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Vegan Carrot and Chickpea Curry

Vegan carrot curry, a big-flavoured spicy treat, that combines sweet carrots and earthy chickpeas in an Indian-inspired coconut milk sauce.

This simple vegan curry takes around 10 minutes to prepare and cooks in around 45-50 minutes and it tastes superb!

Indian carrot and chickpeas curry in a thick coconut milk sauce served with rice.

Indian Inspired Vegan Vegetable Curry

I love me a good curry, my site is absolutely packed with everything from the ubiquitous chicken tikka masala to lesser-known gems like Malai kofta.

This glorious chickpea and carrot curry joins an ever-growing list of vegan curries and I love it.

I’ve got everything from well-known examples like aloo gobi and saag aloo to completely made-up recipes like my spinach and mushroom curry.

This dish dates back to our time growing food in rural Hungary and was born of a glut of carrots.

They are superb in this dish and they are the real star, they are seared in oil to turn up their natural sweetness to 11.

Then they are joined by onions garlic, ginger and a host of Indian spices before being simmered in tomatoes and coconut milk with a tin of chickpeas.

It is a gloriously simple dish to make, it’s wonderfully frugal and it tastes “bostin”.

If you are on the hunt for more chickpea-based curries check out my Indian chole chickpea curry, a chana aloo, lentil and chickpea curry and chickpea and sweet potato curry.

Overhead close-up carrot and chickpeas curry in a thick coconut milk sauce served with coriander rice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use dried chickpeas?

Yes, but they will need to be cooked in advance because there is not enough liquid in this recipe to cook dried chickpeas.

Adding more liquid and cooking the chickpeas will also result in mushy carrots.

You can soak chickpeas overnight and boil them until tender. You can also cook chickpeas without soaking them in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker.

Can I use low-fat or no-fat coconut milk?

I am not a huge fan of low-fat coconut milk, as far as I am concerned it loses so many of the qualities of its full-fat cousin.

However it will work in this recipe, so if you feel the need to cut the fat then go ahead. But this dish will be a little more “watery” in texture and have a less creamy texture.

Can I scale this recipe up?

Yes, I developed this recipe to deal with a HUGE glut of carrots many years ago and I would make hige pots of it.

I scaled everything linearly, including the spices, just take care to add salt to taste.

If you are going really big you will need to sear the carrots in batches.

Can I make this in advance?

Yes, but it will thicken up even more when cooled and reheated. As a result, you will need to add a little more liquid when you reheat it.

Water would work well, although I usually use some vegetable stock.

Overhead Indian carrot and chickpeas curry in a thick coconut milk sauce served with coriander rice.

Serving Suggestions

I like to serve this carrot and chickpea curry with rice, here I’ve used a simple coriander rice. It has Mexican influences, but it sits alongside this dish perfectly, let’s face it carrot and coriander is a match made in heaven.

But you could just as easily add a pilau rice and keep the vibe much more “Indian”.

This dish is very much Indian in influence and curries just don’t feel right without some form of flatbread.

I’ve served it in these pictures with a tandoori-style naan bread, but chapatis would arguably work better with the thick spicy sauce.

A nice dollop of mango chutney would also complement the sweetness of the carrots. Alternatively, some kachumber salad would add a touch of freshness to this hearty dish.

Close-up Indian carrot and chickpeas curry in a thick coconut milk sauce.

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But, if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

  • Stovetop.
  • 28cm or 11″ frying pan with a lid.
  • Stirring and serving spoons.
  • Chopping board.
  • Kitchen knife.
  • Grater.
  • Weighing scales and or measuring cups and spoons.
Indian inspired vegan carrot and chickpea curry served with coriander rice.
Yield: 2 Servings

Carrot Curry Recipe with Chickpeas

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Indian food is well known for vegan and vegetarian fodder and this chickpea and carrot curry is super simple and is packed with big flavours!

