Description
This Indian Butter Chickpeas recipe is a creamy, flavorful vegetarian curry that combines tender chickpeas simmered in a rich tomato and spice sauce enriched with butter and cream. Perfect for a comforting weeknight dinner, it’s easy to prepare and delivers authentic Indian flavors with a smooth, luscious texture.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 540g chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 red onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 0.5 tsp ground coriander
- 0.5 tsp chili powder or 1 red chili, diced
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 0.5 tsp salt
- 1 x 400g tin crushed tomatoes
- 125ml heavy cream or coconut milk
- ¼ – ½ lemon juice
- Chopped cilantro to garnish
Instructions
- Sauté Onions: Heat the butter in a pan over medium heat until melted. Add the diced red onion and sauté for 5-6 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Add Aromatics and Spices: Add the minced garlic and grated ginger to the pan, cooking for another minute until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste along with turmeric powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, chili powder or diced red chili, garam masala, and salt. Cook for 1-2 minutes while stirring to combine the spices with the aromatics.
- Add Tomatoes and Optional Blending: Pour in the crushed tomatoes. At this point, you can blend the sauce until smooth using a hand blender if you prefer a creamy texture, or leave it chunky as is.
- Simmer Chickpeas: Stir in the drained chickpeas and let them simmer gently in the sauce for 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the chickpeas to heat through.
- Finish with Cream and Lemon Juice: Lower the heat and stir in the heavy cream or coconut milk, warming it through without boiling. Add the lemon juice to brighten the flavors. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro before serving.
Notes
- You can substitute coconut milk for heavy cream to make the dish vegan.
- Adjust chili powder or fresh chili to your preferred spice level.
- Serving with basmati rice or naan bread complements the dish well.
- Blending the sauce is optional; it depends on your preference for texture.
- Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
Keywords: Indian, Butter Chickpeas, Vegetarian, Chickpea Curry, Indian Curry, Comfort Food
