• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Vegan Richa
  • Home
  • Recipes
    • (new) Recipe Filters
    • Popular Recipes
    • Breakfast
    • Lunch / Dinner
    • Dessert
    • Indian
    • Instant Pot
    • Burgers
    • Pizza
    • Recipe Index
  • Videos
    • Instant Pot
    • Dessert
    • Holidays
    • Easy Vegan Meals
    • All Recipe Videos
  • CookBooks
    • Vegan Richa’s Instant Pot Cookbook(PREORDER NOW)
    • Vegan Richa’s Everyday Kitchen (Print & Digital)
    • Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen (Print & Digital)
  • Resources
    • How To Start A Food Blog
    • Resources for Food Bloggers
    • Vegan Subs & Resources
    • Our Vegan Journey and FAQs
    • Indian Pantry
    • Indian Dal / Lentil Names
  • Shop
  • About / Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Videos
  • CookBooks
  • Shop
  • About
  • NEW! Instant Pot Cookbook
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » gluten free

    Curry Leaf Pepper Chickpeas – Chickpeas in Coconut Pepper Curry Leaf Sauce

    Published: Nov 30, 2015 · Modified: Feb 20, 2018 by Richa 39 Comments

    Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe

    Curry leaf Pepper Chickpeas. Chickpeas in a spicy South Indian pepper, coconut and curry leaf sauce. Use other beans and veggies of choice. Vegan Gluten-free Recipe. Serve with rice or flatbread 

    Jump to Recipe   

    Curry leaf Pepper Chickpeas. Chickpeas in a spicy South Indian pepper, coconut and curry leaf sauce. Use other beans and veggies of choice. | VeganRicha.com #vegan #glutenfree #Indian #chickpeas #recipe

     Another month almost done. I was hoping to wind down in November and December but that isn’t happening. There is always more work to be done than I can handle. Any which way, I have been saying No for a lot of stuff to get some overall slow down. Plus, I might have down days with the eye appointments, which will force a slowdown anyway. 

    Today is this flavorful and spicy chickpea curry with coconut, fresh curry leaves and black pepper. You can buy fresh curry leaves from Indian stores, or order them on Amazon. Keep them frozen in an airtight container. Use then directly frozen or fresh in this recipe or any recipe that calls for fresh curry leaves.  

    This South Indian inspired sauce is a popular sauce used with chicken or meat. I use chickpeas here instead. Use tofu, chikin sub, other beans and veggies for variation. Serve over rice, or flatbread or in a bowl with roasted veggies (sweet potato, carrots, cauliflower) and cooked grains of choice. 

    Curry leaf Pepper Chickpeas. Chickpeas in a spicy South Indian pepper, coconut and curry leaf sauce. Use other beans and veggies of choice. | VeganRicha.com #vegan #glutenfree #Indian #chickpeas #recipe


    Recipe adapted from Vah chef’s curry leaf pepper chiken.

    More Chickpea recipes from the blog

    • Mushroom Chickpea Greens soup. GF
    • Chickpea Zucchini Carrot Fritters/Pancakes
    • Masala Chickpea Bowl – GF
    • Shawarma Chickpea Buddha Bowl – GF
    • Chana Masala – My Chickpea curry – GF

    Curry leaf Pepper Chickpeas. Chickpeas in a spicy South Indian pepper, coconut and curry leaf sauce. Use other beans and veggies of choice. | VeganRicha.com #vegan #glutenfree #Indian #chickpeas #recipe

    Print Recipe
    5 from 5 votes

    Curry Leaf Pepper Chickpeas -Chickpeas in Coconut Pepper Curry Leaf Sauce

    Curry leaf Pepper Chickpeas. Chickpeas in a spicy South Indian pepper, coconut and curry leaf sauce. Use other beans and veggies of choice. Vegan Gluten-free Recipe. Serve with rice or flatbread
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time45 mins
    Course: Main
    Cuisine: Indian
    Servings: 3
    Calories: 247kcal
    Author: Vegan Richa

