south indian style kurma recipes are very popular abroad as it is not so spicy as many other Indian dishes. Eggplant kurma, kondakadalai kurma ( black chana kurma) or vegetable kurma are signature dishes of any south Indian restaurant worth their salt. Another hotel style channa kurma recipe is made with vellai kondakadalai or white chickpeas / kabuli chana. This vegan chickpeas kurma is a creamy veg chickpea curry which goes perfect with naan roti or white rice. It is an easy recipe when you want to eat both chickpeas and vegetable korma but do not want to make 2 curries.
Chana korma is not so spicy like channa masala and slightly sweet in taste. Hence, even kids can eat it easily. You can make it by adding mixed vegetables and chickpeas to a coconut based sauce. Learn to make this easy veggie chickpea curry here.
Serving suggestion: You can serve chickpea veg curry with naan dippers or tandoori roti and even some Afghani bread from Costco. If you want to go gluten free, jeera rice or veg fried rice works too. Add an easy tomato cucumber salad for some fiber!
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Equipment
- pressure cooker or Instant pot(if using raw chickpeas)
- Pan/pot for cooking the curry
- blender for making korma sauce
- Chopper / food processor optional
Ingredients
- For korma sauce
- large onion
- tomatoes
- ginger
- cashews kaju
- turmeric powder
- paprika powder/red chilli powder
- garam masala
- curry powder
- coconut milk use light or full cream
- water
- Salt
- coconut oil / any vegetable oil
- Boiled/canned chickpeas
- Garnish: fresh cilantro leaves optional
Variation : In case of using dried chickpeas - Soak chickpeas overnight or at least for 4 hours in water for 2 hours in hot water. They swell and double in the size post soaking. You can also boil or steam them in advance and keep it in refrigerator.
Pressure cook the chickpeas with 3-4 cups of water and bit of salt for 2-3 whistles or in a covered pot, until soft. If you are using organic chickpeas, 2 whistles are enough. In order to check if it is done, press a chickpea between your thumb and finger. It should be soft and get a little squashed.
For instant pot, I would recommend to cook on high of 15 minutes and release the steam after 15 minutes. This would change a bit based on the quality chickpeas you are using.
- korma sauce* (refer to steps below on how to make this easy sauce at home)
refer to recipe card for details.
How to make korma curry sauce?
Heat oil in a pan and add chopped onions to it with fresh ginger.
Now add the tomatoes and let it cook until they soften. Add spices as per your taste.
Add cashews and mix well until you get a thick paste
Now, add coconut milk to this paste and turn off the heat.
Blend once it cools.
Top tip: You can make this smooth paste in advance in Vitamix blender and store it in refrigerator for 3-5 days. Add to desired vegetables to make a curry of your choice. This helps you make a quick lunch or dinner. However, freeze this curry if you cannot use a big batch within 3-4 days.
Food safety : Always heat your frozen or left over items before consumption in order to avoid harmful bacteria.
How to make chana korma curry?
Add this paste to a pan
Add the boiled chickpeas with water and allow it come to boil.Cook on low flame for 15 minutes,.
Adjust the spices and salt as per your taste and mix well.
Garnish with some chopped coriander leaves.
Serve chana kurma recipe hot with ghee rice or plain basmati rice or any Indian flat bread.
Substitutions
You can also make it vegetarian by adding some ghee or butter in the end. That is strictly optional. Some people even add some paneer. If you do not get paneer locally, you may even use halloumi. You can also add some butternut squash or pumpkins to make a vegan variation of this recipe. Instead of paneer, you can make tofu korma along with chickpeas. You can use frozen beans, peas, carrots and corn instead of fresh vegetables if they are not locally available. Make an instant pot kurma for a weeknight meal.
Variations
You can also make it without onions and garlic. Just with some tomato paste and ginger. If you like it spicy, add more red chili powder or increase the green chilies in the recipe. If you like it milder, you may use Kashmiri red chili powder or paprika. Adjust salt according to your taste. Adding a dash of lemon juice before you serve helps increase the taste.
If you forgot to soak chana overnight, soak them for an hour or two in hot water.
You can add veggies like below,just saute them for few minutes and then add the korma paste.
- red & green peppers
- carrot
- cauliflower florets
Related links
Vegan chickpea korma recipe
Equipment
- saucepan
- Blender
- Food processor optional
- can opener
Ingredients
- 3 cup boiled chickpeas 1 cup raw chicpeas yield 3 cup cooked/boiled chickpeas.Refer notes
- 2.5 cup korma curry sauce Use korma sauce recipe below to make it in advance
- 1 cup water
For korma sauce
- 1 big onion
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon ginger
- 5-6 cashews kaju
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika powder / red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon curry powder refer notes for substitution
- 1 cup coconut milk use light or full cream
- ½ cup water adjust as per your liking
- Salt as per taste The recipe is on sweeter side, hence do not add too much salt.
Instructions
Korma paste
- Heat oil in a pan. Add onions, ginger and sauté for 5 mins.
- Add chopped tomatoes and let it cook until it soften.
- Add cashews,salt and spices,continue to cook
- Once cooked,add coconut milk,turn off the heat
- Blend and strain the mix through a sieve.
- Bring the curry base to boil with ½ cup water.
- Add the chickpeas and allow it to come to boil
- Serve hot with steamed rice or flatbread.
Notes
Storage tips
You can store the easy chickpea korma masala for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. It tastes even yummier the next day. Eat it with bread or stuff it in a pie.
Expert tips
After using the Vitamix blender, there are multiple ways in which you can clean the Vitamix jar, learn in detail with our article on how to clean the vitamix dishwasher.
FAQs
You should soak them at least 2-4 hours.
If you press a chickpea, it should be soft and mushy.
Add some salt to it. Adjust spices if required to make veggie chickpea curry as per your taste.
Some people like to add a slurry or corn flour, arrowroot powder with water.
Channa sabzi is easy to make. Full of protein too. Chickpeas are so wonderful and versatile. They are a great source of protein. You can make a hummus, falafel,salad and even make a pickle out of it. Boiled chickpeas make a great chaat after adding chopped coriander, onions & tomatoes, dash of fresh lemon juice and green chutney. Channa bhatura is one of the most sought after snacks during any party. Another great recipe is chana saag where we cook greens along with chickpeas.
Conclusion: Creaminess of coconut provides the fiber and cooked channa, the protein to make this easy channa kurma recipe a winner from Indian cooking. Whether you eat it with plain rice if gluten-free, or pair it with bread.
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