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Make this flavorful Chickpea Curry Casserole tonight with just 15 minutes of prep and simple pantry staple ingredients. Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free.
This Chickpea Curry Casserole is everything you’d want in a dump and bake recipe. It’s creamy, well-spiced, filled with protein and baked until fragrant and fluffy. Enjoy this balanced, Indian-inspired meal as a stand alone dish any night of the week.
Table of Contents
All About This Curry Bake
This chickpea curry casserole is loosely inspired by the Indian rice dish, Vegetable Biryani. It’s got a similar beautiful, yellow hue thanks to the turmeric and spices and is rich in fresh vegetables and plant-protein.
It packs all the flavor and heartines of your favorite curry, yet bakes completely hands free for a simple and realistic weeknight meal. Plus, did I mention it’s gluten-free, oil-free and budget-friendly? Casseroles can be delicious, healthy, and affordable, too!
What You Need for this Chickpea Curry Casserole
This Indian-inspired curry casserole is made with just 11 ingredients, plus salt and slivered almonds for the final touch! Here are the key ingredients you’ll need:
- Full-fat coconut milk: Many of my dump and bake casseroles are made with a savory vegetable broth, but this casserole is made with a base of creamy coconut milk for the ultimate richness and flavor.
- Curry powder: To keep the ingredient list short and convenient, I used a salt-free curry powder spice blend. If your curry powder blend contains salt, start with ¾ teaspoon of sea salt and adjust to taste as needed.
- Chickpeas: The key source of our plant-based protein. Feel free to use canned or chickpeas cooked from dry.
- White basmati rice: Basmati rice will make for the softest, fluffiest bake, but Jasmine rice will work, too. I have only tested this recipe using white rice – another grain such as brown rice would require additional liquid and a longer bake.
How to Make Chickpea Curry Casserole
- Toast the cumin seeds for 45 to 60 seconds in a dry pot until fragrant.
- Add the remaining broth ingredients and whisk to combine. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Add the chickpeas, cauliflower, carrots, peas, onion, garlic, and chopped cilantro stems to the casserole dish. Mix to combine then sprinkle the basmati rice over the top of the dish.
- Pour the broth evenly over the casserole dish. Mix gently and make sure the rice is submerged.
- Cover and bake for 45 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
- Serve warm with the remaining cilantro and toasted slivered almonds, or as desired.
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- Boil the coconut milk carefully. If the coconut milk is boiled at too high of a temperature for too long, the fats in the milk will begin to separate from the water and cause the milk to curdle. This is not only unappetizing looking but will prevent the rice from absorbing the milk correctly. Remove from heat shortly after it reaches a boil for best results.
- How to thaw frozen peas: Peas can be defrosted in the fridge for 2 hours, or until cool or in a fine mesh strainer under cool water. I usually opt for the second option as it is quickest and doesn’t require thinking ahead, but the refrigeration option works well!
Serving Suggestions
Just like my other Dump and Bake Casseroles, this Chickpea Curry Casserole is filling enough to serve alone thanks to the combination of carbs, proteins, fats and veggies. If you’d like to serve with a simple side or two, you may enough my Easy Garlic Green Beans or Chana Kathi Rolls.
If you’re looking for more simple chickpea casseroles, you’ll also love this No-Boil Chickpea Noodle Casserole, Vegan Chickpea & Rice Casserole and this Buffalo Cauliflower & Chickpea Casserole!
How to Store Chickpea Curry Casserole
Leftover chickpea curry casserole will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Reheat individual servings in the microwave or a larger number of servings in the oven at 350F until warmed through, about 15 minutes.
Substitutions and Variations
- Coconut milk substitutions: Full-fat coconut milk will yield the creamiest, most flavorful rice, but another milk can be substituted if needed or preferred. Try cashew milk, soy milk, or lite coconut milk.
- Cauliflower substitutions: Equal amounts of broccoli florets or green beans would work well.
- Homemade curry powder option: If you don’t have a pre-mixed curry powder in your pantry, make your own salt-free version at home using a simple homemade curry powder recipe.
Recipe FAQs
No, curry powder and turmeric are not the same and cannot be used interchangeably in recipes. Turmeric is a prominent ingredient in curry powder, but curry powder is a combination of spices that are common in curries and Indian cuisine.
Yes, canned chickpeas are cooked and safe to eat straight from the can. If the chickpeas need to be cooked, they will be very small, dry, and hard and typically sold in a bag.
Chickpeas are both a carbohydrate and a great source of plant protein.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Curry Chickpea Casserole (Dump & Bake)
Ingredients
For the Broth:
- 2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds or ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 13.5- ounce can full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2 cup 120 ml water
- 1 tablespoon salt-free curry powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
For the Casserole:
- 3 cups 600 g cooked chickpeas (2-3 cans)
- 3 cups 233g cauliflower florets
- 2 carrots sliced
- 1 cup 160 g frozen peas, thawed
- 1/2 yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 bunch cilantro stems and leaves divided and chopped
- 1 cup 180g dry white basmati rice*
- Optional: toasted slivered almonds for garnish
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 400F and set a 9×13" casserole dish aside.
