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Coconut chickpea curry with greens with pickled onions
youryum.com/recipes/coconut-chickpea-curry-with-greens-with-pickled-onions · serves 4

A gentle coconut curry cut with quick pickles

Make the onions first so they turn pink and sharp while the coconut chickpea curry simmers underneath them.

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
  • Gluten free
  • Dairy free
Maren Ashby in her kitchen, in a dark apron, looking away from the camera
By Maren Ashby · Writes and tests everything here
Published 5 July 2026
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Coconut chickpea curry with greens and pink pickled onions
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Prep
15 min
Cook
25 min
Total
40 min
Serves
4
Per serving
426kcal
Effort
Easy

A spoonful of coconut curry wants something sharp beside it. These onions take ten minutes, use the vinegar already in the cupboard, and bring a crisp, cold note to a sauce that is warm and soft. Make them before the pan goes on, and they will be ready when the chickpeas are.

Do not cook the onions with the curry. They lose their crunch and leave the pot tasting sweet. Their job is to stay separate, like a squeeze of lime that you can actually bite.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Quick onions

Curry

Finish

Equipment

  • Wide saucepan
  • Heatproof jar or bowl
  • Fine grater

Method

  1. Pickle the onion

    Put the sliced red onion in a heatproof jar or bowl. Stir the vinegar, boiling water, sugar and salt together, then pour over the onion. Press the slices below the liquid. Leave for at least 15 minutes, turning once.

    Thin slices matter. A thick wedge is still raw in the middle when the outside has turned pink.

  2. Soften the curry onion

    Heat the oil in a wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the yellow onion and salt, and cook for eight minutes until soft and lightly golden. Add the garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander and turmeric, and cook for two minutes.

    Hands pressing thin red onion slices into quick pickle brine

  3. Add the coconut milk

    Tip in the chickpeas, coconut milk and stock. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. Stir from the bottom every few minutes. The sauce should reduce enough to look creamy without becoming thick like hummus.

    If the bubbles are vigorous, lower the heat. Coconut milk likes a calm simmer.

  4. Fold through the greens

    Add the spinach by handfuls and stir until just wilted, about two minutes. Turn off the heat and add the lime juice. Taste the curry before adding more salt; the pickles are salty and acidic, and they will be part of every forkful.

  5. Drain the pickles

    Lift the onions from the brine with a fork and let the excess drip back into the jar. Do not squeeze them dry; a little vinegar on the curry is welcome, but a puddle will make the sauce taste harsh.

  6. Serve with a sharp edge

    Spoon the curry into bowls and top with the onions and coriander. Put the remaining pickling liquid on the table for anyone who wants more acidity. Eat with rice or flatbread while the onions are still crisp.

What's in it

Nutrition, buying and storage notes for the ingredients this recipe leans on.

Yellow onions 89.1 g water Chickpeas 8.9 g protein
Red onion chickpeas coconut milk spinach vinegar lime and spices ready for curry
The pickles need time, not cooking. Start them before the curry.

The ten-minute pickle

Quick-pickled onions do not become the same as fermented onions or a jar from the shop. They are a fresh onion softened by acid, with enough salt and sugar to make the edges round. Fifteen minutes gives you a pink outside and a crisp centre. An hour makes them more even, but dinner does not need an hour.

Boiling water speeds the first change. It takes the hard raw bite off the surface while the vinegar works into the thin slices. Do not pour boiling vinegar over them; plain hot water is enough and keeps the flavour clean.

A little brine is good

Drain the onions, but do not treat them like wet lettuce. A teaspoon of brine on a bowl of coconut curry is useful. It cuts through the fat and carries the onion flavour across the rice. The problem is not liquid itself; it is adding half the jar at once.

If you are packing the curry, store the onions in a separate small pot. They stay crunchy and the rice does not turn pink while it waits.

Nutrition

Per serving, for 4 servings. Estimated from ingredient weights — it moves with the brands and cuts you actually use.

NutrientPer serving
Calories 426 kcal
Protein 14 g
Carbohydrate 49 g
Fibre 12 g
Fat 20 g

Source: Estimated from ingredient weights, USDA FoodData Central

Questions

Can I use white onion?
Yes, though red onion gives the familiar colour and a slightly sweeter result. Slice a white onion very thinly and pickle it for 20 minutes.
Can I make the pickled onions the day before?
Yes. They are better after a few hours and keep for two weeks in the fridge while covered with brine.
Can I use canned coconut milk that has separated?
Yes. Shake it first if you want a consistent sauce, or spoon the thick top in and loosen it with stock as it warms.
What can replace lime?
Use lemon in the curry and another splash of vinegar in the onion jar. The important thing is fresh acidity at both ends.

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