easy indian food recipes

Spinach Curry with Chickpeas

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This spinach curry recipe is one of my favorite Indian dishes. When you see spinach and chickpea curry at an Indian restaurant, it’s called Chole Palak. There are many versions of this dish. One of my favorite versions is here, but that spinach curry recipe calls for asafoetida and garam masala. If you wish to explore Indian cooking, I highly recommend you seek those ingredients out, but with the recipe below, you can make a delicious spinach curry with ingredients you might already have in the kitchen.

Ingredients for Spinach Curry Recipe

1 pack frozen or canned SPINACH thawed, 10 to 15 oz
½ to 1 cup ONION chopped
HOT PEPPER to taste, chopped, optional
15oz can diced TOMATOES or 2 fresh tomatoes
2-4 cloves GARLIC finely chopped
1 Tbsp minced GINGER
15 oz can CHICKPEAS rinsed and drained
1-2 tsp CUMIN SEEDS
2 tsp CORIANDER POWDER
½ tsp TURMERIC POWDER
1 tsp CHILI POWDER
2-3 Tbsp OIL
SALT and PEPPER to taste

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spinach curry

How to Make Chickpeas and Spinach Curry

  • Heat oil on medium-high heat and add cumin seeds. The seeds should sizzle when they hit the pan and will brown and crack quickly, so only leave them cooking on their own for a matter of seconds.
  • Add in the onions and peppers and stir for about 1 minute.
  • Add in the garlic and seasonings and continue to stir another 1-2 minutes.
  • Empty one can of diced tomatoes and the ginger into the skillet and mix well with the other ingredients. Adjust the stove top heat as needed throughout the cooking process.
  • Add the canned chickpeas, rinsed and drain, plus 1-2 cups of water. Stir well and bring the skillet up to a simmer, then cover and cook for about 10 minutes.
  • Uncover and crush about ½ on the dish with a potato masher or fork. This will thicken up the dish and make it creamier. You can “smoosh” the entire dish if you like, but I prefer leaving about half of the chickpeas whole. Continue to simmer the curry uncovered until the water has cooked away to your desired consistency.

And that’s it! Spinach curry is often served very wet, sometimes almost soupy, but I prefer the dish much drier. Try the dish both ways and see which version you prefer. This Indian-style recipe is delicious, and maybe a good tactic to sway non-spinach lovers into giving spinach another try.

For more Indian recipes, check out this real-time Indian cooking lesson featuring some of my favorite Indian dishes.

mango curry
A complete Indian meal with mango curry, chana masala, and gobi matar.

Thanks for checking out our spinach curry recipe, and all of our recipes. Be sure and sign up for our mailing list and never miss a new Chef Buck cooking video, and also click a button below and share the dishes with your friends. We appreciate all the kind comments and support, and we’ll see you next time in the kitchen!
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Chole Palak Chickpea and Spinach Recipe

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chole palak

Chole Palak is an Indian-style spinach and chickpea recipe that’s super flavorful and a breeze to make.  With a few ingredients in the cabinet, this tasty dish is always just a few minutes away.

What You Need to Make Chole Palak

SPINACH  (13 oz can or frozen, or 3 cups chopped fresh)
CHICKPEAS  (15 oz can, rinsed and drained)
TOMATOES  (diced, 14 oz can—or 2 fresh tomatoes
HOT PEPPER  (1 or 2, minced)
GINGER  (1 Tbsp, minced)
OLIVE OIL  (2-3 Tbsp)
CUMIN SEEDS  (1 tsp)
ASAFOETIDA  (¼ tsp)
CORIANDER  (1 Tbsp)
CHILI POWDER  (1 tsp)
TURMERIC  (½ tsp)
GARAM MASALA  (1 tsp)
SALT (to taste)
Check out current prices for Indian Spices on Amazon.

chole palak chickpea spinach
Chole Palak is a popular Spinach and Chickpea dish

How to Make Chole Palak

Heat olive oil on medium high heat and add cumin seeds and asafoetida.  The seeds should sizzle when they hit the pan and will brown and crack quickly.  Add the tomatoes, ginger, and peppers.  Mix well and then add the coriander, chili, and turmeric powder. 