- Broth: Warm a medium pot over medium heat; add the cumin seeds and dry toast for 45 to 60 seconds, or until fragrant (Note: if using ground cumin, add with the curry powder). Add the coconut milk, water, curry powder, and salt to the pot and whisk well. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Assemble: Add the chickpeas, cauliflower, carrots, peas, onion, garlic, and chopped cilantro stems to the casserole dish. Mix well, then sprinkle the rice over the top of the dish.
- Bake: Remove the broth from the heat once it comes to a boil and pour the liquid evenly over the casserole dish; mix gently and make sure all of the rice is submerged. Cover the casserole with aluminum foil (or parchment paper, followed by aluminum foil) and bake in the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes.
- Serve: Remove from the oven, uncover, and mix well. Serve warm and top with the remaining cilantro and slivered almonds, or as desired. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to one week, or in the freezer for up to one month.
I am wondering why full fat coconut is used. Is it okay to use low fat?
Full fat coconut milk gives a creamier texture and helps balance the flavor profile. You can use light coconut milk but the casserole will not be as creamy.
I’ve been working my way through the dump bakes as meal prep and freezer lunches, and this one is SO GOOD! I think it’s tied with the chipotle black bean bake as my fav. I swapped out half the chickpeas for a block of tofu for some paneer vibes and used lite coconut milk, and topped it with cashew yogurt, sriracha, and cilantro. Definite Indian takeout leftover vibes and great fresh or from the freezer!
Thank you so much for your reviews, Katie! We’re happy you love the recipes! ♥
I think this recipe is really easy and really good I would totally recommend. What I had to do because I didn’t have fresh cauliflower or fresh peas is I just cooked it in a pan for a little bit if you dont have fresh. I did have to put it in the oven for a little bit longer after the 45 minutes was up just because it was like mush but I left tin foil off when I put it back in, I also cut up all the veggies and threw them in the pan a little bit with everything else.
Thank you for recommending it, Jayden! We’re happy you liked it!
Would it change the cooking time if I used potatoes or quinoa in place of the rice?
That is correct, Jenny.
I made this last night exactly as written and it was delicious! I also made an Indian cilantro and mint chutney to drizzle on top and that took this to the next level! I highly recommend this dish for a cheap, easy, delicious weeknight dinner!
I made this exactly as written, then added some dried cranberries along with the slivered almonds. It was warm, comforting, and delicious, and definitely going to be on repeat at my house!
Thank you so much for trying out the recipe and sharing your feedback, Tara! We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed it and even added your own twist with dried cranberries. That’s the beauty of cooking – you can always add your own personal touch to make it even more delicious. I hope you continue to enjoy this recipe and many others on the blog. Happy cooking!
I made this for dinner tonight & it’s amazing! Very flavorful and rich from the coconut milk. I topped it with some Cholula for an added kick. It makes a ton, so I am excited to have the next few dinners already taken care of!
Thank you for leaving a review, Natalie!
Hi, you have an asterik next to the rice but didn’t include the different cooking times and such for using brown rice or quinoa. At least I don’t see it haha
Thank you for your feedback, Samantha! We’ll update the article to include that.
Hola!
What do you think about subbing the rice with orzo?
You can typically find it in the Hispanic/Latin section of most grocery stores or in a specialty Latin grocery store. Some popular brands that make fideo pasta include Goya, La Moderna, and El Mexicano.
If you are unable to find fideo pasta, you can use regular thin spaghetti or vermicelli as a substitute. You may need to break the pasta into smaller pieces to resemble the length of fideo pasta. Another option is to use angel hair pasta, which is a bit thinner than fideo pasta but has a similar texture.
Sorry I just read your substitutions. Oops! 🙂
That’s fine. 🙂
Can you substitute the coconut milk for something lower in fat like broth? This looks yummy! Thanks!
Yes, you can substitute the full-fat coconut milk for a lower-fat alternative such as vegetable broth. You may not get the same creamy texture and coconut flavor as using coconut milk, but it will still be a delicious dish. You can use the same amount of broth as the recipe calls for coconut milk.
This sounds super tasty! Except that I’m not a fan of chickpeas, but I’m thinking green lentils might be a good substitute. If I used those, do you think they should be cooked beforehand or would they cook just fine if the raw rice is able to cook? And I guess I’d probably need more liquid if the rice is meant to absorb most of what’s included in this recipe… if you have any advice as to what might help lentils work in this I’d appreciate it!
Yes, green lentils would be a great substitute for the chickpeas in this recipe! You can use them raw and they should cook just fine along with the rice. However, lentils absorb more liquid than chickpeas, so you may need to increase the amount of liquid in the recipe by 1/2 to 1 cup. You can add more broth or coconut milk to achieve the desired consistency. Alternatively, you could also cook the lentils beforehand and then add them to the casserole dish with the other vegetables and rice. This would ensure that the lentils are fully cooked and tender, and you can adjust the amount of liquid in the recipe accordingly. Hope that helps!