    Ingredients

    • 2 tsp oil divided
    • 1 medium red or white onion chopped (about 1 1/4 cup)
    • 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) salt
    • 1 inch ginger chopped
    • 5 cloves of garlic chopped
    • 3 tbsp shredded coconut fresh/frozen or dried
    • 1 tbsp ground coriander
    • 1/2 to 3/4 tsp cayenne/red chili powder
    • 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) turmeric
    • 2 large tomatoes chopped
    • 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) fennel seeds use less or more to preference
    • 12 to 14 curry leaves fresh or frozen
    • 1 1/2 tsp (1.5 tsp) freshly crushed black pepper or coarsely ground
    • 30 oz (850.49 g) chickpeas or about 3 cups cooked or use 1.5 cups chickpeas and 1.5 cups veggies
    • 1/2 to 3/4 tsp salt or to taste depends on if the chickpeas are salted
    • 1/4 cup (4 g) chopped cilantro

    Instructions

    • Heat 1 tsp oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, Add onions, salt, ginger, garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Stir frequently.
    • Add coconut, coriander, turmeric, cayenne. Mix and cook for half a minute. Add the tomatoes, mix in. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes or until saucy. Stir occasionally. Add a splash of water if the spices start sticking or browning.
    • Cool slightly and transfer to a blender. Blend with 1/2 cup water and keep aside.
    • In the same or other skillet, heat 1 tsp oil over medium heat, When hot, add fennel seeds and cook until they change color. About a minute.
    • Add curry leaves carefully. Add chickpeas and 1 tsp black pepper and mix in.
    • Add the onion tomato puree, salt and mix well. Cover and cook for 15 minutes until the chickpeas are very tender and the sauce thickens. Stir once in between. Taste and adjust salt and spice. Add more water if for thinner sauce. Mix in the remaining pepper and chopped cilantro. Simmer for another minute. Add a dash of lemon juice. Serve hot with rice, flatbread, or add to a bowl with roasted veggies and cooked grains of choice.

    Notes

    Nutritional values based on one serving

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Curry Leaf Pepper Chickpeas -Chickpeas in Coconut Pepper Curry Leaf Sauce
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 247 Calories from Fat 99
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 11g17%
    Saturated Fat 4g25%
    Sodium 599mg26%
    Potassium 552mg16%
    Carbohydrates 31g10%
    Fiber 9g38%
    Sugar 4g4%
    Protein 9g18%
    Vitamin A 980IU20%
    Vitamin C 32.6mg40%
    Calcium 91mg9%
    Iron 2.9mg16%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

     

    Sharing is caring!

    Share on Pinterest Share on Facebook Share on WhatsApp Share on Twitter Share on Email
    « Easy Dinner Rolls No Yeast
    Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies with Pecans »


    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you Love the Recipe, Please consider rating it using stars in comments! It helps readers and helps more people find the recipe online! I love hearing from you all! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Von

      April 07, 2022 at 11:41 pm

      5 stars
      Love this recipe. I was looking for recipes that use curry leaf because my tree is growing so fast I can’t keep up with it.

      Reply
      • Richa

        April 08, 2022 at 8:36 am

        Ha lucky you!

        Reply
    2. Kristine Colter

      August 02, 2021 at 8:27 am

      Do i tear the curry leaves? Or lesve them whole? Thanks

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        August 02, 2021 at 10:50 am

        leave them whole

        Reply
    3. Megan

      May 26, 2021 at 2:35 am

      5 stars
      I’ve made this recipe a number of times. Super easy! Such an unusual flavour combination that is just sensational. Thanks for all your hard work, Richa!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        May 26, 2021 at 11:58 am

        thank you for the compliment

        Reply
    4. Alcina Horstman

      September 27, 2019 at 5:08 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is just amazing. I had a lot of curry leaves left over after making Lemon Rice (yum), found this vegan recipe, and it is DELICIOUS. I added more fennel seeds to 1 tsp, and also about 1/4 tsp coriander seeds in addition to the ground coriander – it’s a hit. Also, didn’t know I could freeze the curry leaves, which I will do with the rest. Thanks! This one is going in the family cookbook.

      Reply
      • Richa

        September 27, 2019 at 5:14 pm

        yay! awesome!

