Chickpea Coconut Curry
Creamy coconut chickpea curry with cottage cheese stirred into the sauce and a tangy Greek yogurt finish. A one-pot comfort meal that quietly delivers 30g of protein per serving.
This curry is the recipe I hand to people who say eating high-protein vegetarian is hard. It's a one-pot meal that takes 35 minutes from start to finish, uses mostly pantry staples, and hits 30g of protein without any fancy ingredients. You probably have everything you need in your kitchen right now.
The trick is layering your protein sources. Chickpeas are the base, obviously. Three full cans give you a generous amount. But the secret weapons are cottage cheese and Greek yogurt. The cottage cheese gets stirred right into the hot curry where it melts into the coconut milk, making the sauce impossibly creamy while adding a huge protein bump. The Greek yogurt goes in at the end for tang and even more protein. You can't taste either one as a distinct ingredient. They just make the sauce better.
I make this almost every Sunday. It's my meal prep backbone. It freezes beautifully, reheats in minutes, and pairs with literally everything, rice, naan, quinoa, even just eaten straight from the container with a spoon. No judgment.
The Protein Upgrade
A standard chickpea coconut curry relies on chickpeas alone for protein, typically landing around 14-16g per serving. We use three cans of chickpeas instead of the typical one, added 1.5 cups of cottage cheese that melts invisibly into the sauce, plus a generous finish of Greek yogurt instead of cream. The result is 30g per serving, nearly double the standard version.
Chickpea Coconut Curry
Ingredients
- 3 cans (15oz) chickpeas (drained and rinsed) 16g protein
- 1 ½ cups cottage cheese (stirred into curry) 11g protein
- ¾ cup Greek yogurt (stirred in at the end) 3g protein
- 1 can (14oz) coconut milk (full fat)
- 1 can (14oz) diced tomatoes
- 1 tbsp coconut oil or vegetable oil
- 1 large onion (diced)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 inch ginger (grated)
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups fresh spinach (optional)
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro (chopped, for garnish)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until softened and golden, about 5-6 minutes.
- Add garlic and ginger, sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add curry powder, cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, and chili powder. Stir for 30 seconds to toast the spices.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes and coconut milk. Stir well to combine with the spice paste.
- Add the drained chickpeas and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly.
- If using spinach, stir it in now and cook for 2 minutes until wilted.
- Add the cottage cheese and stir vigorously for 2-3 minutes. It will melt into the sauce, making it creamy and thick.
- Remove from heat. Stir in the Greek yogurt, one spoonful at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Taste and adjust salt and spice levels. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot over rice or with naan.
Boost Your Protein
- Serve over quinoa instead of rice for an extra 4g protein per serving.
- Add 4oz of crumbled paneer on top for an extra 7g protein per serving.
- Use a Greek yogurt raita on the side for an extra 8g protein.
Ingredient Substitutions
- No cottage cheese? Use ricotta cheese or silken tofu blended smooth for a similar effect.
- No coconut milk? Use cashew cream for a different but equally rich sauce.
- No chickpeas? Use white beans or a mix of chickpeas and black beans.
- Swap coconut oil for ghee for a richer, more traditional Indian flavor.
