Instant Pot Chickpea Curry {Vegan}

Name: Instant Pot Chickpea Curry {Vegan}
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp coconut oil; 2 yellow onions, diced; 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced; 2 (255g) packages grape/cherry tomatoes, sliced; 1 tbsp curry powder; 2 tsp turmeric; 1/2 tsp cumin; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 (400mL) can full-fat coconut milk; 1 cup vegetable broth; 2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained; 1 red pepper, diced; 2 cups spinach, chopped; Cilantro, to serve; 1 cups dry jasmine rice; 1 1/2 cups water; 1 tsp Butter

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This Instant Pot Chickpea Curry with coconut milk is a healthy one-pot vegan meal made using pantry staples – it’s great for meal prep!

Ingredients and substitutions

Coconut oil – feel free to use another neutral cooking oil like avocado or olive oil.
Yellows onions – white onion or shallots would also work here.
Garlic – I prefer freshly minced garlic, but the jarred variety will work in a pinch.
Ginger – if you don’t have any fresh ginger, use a bit of ground ginger powder instead.
Grape tomatoes – use plum tomatoes or another variety of tomatoes of your choice.
Curry powder – make your own using a blend of turmeric, cumin, ginger and coriander.
Turmeric – if you don’t have any turmeric, substitute for a bit more curry powder.
Cumin – coriander would be the best substitute here.
Salt – to taste.
Coconut milk – you can also try using heavy cream, half and half or sour cream for a non-vegan option.
Vegetable broth – chicken broth will provide a similar flavour or you can dissolve a vegetable bouillon cube into boiling water.
Chickpeas – lentils would also work if you want to try making a lentil curry.
Red pepper – swap out for any colour bell pepper of your choice such as yellow or orange.
Spinach – kale or Swiss chard would also be good in this dish.
Cilantro – if you’re not a fan of cilantro, leave this out altogether or use parsley instead.
Jasmine rice – substitute for another rice of your choice like brown rice.
Butter – olive oil or a dairy-free butter substitute will also help make the rice nice and moist.

chickpea curry, cherry tomatoes, and leafy greens in a bowl with white rice

How to make chickpea curry in the Instant Pot

Add the first 12 ingredients to the Instant Pot in order.
Cook on high pressure for 2 minutes.
Make the rice.
Do a quick release of the pressure.
Stir in the red pepper and spinach.
Garnish with cilantro and serve over rice!

making a vegan chickpea curry recipe in an Instant Pot

Substituting the coconut milk in curry

Coconut milk has a very thick consistency. As a result, it is fantastic for thickening liquids, so it is often used in making curries. If you are unable to use coconut milk (or simply don’t care for it), there are decent substitutes available. The most common coconut milk substitutes include heavy cream, half and half and sour cream.

The consistency of the final dish will vary depending on which substitute you use. The best coconut milk alternative is heavy cream, measuring at a 1:1 ratio. This means that for every cup of coconut milk in a recipe, you will use 1 cup of heavy cream. The change in consistency of chickpea curry made with coconut milk and one made with heavy cream is minimal. Just keep in mind that if you swap out the coconut milk for cream, it will no longer be vegan!

close up image of coconut chickpea curry with white rice

Frequently Asked Questions

What is curry?

Because it defines a type of food, a group of spices and a cuisine, the word curry can be confusing. Actually, there are several different versions of curry, each coming from a different area of the world. The most commonly known curries are Japanese, Thai and Indian. This chickpea curry is an Indian curry, made with a complex but delicious blend of Indian spices.

How long should chickpeas cook in the Instant Pot?

For this chickpea curry, the chickpeas will cook along with the rest of the ingredients for 2 minutes at high pressure. The Instant Pot will take about 10-15 minutes to get up to high pressure, so the total cooking time is about 15 minutes.

What should you serve on the side?

One nice thing about curries is that most of them are complete meals on their own. With protein-packed chickpeas, healthy veggies and a starchy carbohydrate (rice), this curry doesn’t require much else to go with it. That being said, Indian restaurants often serve their curry dishes with a side of flatbread or pita for dipping.

How many calories are in this recipe?

This recipe has 587 calories per serving. It’s packed with plant-based protein thanks to the chickpeas, so it’ll keep you feeling full!

white rice and chickpea curry made with coconut milk

Storing and reheating

This vegan chickpea curry is great for meal prep, since it will last in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. Make sure to store the curry and the rice separately so the rice doesn’t get all soggy!

When you’re ready to enjoy your curry, you can heat it up in a pot on the stovetop or in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. If you’re reheating in the microwave, I suggest sprinkling a bit of water over top of the rice so it doesn’t dry out.

Can you freeze chickpea curry?

This vegan chickpea curry recipe is made with coconut milk, which tends to separate when frozen. Technically, you can freeze it, but it may alter the consistency slightly.

To freeze this chickpea curry, make sure it is completely cool before transferring it to freezer-safe meal prep containers. Once frozen, the curry will keep well in the freezer for 3 to 4 months. The night before you want to serve it, transfer the curry to the fridge to thaw overnight then reheat following the instructions above.

More Indian-inspired Instant Pot recipes

Meal prep tools for this recipe

Grab some glass meal prep bowls if you plan on turning this Instant Pot Chickpea Curry into your weekly lunches.
I get all my free-range chicken from Butcher Box, conveniently delivered to me frozen.