        Reply
    5. Steve

      June 20, 2018 at 6:26 am

      Hi. Can I use coconut milk instead of shredded coconut?

      Reply
      • Richa

        June 20, 2018 at 8:50 am

        Yes, you can. The texture of the coconut will not be there but the flavor should be fine.

        Reply
    6. Morgan L

      June 06, 2018 at 11:08 pm

      5 stars
      Outstanding recipe, as usual. Thank you! I used pressed tofu instead of chickpeas because I that’s what I had on hand. Everyone loved it. I’ll definitely be making this again!

      Reply
      • Richa

        June 07, 2018 at 12:41 am

        Awesome!

        Reply
    7. Cheryl Eastburn

      June 03, 2018 at 7:48 pm

      Hi Richa, to freeze the Curry leaves do I do any thing special to them or just put them in the freezer dry?
      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Richa

        June 03, 2018 at 11:06 pm

        Just put the fresh leaves in a ziplock and freeze. No need to wash them or anything as the extra moisture will make them stick

        Reply
    8. Michelle

      December 21, 2015 at 12:40 pm

      Hi Richa.

      This sounds great. Should I used 1.5 teaspoons of whole pepper and then crush it? Or do I need 1.5 teaspoons of the crushed powder? Do you think chickpeas could be used as a substitute for chicken in most Indian chicken recipes? Is there anything that should usually be adjusted for? I would like to try a Chettinad chicken with chickpeas instead of chicken.

      Thanks,

      Michelle

      Reply
      • Richa

        December 21, 2015 at 1:26 pm

        its crushed pepper, measured after crushing.
        It depends on what you are looking for as the sub. Chickpeas work out well to make a great dish when subbed for chicken dishes, asthe sauces and spices by themselves are delicious and can be used with anything like chickpeas or veggies, but it will be nothing like chettinad chicken. If you want a more chiken-ish outcome, use vegan chikin strips like beyond meat.

        Reply
    9. Brendan

      December 12, 2015 at 6:02 am

      5 stars
      P.S Forgot to rate the recipe: 5 stars, of course. Also, I got fresh curry leaves on the branch, and frozen coconut, from a South Asian food store not far from here. Toronto has a large Sri Lankan community. Lovely people.

      Reply
      • Richa

        December 12, 2015 at 1:22 pm

        Awesome! you can freeze the curry leaves as that keeps them fresher than dried.

        Reply
    10. Brendan

      December 12, 2015 at 5:58 am

      Just made this recipe. Love the peppery kick. I’m so glad it was worth it, because I had a bit of a kitchen disaster at the point where I went to blend the tomatoe onion mixture. The spout on my Ninja was loose, and a small batch of the mixture shot out. Im in a condo, and the Ninja was in an open area looking out onto my living room, hallway, and bedroom. I had to clean off walls, door frames, an easy chair, broadloom, and even a bit on my area rug under the coffee table. Ouch! However, all is well now, and since it is Saturday morning, I will double check when I do my weekly cleaning. Richa, when I mentioned your name to a woman at work, she corrected my pronunciation. Gotta say, I used to think no one could out-do the 2 women at showmethecurry.com, but you win hands down. Can’t wait to try more recipes. On the news, it is said that, due to the higher cost of meat, more are turning to beans (chickpeas, especially) and lentils. So you will be the next culinary star, if you aren’t already. Your cookbook sits prominently on a shelf at Indigo, in the cookbook section. Indigo is Canada’s foremost book retailer. Ciao for now! Onto my cleaning….and for lunch, the last bit of the recipe I made last weekend: Red Lentil Tomato Pulao (everyone at work loved it!)
      Yes, I feed the masses by doubling your recipes. lol

      Reply
      • Richa

        December 12, 2015 at 1:22 pm

        Oh no, I know what happens with them blenders. Hope you got everything :). Thanks for making and loving my recipes! :)) and thank you for letting me know about Indigo. So glad everyone is loving the book!

        Reply
    11. Em

      December 11, 2015 at 2:26 pm

      I made this for lunch and we loved it! My backyard curry tree is very prolific so I’m always looking for new recipes to use up the leaves… Suggestions welcome!

