeas into a pot and completely submerge them in water(4-5 cups)and soak them overnight.
Once they’ve soaked overnight(7-8 hours), remove any floating ones, and drain water.
Rinse again, drain and set aside.
How to pressure cook the chickpeas
The next stage is to boil the chickpeas which will soften them further.
Here are a couple of ways to boil the chickpeas.
- Using a pressure cooker cuts down the cooking time to a few whistles or 15-20 minutes if you are using an electric pressure cooker.
- Stovetop Indian pressure cooker(whistling).
- Add just enough water to cover the chickpeas, season with salt and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles.
- Stovetop Indian pressure cooker(whistling).
- Other pressure cookers(electric).
- Add the soaked chickpeas into the pressure cooker, and pour just enough water to cover the chickpeas.
- Add salt and lock the lid in place, pressure cook over medium heat until the whistle blows twice.
- Add the soaked chickpeas into the pressure cooker, and pour just enough water to cover the chickpeas.
- Boil the chickpeas over a stovetop.
- If you are using a regular stovetop and a pan to cook the chickpeas, add the chickpeas to a large pot, and pour in water to submerge the chickpeas.
- season with salt and cook over medium heat for 45 minutes or until the chickpea turns soft.
Cooking the chickpea curry
Once the chickpeas have been boiled, drain water and set aside.
Place a separate cooking pan over medium heat and pour in the oil.
Add the curry leaves(substitute with a bay leaf), chopped onion, garlic, cinnamon, and chopped tomatoes.
Sauté for a few minutes until the onions turn golden.
Add in the green chillies(optional), turmeric, curry powder, and red chilli powder.
Continue sautéing for a few seconds over a reduced fire.
The result would be a rough curry paste.
![tempering onions, garlic, curry leaves, tomatoes with oil](https://www.islandsmile.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/IMG_5421-2-791x1024.jpg)
Continue cooking for a few seconds and then add the chickpeas.
Cook over low-medium heat for 3-5 minutes.
![cooking the chickoeas with onions, curry leaves and spices in oil](https://www.islandsmile.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/IMG_5428-2-791x1024.jpg)
Pour in the coconut milk, and stir with a spoon, collecting all the spices stuck on the sides.
![adding coconut milk to the tempered chickpeas.](https://www.islandsmile.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IMG_5431-2-791x1024-2.jpg)
Reduce heat and slow simmer the curried chickpeas with coconut milk.
As the curry cooks, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of regular curry powder or dark roasted curry powder to intensify the flavour.
Cook until the chickpea curry thickens and changes colour.
![creamy chickpea curry cooked in coconut milk and spices.](https://www.islandsmile.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IMG_5432-2-791x1024-1.jpg)
Serve warm with any of the Sri Lankan meal plans on the blog or side dishes mentioned above.
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![chickpea curry made with coconut milk.](https://www.islandsmile.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/IMG_5454-2-scaled-720x720.jpg)
Sri Lankan chickpea curry(kadala curry).
Chickpea curry is also known as kadala curry in Sinhalese.
A vegetarian and vegan chickpea curry full of wholesome flavours to pair with rice, roti, naans and parathas.
The coconut chickpea curry is a one-pot dish with fragrant curry powder with a creamy coconut gravy that soaks up all the seasonings.
Ingredients
- 3-4 tablespoons of oil
- A sprig of curry leaves(substitute with a bay leaf)
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 1″-2″ piece cinnamon
- 1 medium-sized onion sliced fine
- 3-4 green chillies split(optional)
- 1 medium-sized tomato chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoon of curry powder(add 1/2 a teaspoon more for an intense curry flavour)
- 1/2 teaspoon of red chilli powder
- 1 and 1/2 a cup of chickpeas(soaked overnight and boiled, substitute with canned chickpeas)
- Salt to season
- 1 cup of thick coconut milk
- 1/2 teaspoon of roasted curry powder(optional)
Instructions
- If you are using canned chickpeas, follow the instructions under the title, “cooking chickpea curry”.
How to soak raw chickpeas overnight.
- Place the raw chickpeas into a pot and completely submerge them in water(4-5 cups)and soak them overnight.
- Once they’ve soaked overnight(7-8 hours), remove any floating ones, and drain water.
- Rinse again, drain and set aside.
How to pressure cook the chickpeas.
- The next stage is to boil the chickpeas which will soften them further.
- Here are a couple of ways to boil the chickpeas.
- Using a pressure cooker cuts down the cooking time to a few whistles or 15-20 minutes if you are using an electric pressure cooker.
- Stovetop Indian pressure cooker(whistling).
- Add just enough water to cover the chickpeas, season with salt and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles.
- Other pressure cookers(electric).
- Add the soaked chickpeas into the pressure cooker, and pour just enough water to cover the chickpeas.
- Add salt and lock the lid in place, pressure cook over medium heat until the whistle blows twice.
- Boil the chickpeas over a stovetop.
- If you are using a regular stovetop and a pan to cook the chickpeas, add the chickpeas to a large pot, and pour in water to submerge the chickpeas.
- season with salt and cook over medium heat for 45 minutes or until the chickpea turns soft.
Cooking the chickpea curry.
- Once the chickpeas have been boiled, drain water and set aside.
- Place a separate cooking pan over medium heat and pour in the oil.
- Add the curry leaves(substitute with a bay leaf), chopped onion, garlic, cinnamon, and chopped tomatoes.
- Sauté for a few minutes until the onions turn golden.
- Add in the green chillies(optional), turmeric, curry powder, red chilli powder.
- Continue sautéing for a few seconds over a reduced fire.
- The result would be a rough curry paste.
- Continue cooking for a few seconds and then add the chickpeas.
- Cook over low-medium heat for 3-5 minutes.
- Pour in the coconut milk, and stir with a spoon, collecting all the spices stuck on the sides.
- Reduce heat and slow simmer the curried chickpeas with coconut milk.
- As the curry cooks, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of regular curry powder or dark roasted curry powder to intensify the flavour.
- Cook until the chickpea curry thickens and changes colour.
- Serve warm with any of the Sri Lankan meal plans on the blog or side dishes mentioned above.
Recommended Products
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McCormick Curry Powder, 1 lb
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Organic Turmeric Powder - 1LB Jar - 100% Raw w/Curcumin From India - by Jiva Organics
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 301Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 173mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 5gSugar: 3gProtein: 4g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.
Each recipe on this blog has been written with great care and love to the best of my ability with you in mind.
It’s free and on the blog, for you to try anytime.
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Jenny
Monday 2nd of December 2019
Love it! Have made this several times now. I pressure cook my chickpeas in bulk then freeze them in portions, and this is what I use in this curry. I have also cooked larger batches of the curry and frozen it - this works well despite coconut milk not freezing well on its own.
jehan
Monday 16th of December 2019
Wonderful! Thank you for rating the recipe and tips on freezing the chickpeas. apologies for not replying sooner.