These easy and delicious Red Curry Chickpeas require just four ingredients and come together in about 15 minutes. Store-bought red curry paste is the magic ingredient here and packs so much flavor. Peanut butter and coconut milk create a creamy sauce, and the chickpeas add quick protein. Enjoy for lunch or dinner, with a side of rice.
With grocery prices continuing to rise, and no end in sight, I thought we could all use a cheap and easy recipe today. These Red Curry Chickpeas are made with just four main ingredients, but you would never know it with how much flavor this meal brings. The store-bought red curry paste packs a big punch, and the peanut butter and coconut milk round out this creamy sauce. Enjoy it with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and a side of rice and veggies.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Chickpea Recipe
- Few ingredients needed – Grocery prices are pretty high these days, which means the fewer ingredients required, the better. I love this recipe because it’s so simple and only requires four main ingredients. All of these ingredients also happen to be pantry staples, so you may already have them on hand.
- Easy to make – This recipe has just a few ingredients, is easy to make, and comes together in just about 15 minutes. The sauce cooks together in one pan, and then the chickpeas are simply mixed in at the end.
- Packed with flavor – Despite this recipe having only a few ingredients, it really packs a punch! The Thai red curry paste is store-bought, but includes red chili pepper, garlic, lemongrass, and makrut lime peel. The peanut butter adds a nutty flavor that really gives this sauce depth.
Why We Love Chickpeas
- Digestion – A high-fiber diet is imperative for good digestive health, and chickpeas contain 35 grams of fiber per cup of cooked beans. Beans have a mixture of soluble and insoluble fiber, which greatly benefits the digestive process. Soluble fiber absorbs water in the digestive tract, helping regulate the absorption of nutrients. It also binds to the bile in the digestive tract, carrying out toxins that would otherwise recirculate throughout the body. Insoluble fiber helps bulk up our stool, ensuring that things run smoothly.
- Blood Sugar Regulation – Chickpeas are high in fiber and protein, giving them a low glycemic index. This means they digest slowly and don’t cause blood sugar levels to spike or rise too quickly. This makes chickpeas a healthy choice for people with diabetes who need to control their blood sugar levels more.
- Heart Health – Legumes contain a significant amount of soluble fiber, which helps decrease cholesterol absorption in the bloodstream. Lowering the “bad” cholesterol in the body can significantly reduce the chances of a stroke or heart attack.
Four-Ingredient Red Curry Chickpea Recipe Ingredients
- Chickpeas – I use 2-3 cans of chickpeas for this recipe, depending on how saucy I want it. You can also use home-cooked chickpeas, or even white beans if you prefer.
- Coconut Milk – I like to use full-fat coconut milk for this recipe, but lite coconut milk also works. You want to ensure you get the canned coconut milk, usually found in the Asian section at the grocery store. You can substitute heavy cream for the coconut milk if you prefer.
- Red Curry Paste – I usually use the Thai Kitchen brand of red curry paste (pictured above) because it’s easily accessible and I enjoy the flavors. There are other brands of red curry paste, though, or you can make your own from scratch.
- Peanut Butter – I like to use smooth natural peanut butter for this recipe. It helps thicken the sauce and adds a nice nutty flavor to this dish. Any kind of nut butter can be used.
How To Make Vegan Coconut Red Curry Chickpeas
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil and the red curry paste. Mix well and let the curry paste cook for about 1 minute in the oil, stirring frequently.
- Next, add the coconut milk and peanut butter. Stir together and let cook until you have a creamy sauce and the coconut milk, peanut butter, and curry paste are well mixed together.
- Let the sauce simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened. Add in the drained chickpeas, mix everything, and let it cook another 3-4 minutes. The sauce will thicken up once you remove it from the heat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve red curry chickpeas over rice with some fresh cilantro and lime juice. Add extra veggies if you like. Enjoy!
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- This recipe is gluten-free.
- This recipe is vegan.
- You can make this recipe nut-free by substituting the peanut butter with sun-butter. Most people with a tree-nut allergy can tolerate coconut with no issues, but make sure to talk to your doctor if you have any questions. The coconut milk can be substituted with heavy cream if you prefer dairy.
- Can other ingredients be added to this recipe? Yes, although I wanted to use as few ingredients as possible, you can definitely add extra onion, garlic, veggies, or anything else you want.
- Is this recipe spicy? No, it has a bit of heat, but it’s definitely not spicy. If you want it to be spicy, you can add extra chili paste or something similar.
- How should these red curry chickpeas be served? I like to serve these flavorful chickpeas with white rice and veggies, but they can also be eaten on their own.
- Is this recipe freezer-friendly? Yes, I recommend allowing the chickpeas to cool completely before packing them in an airtight, freezer-friendly container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- How long do leftovers last? If stored in an airtight container, leftovers should last about 4-5 days.
Have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below, and I will get back to you ASAP!
Looking For More Easy Vegetarian Chickpea Recipes?
Chili Garlic Broccoli with Chickpeas
Curried Egg Salad with Chickpeas
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4 Ingredient Red Curry Chickpeas
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2-4 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These easy and delicious Red Curry Chickpeas only require 4 ingredients and come together in about 15 minutes! Store-bought red curry paste is the magic ingredient here, and it packs so much flavor. Peanut butter and coconut milk create a creamy sauce and the chickpeas add quick protein. Enjoy for lunch or dinner, with a side of rice.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 teaspoons olive oil, or oil of choice
- 1/3 cup Thai red curry paste
- 1 (13.5 oz) can full fat coconut milk, or lite if you wish
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter, natural is best
- 3 (15 oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (you can use just two cans if you prefer it to be saucier)
- For serving: rice, fresh cilantro and lime juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add in 2 teaspoons olive oil and the red curry paste. Mix together and let the curry paste cook for about 1 minute in the oil, stirring frequently.
- Next, add in the coconut milk and peanut butter. Stir together and let cook until you have a creamy sauce and the coconut milk, peanut butter and curry paste are all mixed together well.
- Let the sauce simmer for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened. Add in the drained chickpeas, mix everything together and let cook another 3-4 minutes. The sauce will thicken up once you remove it from the heat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve red curry chickpeas over rice with some fresh cilantro and lime juice. Add extra veggies if you like. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Dinner, Vegan
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Thai Inspired
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