      Reply
      • Richa

        December 11, 2015 at 2:30 pm

        What! you have a backyard curry tree!! I am so jealous 🙂
        There are many recipes that use curry leaves in my book. You can also use curry leaves in any of the tempering with most dals/lentils.

        Reply
    12. Monica

      December 10, 2015 at 7:20 pm

      Made this tonight. Loved the pop of fennel.

      Reply
      • Richa

        December 10, 2015 at 8:06 pm

        Awesome!! thanks!

        Reply
    13. Cynthia

      December 08, 2015 at 6:48 pm

      If I only have dried curry leaves, should I use the same number, more, or fewer? I’m really looking forward to making this!

      Reply
      • Richa

        December 08, 2015 at 8:25 pm

        use the same number.

        Reply
    14. Dulmal

      December 05, 2015 at 1:49 am

      Hello , is it possible to use curry powder instead of curry leaves?

      Reply
      • Richa

        December 05, 2015 at 12:51 pm

        nope. You can use 2 bay leaves and a kaffir lime leaf or some lemon zest instead. Curry powder is just spices, where as curry leaves are dark colored leaves that have a very specific flavor profile. you can read more about the differences here https://www.veganricha.com/2015/06/tips-for-cooking-indian-food.html

        Reply
    15. Aruna Panangipally

      December 03, 2015 at 7:26 pm

      I love the idea of using coconut and curry leaves. Definite change from the regular Chana Masala 🙂

      Reply
      • Richa

        December 03, 2015 at 8:08 pm

        thanks! it tastes amazing!

        Reply
    16. Lisa

      December 02, 2015 at 5:42 am

      I made this for dinner last night. Oddly enough, I had curry leaves on hand from a recent trip to an Indian food market, but I was out of cilantro. I made the decision to substitute with parsley, which I did have. It was still delicious! I’m definitely making this again. Thank you!

      Reply
      • Richa

        December 02, 2015 at 10:40 am

        Awesome!! so glad you had the curry leaves 🙂 they can be kept frozen for months!

        Reply
    17. Christine mcmahan

      December 01, 2015 at 4:44 pm

      Do you think this could be done in an Instant Pot? I think you are on some of the plant based IP sites so I look forward to any recipes you have there.
      I also love your book.

      Reply
      • Richa

        December 01, 2015 at 5:12 pm

        Sure, you can make the sauce in the IP and add 1 cup dried chickpeas that have been soaked for a few hours, and 2.5 cups or more water. Set pressure cooker time to 20 to 25 minutes.

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Richa! I create flavorful plant based recipes that are inspired by my Indian upbringing, including many gluten-free, soy-free, and oil-free options.

    More about me →

    Amazon // Barnes & Noble // BAM! // Chapter Indigo // International
    vegan richa cookbook flavor companion
    My exclusive 16 Spice Set
    Vegan Richa's Everyday Kitchen Cookbook Now Available everywhere where Books are Sold | VeganRicha.com
    Amazon // Barnes & Noble // BAM! // Chapter Indigo // International

    FOLLOW US

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Vegan Richa 's Indian Kitchen Cookbook

    Amazon || Barnes & Noble || BAM! || IndieBound || Details & International

    Popular

    • Best Easy Vegan Recipes of 2021
    • Restaurant Style Aloo Gobi
    • Vegan Mac and Cheese Powder – Cheese Mix Recipe
    • Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Pasta with Garlic Soy curls

    Amazon || Barnes & Noble || BAM! || Indigo || Book Depository

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms Of Use
    • Copyright and Disclaimers

    Resources

    • Indian dals/lentils names
    • Indian pantry
    • Our vegan journey
    • Vegan Substitutes

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Recipe Index
    • My Favorite Things
    • Advertise, Work With Me

    Cookbooks

    • Vegan Richa’s Indian kitchen cookbook
    • Vegan Richa’s Everyday kitchen cookbook 
    • Vegan Richa’s Instant Pot Book

    All content on this blog is owned by Vegan Richa LLC.  Links on some posts are affiliate links for e.g. we are participant in Amazon services LLC Associates program. Vegan Richa is monetized in part through the use of such affiliate links. More Details

    Copyright © 2021 Vegan Richa