Butter chickpea curry
Goodbye butter chicken, hello butter chickpea curry.
Every so often, it’s fun to give a classic a bit of a glow-up – and this one is truly a winner. Creamy, comforting, and packed full of flavour, this veggie twist on a takeaway fave is here to show you that you absolutely won’t miss the meat. Honestly, I’d put money on this becoming one of your go-to weeknight dinners.
Get those cupboards open.
What’s brilliant about this butter chickpea curry is that it makes the most of what you’ve already got hiding at the back of your kitchen cupboards. We’re talking tinned chickpeas and a solid handful of spices – maybe even that garam masala you bought once and forgot existed. This one is a proper pantry-powered dish.
If you’re worried about spice, don’t panic – it’s super easy to tailor. This recipe is warming and rich rather than blow-your-head-off hot. But if you’re spice-sensitive (we see you, korma lovers), just scale back the chilli and dial up the creamy stuff – whether that’s cream, yoghurt or bit of coconut milk. It’s all about balance.
Not confident making curry from scratch? Don’t stress. This recipe is super straightforward and designed for flavour, not faff. You don’t need any fancy ingredients or hours of marinating – just a big pan, a spoon, and a love of food that gives you a hug in every bite.
As a proud Brummie gal, I grew up surrounded by top-tier curries, and let me tell you, I wouldn’t dare serve up something underwhelming. This recipe delivers big on flavour, texture and soul. It’s comforting enough for a night on the sofa, but tasty enough to serve up when you’re hosting. Grab a naan, maybe a few poppadoms, and let the chickpeas do the talking.
Meat-free, fuss-free and 10/10 delicious. What’s not to love?
For more veggie main meals, check out the recipes below:
Roasted cauliflower steaks with lemon and chilli lentils
Butter chickpea curry
By Poppy Cooks
https://www.poppycooks.com/recipes/butter-chickpea-curry/
Ingredients
- 1 brown onion, peeled and chopped
- 75g salted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- Thumb sized knob of ginger, peeled and chopped
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 250ml hot water
- 1 tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 300ml single cream
- 2 tsp garam masala
- Salt, ground white pepper and a pinch of white sugar
- To serve: fresh coriander, parathas or naan and an extra swirl of cream
Metric
Imperial
Instructions
- Preheat a large high sided frying/saute pan over a medium high heat. Add in the butter and leave to melt, then tip in the chopped onions. Cook for 5-7 minutes until soft but not coloured, then drop in the garlic and ginger. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Sprinkle in all of the herbs and spices (aside from the garam masala - keep that back for later) along with the tomato puree. Season well with salt and white pepper, then cook out until the tomato puree darkens. Tip all of this mixture into a small high powered blender and add in half of the water.
- Blitz the onion mix to a paste, as smooth as possible. Pour this back into the now empty pan and bring to a bubble, then pour in the remaining water and the cream. Tip in the chickpeas and garam masala, then season well with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar if needed to balance the flavours. Bubble away for 15-20 minutes until thickened and saucy.
- Serve up in bowls with your choice of sides - I like a flaky paratha, a swirl more cream and some fresh herbs!
Notes & Tips
- If you want to get really fancy, you can make some suer simple flatbreads to go alongside your buttery chickpea curry! Just mix together 200g Greek yoghurt and 200g plain flour, with 1 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt and pepper. Chuck in some black onion seeds to give more of a naan vibe, then roll out into rough thin flatbread shapes and fry in a pan with a little butter for a few minutes on either side until golden brown.