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chickpeas in spinach curry with sliced tomatoes as garnish
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4.93 from 14 votes

Palak Chana | Chickpeas and Spinach Curry

When looking for a healthy and easy side dish / curry to make, this Palak Chana or chickpeas and spinach curry is the best recipe ever. Made with fresh spinach and garbanzo beans, this curry tastes delicious with roti or rice.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Soaking time8 hours
Total Time9 hours
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 434kcal

Equipment

  • Instant Pot
  • Blender

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup Chana / chickpeas uncooked
  • 12 Oz Palak / spinach Big bunch of fresh spinach or 12 Oz of frozen
  • 1 cup Onion chopped
  • ¾ cup Tomatoes chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Ginger paste
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic paste
  • 1 teaspoon Garam masala
  • ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon Chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
  • 2 tablespoon Oil

Instructions

  • Soak the chickpeas overnight in enough water. Replace the water and cook it in a pressure cooker with salt. If using Canned Chickpeas, drain the chickpeas from the can onto a colander and rinse it well.
  • Clean the spinach leaves and saute it in a pan with 1 teaspoon of oil until they shrivel and cook. It does not take long at all. If using frozen spinach, thaw the spinach in the microwave or cook it until soft in a pan.
  • Once the leaves are cooked, blend it until nice and smooth. You could use a blender to grind it or use a hand blender. If using a blender, wait until the spinach cools down completely before grinding it.
  • In a pan, heat the remaining oil. I usually use a combination of oil and ghee but when cooking for my vegan friends, I skip the ghee and use just oil.
  • Add cumin seeds and let it crackle. Now add the chopped onions. Sauté until the onions are translucent.
  • Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt and garam masala and mix well. Keep in mind that we cooked the chickpeas with salt. So add salt accordingly.
  • Now add the chopped tomatoes. Cook it until the tomatoes are mushy and comes together as gravy.
  • Add the pureed spinach and bring it to boil over medium heat.
  • Add the cooked chickpeas and mix well. Bring it to a boil again and let it simmer for about 10 mins mixing in between.
  • Serve with pulkas or rice!

Notes

Expert tips
  • Soak the chickpeas overnight and then cook it the next day. I use my instant pot to cook the dried chickpeas.
  • I also like to cook it in bulk and then freeze the chickpeas. This way I have a batch ready to make this palak chana, chana chat or Mediterranean chickpea salad.
  • Cook the chickpeas with salt. This makes it more flavorful.
  • Start with a good quantity of spinach. They shrink a lot!!

Nutrition

Calories: 434kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 93mg | Potassium: 962mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 8462IU | Vitamin C: 33mg | Calcium: 145mg | Iron: 5mg