White Chickpea and Spinach Stir-Fry
- Prep
- Cook
- Total
- Makes
- 3 servings
- Cuisine
- Indian
- Level
- Easy
- Vegetarian
- Gluten-free
Chickpeas and spinach is the vegetarian weeknight dish worth committing to memory. It is quick, it is genuinely high in protein, and it uses two things most Indian kitchens already have.
The one rule is to add the spinach last and cook it briefly. Spinach wilts in under two minutes; anything past that and you lose both the colour and most of the texture. Turn it through the hot chickpeas, let it collapse, and take the pan off the heat.
If you are cooking dried chickpeas rather than tinned, soak them overnight and keep the cooking water. A ladle of that starchy liquid added at the end pulls the whole pan together into a light sauce without any cream or cashew paste.
Ingredients
- 1 cup FarMart Pantry's white chickpeas (cooked and drained)
- 1 tablespoon oil (olive or vegetable)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 1 small tomato, diced
- 2 cups fresh spinach leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder (adjust to taste)
- Salt to taste
- Fresh lemon juice (optional)
- Fresh coriander leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle for a few seconds.
- Add minced garlic and sliced onions to the pan. Sauté until the onions become translucent.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes and cook until they soften.
- Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt. Mix well to combine the spices with the onion-tomato mixture.
- Add the cooked chickpeas to the pan. Stir well to coat them with the spice mixture.
- Add the fresh spinach leaves. Cook for a few minutes until the spinach wilts and combines with the chickpeas.
- If desired, squeeze a bit of fresh lemon juice over the stir-fry for added zest.
- Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or bread.
Tips for the best results
- Add the spinach at the very end and give it under two minutes. Overcooked spinach goes grey and slack.
- Keep a ladle of the chickpea cooking liquid back. Stirred in at the end it thickens the pan into a light sauce.
- Crush a few chickpeas against the side of the pan with your spoon — the starch they release does the same job.
- Finish with lemon off the heat. Acid added while it is still cooking dulls the green of the spinach.
- Toast the ground spices in the oil for a few seconds before the tomatoes go in; it makes a disproportionate difference.
Variations
- Add a tin of coconut milk at the end for a South Indian-leaning, saucier version.
- Stir in cubes of paneer or tofu with the chickpeas to push the protein higher still.
- Swap spinach for methi leaves for a more bitter, more assertive dish.
- Blitz half the chickpeas before returning them to the pan if you want something closer to a thick chana masala.
Storing and reheating
Keeps in the fridge for up to three days and the flavour improves overnight. The spinach will dull in colour, which is cosmetic. It freezes for up to a month, though the spinach softens further on thawing — if you are batch-cooking, freeze the chickpea base and add fresh spinach when you reheat.
What to serve it with
- Bajra roti or phulka — it is substantial enough to be the only dish on the plate
- Steamed basmati rice and a spoon of curd
- Piled onto toast with a crumble of feta, which is not traditional but is very good
Frequently asked questions
Can I use tinned chickpeas?
Yes, and it is the fastest route. Drain and rinse them, then add them at the same stage as cooked chickpeas. Reduce the cooking time by a couple of minutes since they are already soft, and hold back a little water to loosen the pan.
How do I keep the spinach green?
Add it last, cook it for under two minutes, and add any lemon juice off the heat. Heat and acid together are what turn spinach from bright green to olive.
Is this dish high in protein?
Chickpeas are one of the better plant protein sources, and combined with spinach this makes a genuinely protein-dense vegetarian main. Serve it with a roti or rice to complete the amino acid profile.
Can I make it ahead?
Yes — it is arguably better on day two. Make the chickpea base ahead and stir fresh spinach through when you reheat, which keeps the colour and texture much closer to freshly made.
Frozen spinach or fresh?
Fresh gives you better texture. If you are using frozen, thaw it and squeeze out as much water as you can first, otherwise it will thin the pan out.
