Chana Palak (Spinach Chickpea Curry)

This spinach chickpea curry is a fresh new take on an old-time favorite.

A delicious meal balanced with warm spices and subtle flavor is less than 30 minutes away with this great chana palak recipe!

A bowl of chana palak curry is on the table.

Chana palak (chana saag) is made with chickpeas, spinach, onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, and spices.

It's an easy-to-make meal cooked in one pot for a convenient weeknight dinner. I make this a go-to option when I look for quick meal prep ideas.

With the choice of adding extra veggies, this is a recipe for your whole family to enjoy.

Just like all the recipes on this website, this chickpea curry recipe was prepared in a vegan manner. It's a delicious, nutritious, vegan dish that will surely please anyone.

This vegan chickpea curry is very special because I used home-cooked Instant Pot chickpeas.

That helps get a creamy consistency in the curry that is different from other chana saag recipes. When you see the ingredients and cooking methods, you will understand better.

If you liked my recipes for Instant Pot chickpea curry or the cauliflower curry, then you will surely like this chickpea spinach curry too!

Jump to:

Best reasons to make this recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
Top tips
Recipe FAQ
Subsititute
Storage
Serving suggestion
Related recipes
📖 Recipe
Comments

Best reasons to make this recipe

It's vegan and gluten-free.
It's a one-pot meal, making it convenient and easy to prepare, especially if you are looking for meal prep ideas.
It's made with simple pantry ingredients you likely already have.
The recipe is very flexible - you can replace the spinach with kale or other leafy greens.
It's a hearty, nourishing meal that will keep you full for hours.
The dish is flavorful and nutritious - it's a great way to get your daily dose of fiber and protein!
This chickpea curry is made without coconut milk or heavy cream, so it's a healthy choice for dairy-free or vegan diets.

Ingredients

Chana/ dried chickpeas: I use home-cooked instant pot chickpeas. Canned chickpeas also work equally well.
Spinach (baby spinach will work too)
Green chilies
Almond Flour
Nutritional yeast
Spices and herbs
Diced tomatoes, red onion, ginger and garlic

See the recipe card for a list of ingredients and quantities, plus recipe instructions. You can find the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Instructions

Chickpeas - Soak the dry chickpeas overnight in water and then cook them in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker. Alternatively, you could also use canned chickpeas/ garbanzo beans.

Spinach - Wash the spinach leaves and blanch half of the spinach leaves in boiling water for 2 minutes. Then, place it under running cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain the water using a colander.

A blender is filled with chana palak sauce mixture.

Make puree - Place the almond flour, nutritional yeast, green chilies, blanched spinach leaves, and water in a blender.

Make a smooth puree and set aside.

Instant Pot method

A pot is with onions, garlic on saute mode.

Press the saute button and add 3 teaspoons of oil. Add cumin seeds, garlic, ginger, and onion to the pot. Saute them until translucent.

An instant pot is with onion, tomatoes and spices.

Add chopped tomatoes and spices and sauté for another 2 minutes.

An instant pot is with chickpeas and spinach on saute mode.

Mix the remaining half of the chopped spinach leaves, cooked chickpeas, and ½ cup water.

Close the lid and pre-set the Instant Pot to pressure cook mode for 3 minutes.

An instant pot is with chana saag curry.

When the timer expires, release the pressure manually and open the lid.

An Instant pot is filled with spinach chickpea curry.

Add the spinach puree and mix everything together.

A pot of chana palak curry is on the counter top.

Press the saute button again and cook it for a few minutes until you get desired sauce thickness. If the curry turns out too thick, add a quarter cup of vegetable stock or water.

Add tadka/tempering - This is for extra flavor. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil and add ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds and kasurimethi. Stir for a few seconds until the cumin seeds sputter, then add it over chana palak masala.

Serve chana palak over cooked rice or quinoa with a garnish of freshly chopped cilantro.

Stovetop method

For this method follow the above procedure to prepare the puree.
Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat and add cumin seeds, garlic, ginger, and onion. Saute them until translucent.
Add chopped tomatoes, spices, and sauté for another 2 minutes on medium heat.
Add half of the chopped spinach leaves, bay leaf, cooked chickpeas, salt, and ¼ cup water.
Cover with a lid and cook it for 2-3 minutes on medium flame or until the spinach leaves become soft.
Add the puree ¼ cup of water and mix everything together.
Simmer for 6-8 minutes and add more water if it's too thick.
Add tadka/tempering - Heat 2 teaspoons of oil and add cumin seeds and kasurimethi. Stir for a few seconds until the cumin seeds sputter, then add it over spinach chickpeas curry.

Top tips

Soak the chickpeas overnight for best results and cook them in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker.
Use fresh spinach, if possible.
If you want a more creamy texture, add some cashew cream or coconut milk while cooking or at the end.
Don't forget to add the tadka at the end because it adds a lot of flavor.
Add extra spices as per your taste. A little bit of black pepper or cayenne pepper is a great addition.
If the dish turns out too spicy, add a teaspoon of lemon juice to make it milder.
Serve with freshly chopped cilantro for garnish and more flavor.
Use a can of chickpeas or use that you have already boiled or cooked to reduce the cooking time.

Recipe FAQ

What is the purpose of blanching spinach?

Blanching means briefly cooking the spinach in boiling water and immediately rinsing it with cold water. Blanching preserves the vibrant green color of the spinach leaves.

Can I use frozen spinach instead?

Yes, you can definitely use frozen spinach in this recipe. However, be sure to thaw it before adding to the curry.

What else can I add to this chana palak?

You can also add other vegetables like carrots, potatoes, or cauliflower to this dish. You can also add other leafy greens like kale, collard greens, or mustard greens.

Subsititute

Spices: If you don't have all the spices required for this recipe, use curry powder and garam masala powder.

Almond flour: If you don't want to use almond flour, replace it with ½ cup soaked cashews.

Nutritional yeast: This is optional. I added it because of its earthy, cheesy, and healthful properties. If you don't have nutritional yeast, feel free to skip it.

Green chilies: If you don't have green chilies, substitute them with ½ teaspoon red chili powder to taste.

Fresh tomatoes: Instead, you can use 1 cup of tomato puree or one tablespoon of tomato paste.

Storage

This chana palak curry can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. To reheat, microwave or heat it on the stovetop over a medium flame until heated.

For details, check out my article on how long curry will last and how to store it.