First published in February 2014, rewritten and re-priced in November 2023.
This is a gorgeous, easy to make curry. On the table within 20 minutes, bursting with fruity goodness and stuffed with veggies too. As is usual, there are many options, so you can use what you have.
What you need to make Mango & Chickpea Curry
Chickpeas – I like to soak and cook a whole packet of chickpeas in one go, then portion them up into can sized bags and freeze. I get 5 bags from 1 x 500g pack of dried chickpeas, much cheaper than tins. But of course do feel free to use a tin, they are very convenient.
Spinach – I use the frozen kind, partly because it’s so easy, and partly because it’s cheaper than fresh, and won’t go soggy in a bag in the fridge. Fresh would work just as well, or any bag of mixed green leaves that you have in the fridge.
Onion – an ordinary sized onion, red or white, sliced or chopped. But if you have a smaller, or much larger one, it’s not vital. Use what you have
Ghee – I like to use ghee in this curry for its full bodied flavour. If you would prefer not too, any fat can be used to fry the onions.
Mango – Fresh mango would be gorgeous here. But when I was developing the recipe, I had some large tins of mango pulp to use purchased very cheaply from a supplier of short dated items. Fresh mango can often be found inexpensively, or use frozen mango chunks, tinned mango slices, or maybe mango pulp from an Asian supplier.
Spices – Any curry spice mix. I used a mild curry powder. But you could use any of the spices in a jar, I particularly like Pataks, or any dried curry powder mix.
Coconut milk – I tend to use coconut milk powder as I source very cheap boxes from short date suppliers and when I find some, I buy a great many boxes to last me a long time. The amount is the equivalent of a tin. You could also use creamed coconut, which is the cheapest way of buying it. If you are trying to avoid UPF additives, tins of coconut milk typically contain gums and emulsifiers, whereas creamed coconut does not. Although check the packet as some do contain additives.
How to make Chickpea and Mango Curry
frying onions
Chop or slice the onion. Melt the ghee in a frying pan and sizzle the onions until transparent.
onions, fried with spices
Add the spices to the onion and sizzle for a minute or two to cook the spices. Spices are often oil soluble, not water soluble, so you get the best flavour by cooking them in oil.
Add everything else to the pan and simmer for a few minutes, making sure that the frozen spinach is completely defrosted and cooked through.
And that’s it – easy wasn’t it!
How to serve mango and chickpea curry
Serve your delicious curry on its own, with rice (brown basmati has bags of flavour and fibre) and/or a nan.
I have enjoyed this over pasta too! I even like it cold, at lunchtime.
How to store mango and chickpea curry
The curry will store in the fridge for several days. Any longer than that and it needs to be frozen. Freeze in family or individually sized portions. Don’t forget the label.
Thaw and reheat thoroughly by heating in a pan on the hob, warming in a dish in the oven, or in the microwave.
Variations to this super simple curry
- The spices here can be absolutely anything that you have. Any general curry powder spice mix would be fine, or a mix of coriander, cumin and turmeric, or a tblsp of a curry paste from a jar.
- If you have any, a sprinkle of fresh coriander would be lovely, or mint.
- Instead of the chickpeas, you could use any of the firm lentils, (the green/brown ones), white beans, kidney beans or soya beans (dried or green ones).
- The spinach can be swapped out for a mix of root vegetables or some frozen mixed veg.
- Swap the chickpeas for a couple of chicken thighs or a couple of frozen white fish fillets. Or use both chickpeas and chicken/fish.
- You could substitute a tin of broken mandarin segments for the mango.
- Use either coconut milk powder, a tin of coconut milk, or some coconut cream.
Making it up as I go along
This recipe came about when I was using things up. I shop at short date suppliers with things I would buy anyway if I see a bargain. Coconut milk powder comes up now and again, often at a quarter of the price in the shops. When it does, I buy 20 or even 40 boxes at a time. It lasts for years.
I had an order from Approved Food which included some large tins of mango pulp. I wanted to make a main dish with it, rather than a sweet one, so I had a bit of a google and a think and decided to do this.
I had the last of a box of coconut milk powder also from Approved Food to use up, some chick peas I had previously cooked sitting in the freezer, some spinach in there and plenty of spices.
I was very happy with my experiment and have added the curry to my meal rotation.
Other curries you might enjoy.
