Simple Chickpea Curry with Eggplant and Butternut Squash
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It’s the simple dishes like this Chickpea Curry we reach for during busy weeknight dinners or even relaxing weekend eats. It’s bursting with savory curry flavors, sweetened with a bit of honey, and absolutely soul-satisfying.
And the best part is, it’s mostly made with simple pantry ingredients. Plus some fresh veggies, which make this Chickpea Curry incredibly healthy.
Heathy Notes for Chickpea Curry
Eggplants are a good source of folate, potassium, and fiber, while butternut squash is packed with beta-carotene and chickpeas are a good source of protein and an excellent source of antioxidants.
We are huge curry fans. And while we’ve posted several curry recipes over the years, all mostly easy, this is the first truly vegetarian option. My guys are big on meaty protein.
But even they love this recipe!
How could they not with its abundant savory and sweet flavors, smokey and warm with a hint of cinnamon, and spicy to boot? Or, in their case, a whole lot spicy when they add additional Sriracha sauce.
Ingredients in this Easy Chickpea Curry
Vegetables:
- 2 Japanese eggplants
- Large onion
- Small red pepper
- Medium butternut squash
- 3 garlic cloves
Pantry Ingredients:
- Cooking oil
- Vegetable Stock
- 2 cans drained chickpeas
- 1 can coconut milk
Spices:
- salt and pepper
- curry powder
- ground turmeric
- chili powder
- ground cinnamon
How to Make Quick Chickpea Curry
Heat cooking oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chopped eggplant: brown on all sides and remove from the skillet. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and add the onions, pepper, and butternut squash; season with salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes, until the onions and butternut squash are soft and golden. Sprinkle in the curry powder, turmeric, chili powder, cinnamon, and garlic; stir and cook for another minute.
Pour in the vegetable stock and stir to scrape up all the brown bits in the pan. Add the coconut milk, browned eggplant, honey, and a squirt of sriracha; bring to a boil. Then add the chickpeas, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Season with additional salt, pepper, honey, and Sriracha as needed.
Serve with cilantro, pita wedges, flatbread or my favorite — steamed Basmati rice!
Simple Chickpea Curry with Eggplant and Butternut Squash
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 medium Japanese eggplants chopped small
- 1 large onion finely diced
- 1 small red pepper chopped small
- medium butternut squash chopped small
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 to 3 teaspoons curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 2 cans chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 can coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons honey or 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 to 2 teaspoons Sriracha or hot sauce
Instructions
- Heat the 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped eggplant: brown on all sides and remove from the skillet. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil and add the onions, pepper, and butternut squash; season with salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes, until the onions and butternut squash are soft and golden. Sprinkle in the curry powder, turmeric, chili powder, cinnamon, and garlic; stir and cook for another minute.
- Pour in the vegetable stock and stir to scrape up all the brown bits in the pan. Add the coconut milk, browned eggplant, honey and a squirt of sriracha; bring to a boil. Then add the chickpeas, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Season with additional salt, pepper, honey and Sriracha as needed.
- Serve with cilantro, pita wedges, flatbread or my favorite -- steamed Basmati rice!
Notes
- Fresh Cilantro Leaves
- Pita Wedges
- Flatbread
- Steamed Rice
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Some of the spices do not indicate Tsp or Tbs- just 1/2 ground turmeric, etc…. Help!
Hi Margaret! Thank you for that catch! I updated to a new recipe card for easier reading — and it dropped off the measurements! I’ve updated it on the card.