Sri Lankan Coconut Chickpea Curry

A fragrant and creamy chickpea curry from Sri Lanka, simmered in coconut milk with traditional spices and fresh curry leaves, served alongside basmati rice and a refreshing cucumber relish.

• Prep: 15 min
• Cook: 30 min
• Total: 45 min
• Servings: 4.5
• Cuisine: Sri Lankan
• Difficulty: Medium
• Cost: $3.08/serving

Dietary

• Gluten-Free
• Dairy-Free
• Nut-Free
• Soy-Free
• Egg-Free
• Pescatarian
• Vegetarian
• Vegan
• High-Fiber
• Halal

Tags

• one-pot
• healthy
• comfort food
• spicy
• savory
• rich

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 yellow onion (medium, thinly sliced)
• 3 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 piece fresh ginger (1-inch piece, grated)
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 0.5 teaspoon curry powder
• 0.25 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 can diced tomatoes (undrained)
• 1 can full-fat coconut milk
• 2 can chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
• 0.5 cup vegetable broth
• 0.25 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
• 1.5 cup basmati rice (uncooked)
• 3 cup water
• 1 cucumber (large, diced)
• 0.25 red onion (very thinly sliced)
• 1 tablespoon lime juice

Instructions

1. Rinse the basmati rice thoroughly. Combine rice and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 18-20 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is tender. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
2. While rice cooks, prepare the relish: In a small bowl, combine diced cucumber, very thinly sliced red onion, and lime juice. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Stir well and set aside.
3. Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add thinly sliced yellow onion and cook for 5-7 minutes until softened. Stir in minced garlic and grated fresh ginger and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Add ground turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, curry powder, and cayenne pepper (if using). Cook, stirring, for 1 minute until aromatic.
5. Stir in diced tomatoes, full-fat coconut milk, rinsed and drained chickpeas, and vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, allowing flavors to meld.
6. Stir in chopped fresh cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper as needed.
7. Fluff basmati rice with a fork. Serve the Sri Lankan Coconut Chickpea Curry over basmati rice, accompanied by the fresh cucumber relish.

Notes

Toasting whole spices before grinding can deepen the flavor of the curry significantly. The relish provides a refreshing contrast to the rich curry.

Nutrition (per serving)

• Calories: 560
• Protein: 19.8 g
• Carbohydrates: 74.5 g
• Fat: 23.2 g
• Fiber: 10.5 g
• Sodium: 780 mg
• Saturated Fat: 16.5 g
• Sugar: 6.8 g