Ingredients
- 480 g chickpeas
- 100 g onion chopped or sliced
- 200 g mango pulp from a tin, fresh or frozen
- 400 ml coconut milk
- 200 g spinach frozen
- 1 tbslp curry powder or curry paste
- 1 tbsp ghee or any other fat you want to use
Instructions
- Sauté 100 g onion in 1 tbsp ghee until transparent
- Add 1 tbslp curry powder and sizzle them to bring out the flavour. Spices are often oil soluble, not water soluble, so you get the best flavour by cooking them in oil.
- Add 480 g chickpeas, 200 g mango pulp, 400 ml coconut milk , 200 g spinach and simmer gently for a few minutes.
- Taste. Add a tsp salt and a tsp pepper. Stir very well and taste again. Does it need more salt, or pepper, or curry spice?
- Serve with rice and / naan
Equipment Needed
Notes
How to store mango and chickpea curry
The curry will store in the fridge for several days. Any longer than that and it needs to be frozen. Freeze in family or individually sized portions. Don't forget the label. Thaw and reheat thoroughly by heating in a pan on the hob, warming in a dish in the oven, or in the microwave.Variations to this super simple curry
- The spices here can be absolutely anything that you have. Any general curry powder spice mix would be fine, or a mix of coriander, cumin and turmeric, or a tblsp of a curry paste from a jar.
- If you have any, a sprinkle of fresh coriander would be lovely, or mint.
- Instead of the chickpeas, you could use any of the firm lentils, (the green/brown ones), white beans, kidney beans or soya beans (dried or green ones).
- The spinach can be swapped out for a mix of root vegetables or some frozen mixed veg.
- Swap the chickpeas for a couple of chicken thighs or a couple of frozen white fish fillets. Or use both chickpeas and chicken/fish.
- You could substitute a tin of broken mandarin segments for the mango.
- Use either coconut milk powder, a tin of coconut milk, or some coconut cream.
Nutrition
Glad you liked it, I love it too!
I’ve got a lot of time for Jack, love her blog
Just had to let you know this was so lush! My DP loved it and moaned his way through it lol! Thank you for sharing and thanks to Ms Jack Monroe for recommending your great site.
Great! Glad you liked it. There are lots of different things you can put in to ring the changes too
This is absolutely gorgeous!! Everyone loved it, my little boy said it was the best done EVER!
Don’t worry just realised I can obviously just blend it lol
Could you use an actual mango instead of the pulp?
My mango pulp didn’t come in my supermarket home delivery
That probably only means that I’m the same age, or thereabouts, as your brother!
Do you know what, my brother quoted the exact same book when I was wondering out loud to him about the possibility of living solely on coconuts! Small world
Where I live, mangos are plentiful and delicious. So I shall definitely be trying this delicious sounding curry. One thing I’ve learned from you is not to be afraid of combining unusual ingredients, unusual in the sense that you don’t often think of mixing up certain flavors. I shall try and be more adventurous. Re the coconut, everyone here says how good coconut water (from green unripe coconuts) is for you. Full of minerals, potassium, vit. B and a little vit C. In the book “Papillon” (very popular in the 70’s), Henri Charrier tells how he was able to survive on a virtually starvation diet in prison because a comrade popped a small piece of coconut into his cup of water.
I am finding a few more ideas via Google. They will need to be frugalised to fit here, but I think I am going to be able to do some more recipes using mango and coconut
Lovely that your son liked it so much 🙂
Hi Leslie, After making your lovely curry last night (which my son said was like a restaurant meal!) and taking delivery of 8 tins of mango pulp I had another think about savoury recipes. I think your best bet might be Caribbean or South American dishes. I used to make a lovely Caribbean stew with sweet potato, plantain and rum which I think would work with some mango. Also, a quick google came up with a beef and mango stew which could maybe be adapted and a Brazilian Feijoada with mango. hope that helps.
I don’t have any more recipes but having just ordered a few tins from Approved Food I googled and found a couple of interesting looking sauce/ salsa and soup recipes. And for sweet things there were lots of delicious looking recipes on the holy cow vegan blog here: http://holycowvegan.net/all-recipes
Do you have any other savoury, main meal type ideas?
I had no idea you could get tinned mango pulp – lassi and all sorts of good things here I come!
Well that recipe made me rush off to place my first order with Approved Food for a couple of years. I shall be making it later this week.
My favourite recipe using mango puree is lassi. I mix roughly equal amounts of puree and plain yogurt with a pinch of ground cardamom. Lovely.