This Thai Chickpea Almond Curry is a favorite for family dinners and potlucks. The recipe is vegan, gluten-free, whole-foods, and oil-free.
This Thai Chickpea Almond Curry isn’t a new recipe.
However, it’s a popular recipe!
This dish is from my Let Them Eat Vegan cookbook, and I had the recipe posted on my blog a while back.
However, with site revisions and needing to migrate all my recipes from one software to another, I had to delete the beloved Thai Chickpea Almond Curry!
Today, I’m bringing it back!
Better than ever with new photos, so you can truly appreciate how delicious and easy this dish is to make.
This is one of those dishes that I hear from readers about regularly.
Thai Chickpea Almond Curry is popular because it’s:
- Delicious! Really. really. delicious.
- Simple and quick to prepare.
- Easy to veggie-adapt.
Delicious: This Thai Chickpea Almond Curry is big on flavor. Not heat. Unless you want it.
It’s important to differentiate. Spice does not have to be hot-spice. This dish has great depth of flavor with spices and seasonings, but heat only if you want.
I like just a little heat, so the kids will also enjoy it. Of course, if you want to kick it up – do so!
Simple Prep: See the photo below? After you blend the sauce, everything into one baking dish – into the oven.
Boom, you’re done!
Adapt with other vegetables: I hear from readers all the time that use
If you don’t love bell peppers, swap in steamed cauliflower.
One key ingredient for this recipe is the red curry paste. The brand I use is Thai Kitchen. It’s widely available as a brand,
Some
Get your ingredients, get on that apron, and get cooking! This delicious Thai Chickpea Almond Curry is waiting…
x Dreena
THAI CHICKPEA ALMOND CURRY
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 1 medium to large clove garlic
- ½ teaspoon sea salt plus another few pinches, if desired
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice zest limes first, see below
- 1 14-ounce can “lite” coconut milk
- ¼ cup almond butter can use raw or roasted, see ntoe
- ½ tablespoon tamari or coconut aminos for soy-free version
- 1½ tablespoons peeled and roughly chopped fresh ginger
- 1½ to 2 teaspoons red curry paste I use Thai Kitchen brand
- ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional; or use more if you like the heat!
- 1/2 tsp lime zest zest before juicing
Chickpea mixture:
- 2 14-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed (3¾ to 4 cups)
- 1 cup chopped in small cubes red pepper
- 1 cup chopped in similar small pieces zucchini (see note)
- ¾ cup green onion mostly white bottom portion, but some green as well
- 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh Thai basil basil, or 1/4 cup chopped cilantro,(optional, see note)
- A few lime wedges for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. First prepare the sauce: In a blender, or using a deep large cup and an immersion blender, combine the garlic, ½ teaspoon of the salt, lime juice, coconut milk, almond butter, tamari, ginger, and curry paste. Puree well. Pour the sauce into a baking dish (8 by 12-inch, or similar size) and stir in the red pepper flakes and zest. Add the chickpeas, red pepper, zucchini, green onions, and stir well. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes. Then remove the foil, stir through, and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes uncovered. (Note that the sauce should thicken but can become too thick, so keep an eye on it, and remove once it begins to thicken, so it is does not become pasty.) After this time, stir in the fresh herbs, and add any extra seasoning to taste (salt, crushed pepper, hot sauce. Serve (see suggestions), topping the portions with extra fresh herbs, if desired, and with a lime wedge on the side.
Notes
- Nut butter note: Almond butter is my first choice in this recipe, but consider switching it up occasionally with natural peanut or cashew butter in place of the almond.
- Feel free to substitute other veggies in part or in whole for the red pepper and zucchini. Other veggies to consider are steamed cauliflower, steamed potatoes, and green beans.
- Herbs note: Fresh cilantro or basil is a delicious addition to this curry. However, if you don’t have it, the curry will still have plenty of flavour without it. If using, the flavour will be most vibrant when added at the end of cooking, just before serving.
- Serving suggestions: This is delicious served with jasmine rice! You can also try any rice you love, or serve with quinoa.
photo credit: Angela MacNeil
Courtney says
This is a quick dinner and popular potluck standby for me! Always so good. Dreena’s recipes are so well tested that they always turn out even if it’s a new recipe to me.
My note – I always use full fat coconut milk, and I cut the chickpeas down to about 1 cup, and add more veggies (even small carrot slices work).
Margaret Bolton says
This dish is absolutely delicious! I substituted peanut butter for almond butter and steamed cauliflower for zucchini, and it was so good that I plan to make more tonight. I would love to see this recipe adapted for the Instant Pot, too!
Robyn Risk says
Made this tonight, but had to sub in peanut butter for almond butter. It was so yummy and I’ll definitely be making it again!
Dreena says
Terrific, thanks Robyn!
Amy Dugan says
Made this for the family last night and we ALL JUST LOVED IT! Delicious and easy – a definite keeper. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Dreena says
Yay! Delighted to hear it, thanks Amy!
Erin Dee says
Love the delicious flavors going on! This is sure to become a dinner favorite!
Emma says
I’m having issues with this not thickening enough :/ any suggestions? Used lite coconut milk as rec’d.. hmm
Tracy says
I didn’t have lite coconut milk one time I made it, used full fat and it was much thicker…and extra delish!
Dreena Burton says
So glad you enjoyed it, thanks Tracy
Jules Shepard says
Wow! This looks like something my family would absolutely devour. I’m missing a few ingredients but am absolutely planning on this dinner this week – YUM!
jenna urben says
Oh yes! This is right up my alley 🙂 I have some coconut milk in the pantry I’ve been wanting to use and plenty of Thai Basil from our AeroGarden!! I’m obsessed with chickpeas, this is truly perfect for my family. Can’t wait to try it next week.
Sheryl says
Perfect timing! looking for an easy all in one dish to bring to Easter dinner next Sunday!
So it does thicken on its own?
Laura says
Could you use substitute the coconut milk with a different nut milk ?
Dreena says
Sure, you could use water even, lite coconut milk is not heavy/thick so you don’t want too rich of a non-dairy milk
Ginger says
Looks so good!
Dreena says
thanks Ginger, hope you enjoy it!