Mix and allow the tomatoes to cook down 3-4 minutes.  Add the spinach and salt and stir well.  Add ¼ – ½ cup water—I like less water, but add as desired throughout the recipe.  Cover and let cook 3-4 minutes. 

Uncover and mix in chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans).  Add another ¼ cup of water, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 5-6 minutes.  At this point the chickpeas will be soft enough to smash easily with a fork, which you don’t have to do, but I prefer the consistency of the dish if I mush about half of them. 

Add the garam masala and stir another minute or two, also adding more water if desired.  And that’s it! Enjoy! When I prepare an Indian meal, I almost always serve this dish; it’s easy, healthy, and delicious, so why not? Give chole palak a try, let me know what you think, and bon appétit!

For another fantastic dish, try Baingan Bharta, an Indian-style Eggplant Recipe.

baingan bharta eggplant

Thanks for Watching our Chole Plak Recipe Video!

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We include affiliate links for products on our website. Making a purchase after clicking on our links and we may earn a commission which helps us produce more videos and drink more coffee :^) We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which is an affiliate advertising program. It provides a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites, so we can make more videos.

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Baingan Bharta Roasted Eggplant Curry Recipe

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eggplant curry

Roasted eggplant curry is easy to prepare and super-flavorful with this simple, classic Indian dish. Give this Baingan Bharta eggplant curry a try and let me know what you think.

What You Need to Make Eggplant Curry

Ingredients:
1 large EGGPLANT (roasted)
1 med/lg ONION (chopped)
3-4 cloves GARLIC (finely chopped)
1 hot PEPPER (finely chopped)
1 14 oz can diced TOMATOES (or 2 fresh tomatoes)
1 cup chopped CILANTRO (coriander leaves)
1 tsp MUSTARD SEEDS
1 tsp CUMIN SEEDS
1 tsp CORIANDER POWDER
½ tsp TURMERIC
½ tsp GARAM MASALA
5-6 Tbsp OLIVE OIL
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baingan bharta eggplant curry
Baingan bharta eggplant curry, a classic Indian dish.

How to Make Baingan Bharta

  • Slice the eggplant lengthwise down the middle into two halves, brush all surfaces with olive oil, place on a baking pan flat side down, and bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes.
  • Remove from oven. The eggplant will be very hot, so set aside to cool.
  • In a skillet, heat olive oil on medium high heat. Add mustard and cumin seeds and cook 20-30 seconds—not too long or they will overcook. A pinch of asafetida can be added as well, if desired.
  • When cumin seeds begin to open, add onions and sauté for a couple of minutes.
  • Add garlic and hot pepper and continue sautéing. Add coriander and turmeric powder and mix well. I like to go light on the spices, but feel free to add more if desired. If you like a spicier dish, add 1 tsp of chili powder. I like to take it easy on the spices so as not to overpower the flavor of the eggplant. Add salt to taste and continue cooking a couple more minutes.
  • Stir in tomatoes, reduce heat, and simmer 4-5 minutes. While tomatoes simmer, return to the eggplant.
  • At this point the roasted eggplant will be much easier to handle (although it may still be hot, so use care). Using a spoon, the meat of the eggplant can be easily scooped away from the skin. Discard the skin. Roughly chopped the eggplant and add to the skillet, mixing well with the tomato mixture. Cook for 3-4 minutes and then add garam masala. Mix and continue cooking another couple of minutes.
  • Add 1 cup of chopped cilantro (coriander leaves). Mix and remove from heat.

And that’s it. Give this eggplant curry recipe a try, let me know what you think.

And for another great indian dish, try this Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe.

chicken tikka masala
Click image to check out Chicken Tikka Masala

Thanks for Watching our Baingan Bharta Recipe

Click a button below and share the spinach curry with your friends. You can also follow Chef Buck on Youtube. We appreciate all the kind comments and support, and we’ll see you next time in the kitchen!

If you like what CG and I do, support us on Patreon, or throw us a tip in our Paypal Tip Jar. We’ll happily enjoy a coffee on the road – Thanks! We appreciate all the support, and we’ll see you next time in the kitchen!

We include affiliate links for products on our website. Making a purchase after clicking on our links and we may earn a commission which helps us produce more videos and drink more coffee :^) We participate in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which is an affiliate advertising program. It provides a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites, so we can make more videos.

Share and Enjoy !

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