Slow Cooker Chickpea and Potato Curry

I love an easy slow cooker recipe and this Slow Cooker Chickpea and Potato Curry is a great budget meal the whole family will love.

It’s gluten free, dairy free and vegan and has been a huge hit when I posted in on my Instagram and TikTok!

If you want a coeliac-friendly, vegan slow cooker curry recipe which is a great budget dinner idea then this is it.

This chickpea and potato curry – aka Chana Aloo is just the easiest recipe to make using basic storecupboard ingredients.

If you’ve already made my gluten free vegan chickpea curry you’ll love this. It’s very similar, except this is made in a slow cooker.

Plus using chickpeas and potatoes keeps the costs down while providing a meal which is healthy and tasty.

Slow cooker Aloo Chana

Did you know that in Indian cooking Chana is ‘chickpea’ and Aloo is ‘aloo’ – so this is my slow cooker aloo chana recipe.

It uses simple storecupboard spices, as well as a base of tinned tomatoes and coconut milk for a mildly spiced, creamy curry.

Coconut milk means this recipe is dairy free and it’s completely meat-free too.

In fact the whole recipe is accidentally vegan but it also goes really well as a side dish wish something like tandoori chicken.

You could add some chicken into the curry but I find this completely satisfying as a meat-free meal.

Ingredients

There’s a full recipe card below with the quantities and instructions, but here are the main ingredients and ideas for any substitutions:

• Tin of Chickpeas – You can use dried chickpeas if you prefer but always make sure you soak them first as per the pack instructions. For me I find the tinned ones quicker and easier and they’re cheap to pick up in the supermarket.
• Baby Potatoes – Feel free to use a large potato if you like and cut it into large chunks. Just make sure you don’t cut the potato up too small or it’ll turn to mash! I tend to use baby potatoes as I find they have the best texture in a slow cooked curry.
• Onion – A white or brown onion is all you need but you can use a red onion if you prefer.
• Garlic – You have a few options here. Use garlic cloves and peel then finely chop or crush them. You can also use a garlic paste or frozen chopped garlic too.
• Ginger Paste – I am lazy so find the pastes easier but again you can use frozen, chopped ginger instead. Or peel a thumb-sized piece of ginger and then grate or finely chop it.
• Chopped Tinned Tomatoes – Chopped fresh tomatoes will also work (perfect if you have a glut from the garden!) but remove any stalks first. Whole tinned tomatoes will also work or you can chop them yourself before adding.
• Tomato Puree – I find this just adds a great colour and depth of flavour to the dish.
• Full Fat Coconut Milk – I always use full fat coconut milk in tins as I find this gives the best flavour in curries. A reduced fat coconut milk will work but you may find the curry has a runnier consistency. If you can’t have coconut but can tolerate dairy you could use double cream instead for a richer curry, but I’d probably add this at the same time as the spinach in the recipe.
• Mango Chutney – I absolutely adore mango chutney and it adds a lovely, subtle flavour to this curry. You can omit it if you like, or add a teaspoon of sugar for the sweetness without the mango.
• Frozen Chopped Spinach – I always use frozen spinach in this as I find it cheaper and easier. I hate buying those big bags of fresh spinach then some of it goes to waste! That being again, fresh spinach will work as well – leave the leaves whole or chop them.

FOR THE SPICE MIX:

The spice mix for this slow cooker chickpea and potato curry is super basic but gives a lovely, mild spice to the dish.

I use a mixture of salt, turmeric, chilli powder and garam masala for this dish.

Is a slow cooker economical?

I know a lot of people are worried about the cost of living and looking for cheaper alternative to turning on the gas or electric oven.

The good news is slow cookers are actually pretty efficient to run!

I’ve done a bit of research online and it looks like a slow cooker costs roughly 16p a day to run, compared to 87p a day for an electric cooker.

It seems slow cookers, microwaves and air fryers are ultimately a cheaper option, which is why I think you’ll love this recipe so much!

What if I don’t have a slow cooker?

No problem! You can either make this recipe on the hob or in the oven.

For the hob, cover with a lid and cook on a low/med simmer for around 30-40 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through.

For the oven I’d recommend cooking with a lid on at around 180C (Gas Mark 4) for around an hour.

But ultimately this recipe is made for the slow cooker so I’d definitely recommend it as the best and most efficient way to make it!

My chickpea and potato curry recipe

This recipe is very versatile, I use a slow cooker gifted from a family member which is similar to this one.

Ultimately you can reduce or increase the quantities of this recipe to make it for as many people as you like.

It also freezes well and if you like you can add chicken while cooking too.

Another favourite of mine is to add some halved boiled eggs just before serving up!

If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. I love seeing your creations!

And please do leave a review to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me.

Need more slow cooker recipe inspiration?

Here are some more gluten free slow cooker recipes you can try out once you’ve made this Slow Cooker Chickpea and Potato Curry.

• Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup
• Gammon in Ginger Beer
• Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
• Chunky Beef Slow Cooker Chilli

If you do make this recipe please let me know! I’d love to see your photos using #theglutenfreeblogger, share them in my Facebook group or tag me on Instagram. 

If you have any recipe suggestions, please let me know in the comments what you’d like to see next!

Like this Slow Cooker Chickpea and Potato Curry recipe?

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