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

A warm chickpea curry cooled with lemony yogurt

A creamy chickpea curry is finished with cool lemon yogurt, which gives the coconut sauce contrast without taking over the bowl.

  • Vegetarian
  • Gluten free
Maren Ashby in her kitchen, in a dark apron, looking away from the camera
By Maren Ashby · Writes and tests everything here
Published 10 July 2026
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Coconut chickpea curry with greens and lemon yogurt
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Prep
10 min
Cook
25 min
Total
35 min
Serves
4
Per serving
444kcal
Effort
Easy

Yogurt gives this curry a cool counterpoint, not another layer of cream. The coconut sauce is warm and mellow; the yogurt is cold, tangy and salted only enough to sharpen it. Spoon it over the bowls instead of stirring it through the pot and the contrast lasts past the first bite.

Use Greek yogurt thick enough to sit on a spoon. A thin natural yogurt will run into the curry, which is not wrong, but it will not give you the little white pockets of freshness this version is built around.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

Curry

Lemon yogurt

To finish

Equipment

  • Wide saucepan
  • Small bowl
  • Fine grater

Method

  1. Start the yogurt

    Stir the Greek yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, salt and water in a small bowl. Add another spoonful of water if it is too thick to spread. Keep it in the fridge while you cook, but take it out five minutes before serving so it is not icy cold.

  2. Soften the onion

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

    Hands spooning lemon yogurt beside a simmering coconut chickpea curry

  3. Simmer the curry

    Add the chickpeas, coconut milk and stock. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. The sauce should thicken around the chickpeas but still move when you tilt the pan. Mash a few beans only if it looks thin.

  4. Fold in the greens

    Stir in the spinach by handfuls and cook for two minutes, until just wilted. Turn off the heat and taste for salt. Hold back on the lemon here; the yogurt brings most of the acidity.

  5. Warm the bowls

    Run warm water into the serving bowls and empty them. The small bit of heat helps the curry stay hot while the yogurt is added. Spoon in the curry and leave a little space at the top. If the bowls are already warm from the dishwasher, skip this step and save the water.

  6. Add cool yogurt

    Top each bowl with a spoonful of lemon yogurt and coriander. Drag the spoon through once, making a pale streak rather than mixing it in. Serve with lime wedges and rice or flatbread.

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 Greek yogurt 10.2 g protein
Chickpeas coconut milk spinach Greek yogurt lemon garlic ginger and spices arranged
The yogurt is a finishing ingredient, so keep it cool while the curry cooks.

The warm-cool contrast

Coconut milk makes a smooth, rounded sauce. Yogurt makes the same sauce feel lighter because its acidity resets your palate between mouthfuls. That is why it belongs on top. Stirred into a hot pot, it loses temperature and can split into little grains.

You do not need a lot. Two tablespoons per bowl gives you a cool streak in every few bites without turning the curry into a yogurt sauce.

Use thick yogurt

Greek yogurt has been strained, so it holds its shape. If the tub contains liquid, pour it off or stir it in before measuring. A loose yogurt will still taste good, but it will spread through the curry and disappear rather than sitting in a clean spoonful.

Low-fat yogurt is fine when served cold. The problem comes when it is boiled; it has less fat to protect the proteins from heat, so it splits more easily.

Guides behind this recipe

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Nutrition

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

NutrientPer serving
Calories 444 kcal
Protein 19 g
Carbohydrate 48 g
Fibre 11 g
Fat 20 g

Source: Estimated from ingredient weights, USDA FoodData Central

Questions

Can I use plain natural yogurt?
Yes. Strain it through a sieve for 20 minutes if it is loose, or use it as a thinner sauce and add it at the table.
Can I make the yogurt ahead?
Make it one day ahead and refrigerate it. The garlic will become stronger, so add another squeeze of lemon if needed before serving.
Can I make the curry dairy-free?
Use a thick unsweetened plant yogurt, or finish with lemon and coriander alone. The coconut milk in the curry is already dairy-free.
Why did my yogurt split?
It was probably added while the curry was boiling, or the yogurt was very thin. Let the curry cool for two minutes and use thick full-fat yogurt next time.

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