Chickpea Curry with Spinach and Rice
Amazingly creamy, saucy chickpea curry served over rice with a dollop of chili crisp and a side of cucumber salad. Ready in 25 minutes!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar more to taste
- 1½ Tbsp red curry paste (Maesri or Thai Kitchen)
- 1 (14oz) can one full fat coconut milk
- 1½ Tbsp soy sauce
- one 14-ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 2 –3 cups fresh spinach chopped
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
- 1½ cups jasmine rice uncooked
- A dollop of chili crisp
optional (Store-bought, or home-made,)
Instructions
- Cook rice according to package directions.
- Heat the avocado oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and curry paste; sauté until softened and fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the brown sugar, coconut milk, and soy sauce. Bring to a low simmer until thickened slightly.
- Add chickpeas, spinach, and cilantro; cook until chickpeas are heated through and spinach is wilted. Mash the chickpeas ever so slightly with the back of a wooden spoon if you want to change up the texture and make it more creamy.
- Taste and adjust to your liking – we often add a squeeze of lime or some extra ginger or lemongrass, but it’s really not necessary. The flavor is totally there even with the most basic ingredient list. Serve over rice with a dollop of chili crisp, and a side of pickled cucumber salad if you want (and I promise you do want this – see notes). Top with more cilantro, if you want!
Notes
- For the pickled cucumber salad, thinly slice 3 small cucumbers and a small chunk of red onion on a mandoline. Toss sliced cucumbers and red onion with 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 2 tablespoons avocado oil, and ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon sugar. Let them hang out for 20-30 minutes (more if you have time) and just serve with the curry! So good. My kids love these, too!
- 1½ cups of rice will give you a bit more than you technically need – it’s 4 hearty portions or 6 regular portions. We always use this amount, though, because my girls often want to eat the rice plain, and I’d rather have a bit of extra rice instead of not enough rice!
- If your sauce is too runny, this is likely because of the brand of coconut milk. Typically when I use Asian brands of coconut milk (Aroy D or Chaokoh) I do not have this issue, and the sauce consistently turns out thick and luscious and creamy, almost like a gravy. If you find yourself with a runny sauce, just whisk one tablespoon of cornstarch into one tablespoon of cold water and add it to the bubbling sauce in the pan. Within a minute or two of gentle heat, you’ll see it start to thicken up. Works like a charm.