Ingredients

  • 300g (1¾-2 Cups) Carrots
  • 1 Small-Medium (100g or ⅔ Cup) Onion
  • 4 Cloves Garlic
  • 30g (Thumb Sized Piece) Ginger
  • 400g (14oz) Tin Chickpeas
  • 225g (8oz) Tinned Chopped Tomatoes
  • 200ml (¾ Cup + 2 Tbsp) Tin Coconut Milk
  • 1 Tbsp Cooking Oil
  • 1 Tsp Kashmiri Chilli Powder
  • 1 Tsp Ground Coriander
  • ½ Tsp Ground Turmeric
  • ½ Tsp Ground Cumin
  • ¼ Tsp Ground Black Pepper
  • ⅛ Tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • ½ Tbsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves
  • ½-¾ Tsp Salt

Instructions

  1. Top and tail, then peel the onions and cut them into 2½cm (1") chunks.
  2. Cut the onion in half, then peel it and cut it into a 3-4mm (⅛") dice.
  3. Peel the garlic cloves and mash them into a paste with the side of a knife.
  4. Peel and grate the ginger.
  5. Drain the chickpeas and give them a rinse.
  6. Heat a 28cm or 11" frying pan over a high heat and when it's hot add the cooking oil.
  7. Fry the carrots in this oil for 7-10 minutes, you want them to get a little bit of colour.
  8. Add the onions, reduce the heat to medium and fry them for 5 minutes until translucent.
  9. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 60 seconds.
  10. Sprinkle over the Kashmiri chilli powder, coriander, turmeric, cumin, black pepper and cinnamon, stir and cook for 30 seconds.
  11. Pour in the tinned tomatoes, coconut milk, and add the chickpeas, stir to combine, then have a taste and add salt. Add a lid, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes.
  12. Remove the lid and crush in the fenugreek leaves, stir and cook for another 5-10 minutes to thicken up the sauce, then serve.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 558Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 611mgCarbohydrates: 69gFiber: 21gSugar: 17gProtein: 18g

Did you make this recipe?

If you made this recipe, I'd love to see what you did and what I can do better, share a picture with me on Instagram and tag me @krumplibrian and tell me how it went!

Sarah

Saturday 26th of August 2023

Rabbit? No thank you. Factory farmed no doubt... Like other thinking beings, we don't need to eat them.

There are plenty of other good options now. Your vegan curries are great btw.

Brian Jones

Saturday 26th of August 2023

I often wonder what people want to achieve when they post comments like this... I'm not vegan or vegetarian and I am perfectly content to eat meat, I come from a family of butchers and have raised meat for the table and as a result, I am fully aware of what is behind the protein on my table.

I create lots of vegetarian and vegan recipes for no other reason than they taste great.

If you wish to promote not eating meat may I suggest that you spend less time writing ridiculous messages to strangers on the internet and invest your time creating recipes that make people want to eat meat free... because whatever your motivation for this comments was, it will not reduce the amount of meat I consume or change the type of recipes that I publish!

Lindsay

Wednesday 5th of January 2022

Loved this recipe! It was so flavorful.

I didn't have ginger so I used nutmeg and instead of Dried Fenugreek Leaves I used mustard powder.

I doubled the recipe and i'm so happy to have leftovers for the week.

Brian Jones

Friday 14th of January 2022

Interesting substitutions, but that's what recipes are for, a launch pad to make your own dinner :) So glad you liked it!

Zal

Wednesday 1st of December 2021

This is an awesome recipe! I'm from one of the southern states of India , who came across this recipe accidentally. Our regional chickpea curry recipe is quite different ,( Variations may occur at every 20km average) some key ingredients are missing while some unthinkable ingredients are added. Plantain, tapioca, pappaya, beetroot,Chinese potato, are some of the vegetables added ...either alone or a mixture . Plantain + chickpea is my fav combination.

But this recipe was an adventurous experience. Thankyou!

Brian Jones

Monday 6th of December 2021

Hi Zal...

Glad you enjoyed it, my approach to recipes is that you get my food, obviously, there are global influences but I actively try not to replicate the food of others. As a result, you end up with a pretty eclectic group of ingredients and some combinations that culturally are less common, but no less delicious :)

Brian

Amy

Monday 15th of November 2021

This is delicious!! I upped the garlic and didn't have fenugreek. A huge hit, even with my picky 8 yr old. We devoured a doubled recipe in one sitting. Thanks!

Brian Jones

Monday 15th of November 2021

Glad you enjoyed it, it is a real favourite in our house, my wife cooks it all of the time :)

Amie Freed

Friday 10th of July 2020

What a beautiful, delicious recipe! My boyfriend is from India and he loved it! I doubled the recipe to use a whole can of tomatoes, coconut milk, and chickpeas. Lots of yummy leftovers! I used rainbow carrots, which were really lovely, but the turmeric stains everything so I'll use orange carrots next time. Thanks for my new favorite recipe!

Brian Jones

Wednesday 15th of July 2020

Great to hear from you Amie... So glad you like the recipe, this wee unassuming curry has become very popular here on my site and in our house in a relatively short period of time! Stoked that you both like it!

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