Chickpea & Halloumi Curry

This comforting and delicious chickpea and halloumi curry is a brilliant midweek option which is full of flavour, and very family-friendly. It brings the perfect balance of spice, sweetness and saltiness and is a real feel-good recipe!

Halloumi might seem like a surprising addition to a curry, but this firm, salty cheese works brilliantly well here, adding texture, substance and flavour. This quick, easy-to-throw-together meal is full of goodness and can be on the table in under half an hour.

It’s also a great way to introduce kids to new textures in a meal that they’ll genuinely enjoy and is packed with greens, fibre and folate. Find the dairy-free option in the notes below.

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Chickpea Halloumi Curry

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Course Main Courses

Cuisine Indian

Servings

Suitable for Special Diet (or adaptable) Dairy-free, Egg-free, Gluten-free, Low-sugar, Nut-free, Vegetarian

Ingredients

1 tbsp Olive Oil
150 g Sweet Potato
250 g Halloumi
2 tbsp Curry Paste
400 g Tomatoes
400 ml Coconut Milk
100 g Red lentils (dried)
200 g Chickpeas (from a jar or tin, drained weight)
100 g Spinach

Garnish (optional)

Fresh Mint Leaves (chopped)

Instructions

Peel the sweet potato. Chop it and the halloumi into 1.5cm cubes.
Heat the oil in a large, lidded pan. Add the sweet potato and cook until beginning to soften. Add the cubed halloumi and continue to cook until the halloumi begins to turn golden.
Add the curry paste and continue to cook for a few more minutes to release the flavours.
Next, tip in the tinned tomatoes, coconut milk, dried red lentils and chickpeas and stir well. Bring up to a simmer and allow to bubble, partly covered, for around 10 minutes or until the lentils are fully cooked. Stir now and again to prevent the lentils from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Once the lentils are cooked, add the spinach to the pan and allow the leaves to wilt. Stir well and season to taste.
Garnish with chopped fresh mint and serve with your choice of rice or grains on the side.

Notes

Use your family’s favourite curry paste – for little ones, a mild korma paste can work really well. You could also switch to curry powder if you don’t have curry paste.

Switch the halloumi to paneer cheese for a more authentic and less salty Indian experience. Switch to firm tofu if you are dairy-free.

Chickpeas from a tin will have a firm texture, whilst jarred chickpeas will be softer, so pick whichever one your family may prefer.

For a grain-free alternative, this curry can be served with quinoa, which is high in protein and has a lovely nutty taste, which works well with curries and stir-fries.

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days and in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Per serving. Nutrition content in food is never consistent, so take these estimates with a pinch of salt! Also, our recipes tend to use low-GI carbs and sugars, so these values are not directly comparable with shop-bought UPFs.

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