Slow-Cooker Chickpea Curry with Chicken and Rice

Chickpeas are readily available canned, but cooking them from scratch is so simple and makes a world of difference in taste and texture, especially in delicious curries. These tasty legumes are a staple in Indian, North African, and Middle Eastern cuisines, and they’re as nutritious as they are flavorful.

Dry Chickpeas

Curry recipes abound—they’re as plentiful as the cooks who make them, but the base is typically a blend of aromatic spices, including turmeric. For this recipe, I included lean chicken breast to round out the meal and cooked it all very simply in a slow-cooker to let the flavors have plenty of time to meld.

Blend in a little tangy yogurt at the end and serve over rice for a delicious, wholesome, and inviting dinner.

Note: The initial amount of broth is needed to slow-cook the chicken and beans but it is likely too much to serve with the curry. Remove the solid ingredients to a large skillet with only one cup of broth before stirring in the yogurt (as noted below) for a thicker, drier dish. If you like your curry a little soupy, simply stir in the yogurt as is.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 cup dry chickpeas
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into large (about 2-inch) chunks
• 3 finger chiles (or cayenne), finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 3 tbsp plain Greek yogurt
• 3 cups cooked rice

Chicken Breast Ready to Cook

Aromatic Curry Ingredients

Prepared Curry Ingredients

Preparation

1. Place the chickpeas in a pot and cover with about 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil and let boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and cover. Let stand 1 hour and drain. 

Soaked Chickpeas

1. Place the chicken, chiles, onion, garlic, ginger, and ground spices in a slow-cooker. Add the drained beans and broth and cook on high 5 hours. (The chickpeas should be a little firm, not mushy.) 

Chicken, Vegetables, and Spices in the Slow-Cooker

Chickpeas and Broth Added

Slow-Cooked Curry

1. Heat a large, deep skillet over medium-low heat. Use a slotted spoon to remove the ingredients of the cooker to the skillet. Add 1 cup of the liquid from the cooker and stir in the yogurt. Bring to a simmer and cook slowly until the curry has thickened a bit. (Alternatively, leave the ingredients in the slow-cooker and stir in the yogurt. This will result in a soupier curry.)

Curry with Yogurt

To serve, divide the cooked rice among 6 shallow bowls. Divide and spoon the curry on top. serve right away.