Budget Chickpea and Spinach Curry
Two cans and a bag of spinach. Dinner in 30 minutes for under $5.
When you're tired and the fridge looks bare, this is the recipe to reach for. It's built almost entirely from pantry staples — canned chickpeas, canned tomatoes, dried spices — with a handful of spinach stirred in at the end. The result is a thick, deeply spiced curry that tastes like you put in way more effort than you did. Expect something genuinely cozy and filling. It reheats beautifully, so leftovers actually feel like a gift to future-you. Serve it over rice or with whatever bread you have around.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil or olive oil
- 1 unit yellow onion — diced
- 4 unit garlic cloves — minced, or 1 tsp garlic powder in a pinch
- 1 tsp fresh ginger — grated, or 0.5 tsp ground ginger
- 1.5 tsp ground cumin
- 1.5 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper — adjust to taste
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 pinch salt — plus more to taste
- 15 oz canned diced tomatoes — one standard can, undrained
- 30 oz canned chickpeas — two standard cans, drained and rinsed
- 0.5 cup water or vegetable broth
- 3 cup fresh baby spinach — or one 10 oz box frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
- 1 tbsp lemon juice — from about half a lemon
Method
- 1 Heat the oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5–6 minutes until softened and starting to turn golden.
- 2 Add the garlic and ginger. Stir and cook for 1 minute until fragrant — don't let it burn.
- 3 Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, and a pinch of salt. Stir constantly for 30–60 seconds to toast the spices in the oil. The pan should smell incredible.
- 4 Pour in the canned tomatoes with their juices. Stir everything together and let it simmer for 3–4 minutes, breaking up any large tomato chunks with your spoon.
- 5 Add the drained chickpeas and the water or broth. Stir to combine, then bring to a gentle simmer.
- 6 Reduce heat to medium-low and cook uncovered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and coats the chickpeas.
- 7 Stir in the spinach in batches. Fresh spinach will wilt in about 1–2 minutes. If using frozen, stir it in and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
- 8 Stir in the garam masala and lemon juice. Taste and adjust salt or cayenne. Serve over rice or with flatbread.
Variations
- Add a Protein Boost — Stir in a diced cooked chicken breast or 4 oz of crumbled firm tofu along with the chickpeas to make it heartier without adding much cost.
- Faster Version (Under 20 Minutes) — Skip dicing a fresh onion — use 1 tsp onion powder instead. Use garlic powder in place of fresh garlic. The sauce won't be quite as rich but you'll be eating in under 20 minutes.
- No Spinach? — Swap in frozen peas (stir in at the end, no thawing needed), canned green beans, or chopped kale — just cook the kale a couple of extra minutes until tender.
Notes
This curry tastes even better the next day as the spices deepen. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, add a splash of water and warm on the stovetop or microwave. For a creamier version, stir in 2–3 tbsp of coconut milk or plain yogurt at the end.
Equipment that helps
- Large skillet or saucepan — A wide pan gives the sauce room to reduce and thicken faster than a small pot would.
More like this
