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Chole palak (spiced chickpea curry with spinach, tomato and garam masala)

A bowl of chickpea curry and rice with a yogurt dip on the side

Chole palak (spiced chickpea curry with spinach, tomato and garam masala)

Name: Chole palak (spiced chickpea curry with spinach, tomato and garam masala)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 150g white onions roughly chopped; 5cm piece of ginger peeled and roughly chopped; 5 garlic cloves roughly chopped; 1 green bird's-eye chilli; 250g spinach leaves trimmed; 3 tbsp vegetable oil; 2½cm cinnamon stick; 5 green cardamom pods; 2 bay leaves; 2 tbsp tomato purée; 1 tbsp ground coriander; 1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 2 x 400g tins of chickpeas drained; 1 tsp sugar; 1 tsp chaat masala; 1 tsp garam masala

Maunika Gowardhan

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Serves 4

Easy

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 50 mins

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Spinach and chickpeas are the stars in this nutritious veggie main, flavoured with cardamom and cinnamon – serve as part of a thali

Gluten free

Vegan

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Make Maunika Gowardhan's spiced chickpea curry with spinach, tomato and garam masala, then assemble a traditional thali with vegetable raita, rajma tikki, Maharashtrian dhal and chettinad chicken fry.

Spiced chickpea curry with spinach, tomato and garam masala (chole palak) recipe

Ingredients

Nutrition

150g white onions

roughly chopped
5cm piece of ginger

peeled and roughly chopped
5 garlic cloves

roughly chopped
1 green bird's-eye chilli
250g spinach leaves

trimmed
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2½cm cinnamon stick
5 green cardamom pods
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 x 400g tins of chickpeas

drained
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp chaat masala
1 tsp garam masala

Nutrition: per serving

kcal289
fat13g
saturates1g
carbs25.6g
sugars5.2g
fibre10.3g
protein12.2g
salt0.3g

Method

step 1

Put the onions, ginger, garlic and chilli in a blender, and whizz to a smooth paste, then tip into a bowl and set aside. Purée the spinach with a splash of water in the blender.
step 2

Heat the oil in a large, non-stick pan over a medium heat and briefly toast the whole spices and bay leaves. Add the onion paste and fry for 6-7 mins, then add the tomato purée. Add the ground coriander, chilli powder and ground turmeric, stir well, then add the chickpeas and fry for 2-3 mins. Add 300ml of water, season to taste and simmer, covered, for 20-25 mins, stirring halfway through.
step 3

Add the blended spinach to the pan along with the sugar, chaat masala and garam masala, and simmer for a further 6-7 mins. Serve with rice and salad, or as part of a thali.

Discover more ways with chickpeas.

A green bowl filled with chickpeas and kale leaves on a green marble background

Authors

Maunika Gowardhan

Maunika GowardhanColumnist

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