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This chickpea and chicken curry has about 40 g of protein per serving and takes 55 minutes. The protein comes from chicken thighs, canned chickpeas and Greek yogurt, not powder, so it tastes like a real curry.
A serving is about 450 g of food, roughly 150 g of chicken and 120 g of chickpeas in a tomato and coconut sauce. One 4-quart Dutch oven feeds four.
It’s a mild, weeknight-style curry with a looser sauce than a restaurant version. The cayenne is a pinch, so double it if you like heat.
One thing to watch: the yogurt goes in after the heat is off. In a boiling pot it splits into grainy white flecks. The taste survives, but the sauce looks broken.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- About 40 g protein per serving from real food
- One Dutch oven and no marinating step
- Canned chickpeas and pantry spices keep it near $3 a serving
- Leftovers reheat well and hold four days in the fridge
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken thighs: Boneless skinless thighs stay tender through the 20-minute simmer and supply about 114 g of the pot’s protein. Chicken breast adds about 4 g more protein per serving, but cut it into 4 cm pieces and return it to the pot for only the last 12 minutes.
- Canned chickpeas: Two 425 g (15 oz) cans give about 480 g drained and roughly 34 g protein for the whole pot. Rinse them well, since the canning liquid is salty and cloudy.
- Garam masala: Brands vary a lot in heat and sweetness, so start with the amount listed and taste at the end. If you only have curry powder, use the same amount and skip the cumin.
- Greek yogurt: Use 2% or whole milk. Nonfat splits more easily when it meets the hot sauce. It adds about 11 g protein to the pot, or close to 3 g per serving.
- Coconut milk: Full-fat canned coconut milk gives the sauce body. Use the other half of the can in rice or a smoothie, or swap in light coconut milk and accept a thinner sauce.
Chicken and Chickpea Curry with a Greek Yogurt Finish
Ingredients
Method
- Toss the chicken with 1 tsp of the garam masala and 1/2 tsp of the salt. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a 4-quart / 3.8 L Dutch oven (26 cm / 10-inch) over medium-high heat. Brown half the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once, until golden outside but not cooked through, then move it to a plate. Repeat with the remaining oil and chicken.
- Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, scraping up the browned bits, until soft with golden edges. Stir in the garlic, ginger, tomato paste, remaining 2 tsp garam masala, cumin, turmeric, paprika and cayenne, and cook for 1 minute until the paste darkens to brick red and the spices smell toasted.
- Pour in the crushed tomatoes, coconut milk, broth and remaining 1/2 tsp salt, and stir. Return the chicken and its juices to the pot and add the chickpeas. Bring to a gentle boil, drop the heat to low, and simmer partially covered for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. The curry is ready when the sauce coats the back of a spoon and the largest piece of chicken reads 165 F / 74 C and is opaque and firm all the way through with no pink.
- Turn the heat off and let the pot sit for 2 minutes. Stir 3 tbsp of the hot sauce into the yogurt in a small bowl, then stir that mixture back into the pot with the lemon juice. Taste and add salt in small pinches. Top with cilantro and do not return the pot to a boil.
Notes
- Pat the chicken dry before seasoning so it browns instead of steaming.
- Cut the chicken into same-size pieces so they all finish at the same time.
- Keep the simmer low, with small bubbles breaking only at the edge of the pot.
- Add the yogurt after the heat is off, never to a boiling pot.
Tips for Success
- Cut the thighs into 3 cm pieces so they reach 165 F / 74 C in the 20-minute simmer without drying out.
- Brown the chicken in two batches in the Dutch oven so the pieces sear instead of steam, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch.
- Cook the tomato paste and spices for a full minute until the paste turns brick red, which removes the raw tomato taste.
- Rinse canned chickpeas under cold water for 30 seconds to remove the canning liquid, which can make the sauce cloudy and salty.
- Taste before serving. If it tastes flat, add another teaspoon of lemon juice first, then salt in 1/4 teaspoon pinches.
Variations
- Swap the cayenne for 1 finely chopped serrano chile added with the onion for a sharper heat that builds through the pot.
- Fold 150 g of baby spinach into the finished curry off the heat and cover for 2 minutes until it wilts.
- Use one 400 g can of white beans in place of one can of chickpeas for a softer, creamier texture.
Storage and Reheating
Chicken and chickpea curry keeps for 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Cool it within 2 hours of cooking, and the flavor deepens by day two.
Reheat in the Dutch oven or a saucepan over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, with 2 to 3 tablespoons of water to loosen the sauce. Heat until it steams and reads 165 F / 74 C, and keep it at a gentle bubble because a hard boil can split the yogurt again. In the microwave, heat in 90-second bursts at 70% power, stirring between each.
The curry freezes for up to 3 months in single portions, and mine live in the chest freezer in the garage. Thaw overnight in the fridge. The sauce may look slightly grainy after thawing, so stir in a spoonful of fresh yogurt once it’s hot.
Serving Suggestions
Chicken and chickpea curry is best over basmati rice, about 160 g cooked per person. Rice adds roughly 4 g protein and 205 calories to each plate, and the 40 g protein figure is for the curry alone.
Warm naan or flatbread works for scooping up the sauce. A quick cucumber salad with lemon and salt, or sliced red onion with a squeeze of lime, cuts through the coconut.
Put a lemon wedge and extra cilantro on the table. A spoonful of cold Greek yogurt on top of each bowl adds a little more tang if the pot ended up mild.
FAQ
Why did my chickpea and chicken curry turn grainy after adding yogurt?
Grainy yogurt means it hit a pot that was still boiling. Turn the heat off, let the curry sit for 2 minutes, and stir 3 tablespoons of hot sauce into the yogurt first. Then fold it back in. If it already split, a splash of coconut milk and a steady stir hides most of it.
How do I know when the chicken in the curry is done?
The chicken is done at 165 F / 74 C in the center of the biggest piece. After 20 minutes at a low simmer, 3 cm pieces of thigh reach that. If you don’t have a thermometer, cut one open: the meat should be opaque and firm all the way through with no pink.
Can I use dried chickpeas instead of canned in this chicken curry?
Yes. Use about 200 g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and boiled for 60 to 90 minutes, which gives roughly the same 480 g as two drained cans. Add them at the same point in the recipe. They must be fully tender before going in, because the tomatoes in the sauce slow softening.
How do I make chicken and chickpea curry dairy free?
Swap the Greek yogurt for 120 g of unsweetened coconut or soy yogurt and the curry is dairy free, since the sauce already uses coconut milk. You lose about 2 to 3 g of protein per serving with coconut yogurt, a little less with soy. Stir it in off the heat the same way.
Does serving chicken and chickpea curry over rice change the protein count?
Yes, a little. The 40 g per serving is for the curry alone. A cup of cooked basmati (about 160 g) adds roughly 4 g protein and about 205 calories, so the plate lands near 44 g. Skip the rice and the curry is still a full 450 g serving.
What is the difference between this curry and chana masala?
Chana masala is a meatless chickpea dish built on a tangy onion-tomato base with a spice blend that often includes amchur (dried mango powder) or pomegranate powder. This curry adds chicken, coconut milk and Greek yogurt, uses garam masala as the main blend, and tastes milder and creamier. That chicken is where most of the protein comes from.
