Vegan parsnip and chickpea curry that features a big punch of chilli and classic Indian spices, which are tempered by silky coconut milk.
This dish is wonderfully simple to make, and it will go from your store cupboard to your table in around 45 minutes.
Indian-Influenced Parsnips with Chickpeas
I have over 100 curry recipes on my website, many of them Indian in influence, and I never tire of or cease to find inspiration for new curry recipes.
I have all of the obvious recipes like chicken tikka masala and chole to more eclectic dishes like pheasant curry and a duck and tamarind curry.
My latest offering is a wonderful parsnip and chickpea curry in a coconut milk sauce.
Just like the dish that inspired this recipe, my carrot curry, this dish is vegan, and it tastes fantastic.
The sweet, earthy flavour of the parsnips plays really well with the hot and sour tones that also appear in this dish.
Chickpeas offer protein, fibre and most importantly, a sweet, almost nutty flavour, which complements the parsnip beautifully.
It's easy and fairly quick too, it will go from your store cupboard to your table in around 45 minutes!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use low-fat coconut milk?
I never recommend using low-fat coconut milk; it is nothing more than diluted full-fat coconut milk. As a result, you lose a boatload of flavour.
However, if low fat is important to you, then it will work in this recipe.
Is this very spicy?
This is a question that is impossible to answer; we all have different tolerances to capsaicin.
I consider this dish to be fairly hot; if you are worried, omit the green chilli peppers or use less of them. They mainly exist in this recipe to provide heat.
I would not reduce the Kashmiri chilli powder, which gives colour and flavour as well as heat.
Can I make this in advance?
This recipe does not reheat as a curry particularly well, the moisture levels change dramatically during the cooling and heating phase, and it dries out a lot. You can add water, but that dilutes the flavours.
However, you can scale this up and use the leftovers in a sandwich or in a wrap with a little mint raita, it is delicious!
Serving Suggestions
I've served my parsnip and chickpea curry with some plain rice, tandoori naan bread and loads of fresh coriander in these pictures.
If you don't want to buy or make naan, but want some homemade flatbread, give my chapati recipe a try, it is quick, easy and delicious.
If you wanted to put a little more effort into the rice, then some pilau rice would work really well too.
A nice alternative side for this curry that can replace either the rice or the bread is some green bean poriyal.
Equipment Used
I only mention specific 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.
- Hob/Stovetop.
- 30cm or 12" frying pan.
- Kitchen tongs, spatula and stirring spoons.
- Chopping board.
- Kitchen knife.
- Vegetable peeler.
- A combination of weighing scales, measuring cups and spoons.
Indian-Influenced Chickpea and Parsnip Curry
Ingredients
- 3 Small Parsnips 300-350g Total
- 1 Small-Medium Onion 100g
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 30 g Ginger 1 Thumb-Sized Piece
- 2 Green Finger Chillies
- 1 Medium Tomato 125g
- 400 g Tin Chickpeas 14oz Tin
- 2 tablespoon Cooking Oil
- 125 ml Water ½ Cup
- 200 ml Tin Coconut Milk 1 Cup less 2 Tablespoons
- ½ tablespoon Dried Fenugreek Leaves
For the Spice Mix:
- 1 tablespoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground Coriander
- ½ teaspoon Ground Turmeric
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Ground Amchoor
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ½-¾ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Peel the parsnips, then cut off the root end, tidy up the pointed end, and then cut them in half vertically, or quarter them if you are using large parsnips.
- Cut the onion in half, then peel it and cut it into a 3-4mm (⅛") dice.
- Peel the garlic cloves and mash them into a paste with the side of a knife; adding a pinch of salt helps here.
- Peel and grate the ginger.
- Make a vertical cut in the green chilli peppers, keeping the stem whole so that they do not fall apart.
- Cut the tomato into 8 wedges.
- Drain the chickpeas and give them a rinse.
- Mix together all of the ingredients for the spice mix.
- Heat a 30cm or 12" frying pan over a high heat and when it's hot, add the cooking oil, followed by the parsnip (cut side down). Fry the parsnips in this oil for 7-10 minutes; you want them to get a little bit of colour, particularly on the cut side
- Add the onions and green chillies, reduce the heat to medium, and fry for 5 minutes until the onions start to become translucent.
- Add the tomatoes, garlic and ginger and cook for 60 seconds.
- Throw in the chickpeas and sprinkle over the spice mix, stir and cook for 30 seconds. Start with half of a teaspoon of salt and add more later if required.
- Pour in the water and the coconut milk and give everything a stir to combine, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add a lid and cook for 15-20 minutes (or until the parsnips are tender).
- Crush the dried fenugreek leaves into the curry and stir, and serve with your favourite sides.
