Spicy Baked Zucchini Chickpea Curry

This Indian-spiced zucchini chickpea curry all bakes in a single pan! It’s a super easy, 2-step recipe that’s packed with amazing curry flavors.

Zucchini season is upon us and this super quick, one pan chickpea zucchini curry is perfect to use it up! We just add everything to the baking pan and bake for a delicious curry that you can serve with rice, flatbread, naan, or sourdough. The zucchini gets roasted then cooked with the sauce. The slow roasting in the oven adds so much flavor. This quick, hands-free recipe doesn’t require standing around sautéing. It’s a two baking step process that’s almost like a dump-and-done recipe.

I use a mix of sambal oelek ( Asian chili garlic sauce), hot sauce and garam masala for the deep flavor in the curry. To make the curry, you first bake the aromatics with the zucchini, spices, hot sauce, and sambal oelek. This first round of baking adds this delicious, caramelized, spicy heat to the curry’s finished flavor profile that makes it stand out from other chickpea curries. You can also add whatever other seasonal veggies of choice instead of the zucchini, like pumpkin, butternut squash, sweet potato, fennel, root veggies etc. This caramelized base is delicious added to other curries, as well.

Then, you add the remaining curry ingredients, give everything a stir, and bake until the sauce is bubbly, thick, and aromatic. That’s it!

This curry is super quick and easy in the oven, but if you’d rather make it on the stovetop or in the Instant Pot, I have those directions included in the recipe card for you.

Why You’ll Love Zucchini Chickpea Curry

• easy, quick, 1-pan dinner
• hands-off recipe – almost a dump-and-done!
• savory, caramelized onion-zucchini-spices base gives the sauce an amazing flavor!
• naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free

Ingredients and Substitutions

• oil – To grease the baking dish.
• onion – Adds so much amazing umami to this curry! Use more zucchini to substitute
• zucchini – This is your veggie, and you can use other veggies instead, like winter squash, summer squash, , root veggies, mushroom, fennel etc .
• hot sauce and sambal oelek – Add moisture and heat to the veggies. Omit to reduce heat.
• ground spices – Coriander, cumin, garam masala, and salt season this curry. Use curry powder or Berbere, Babarat or Cajun blends for variation
• ginger garlic paste – Adds more umami and heat to the curry! Use minced if you don’t have paste
• tomato puree – For umami and color. You can use tomato paste instead, if needed.
• coconut milk – Makes the curry creamy. Full-fat coconut milk is ideal. For coconut free, use other thick non dairy milk such as cashew milk
• chickpeas – For your protein. You can use white beans or tofu instead, if you like.
• spinach – Use fresh or frozen spinach.
• garnishes – Top your chickpea zucchini curry with cilantro and lime juice.

How to Make Chickpea Zucchini Curry

Preheat the oven to 400° F (205° C). Use the oil to grease an 9×11” or similar-sized baking dish, and add the onion, zucchini, hot sauce, and sambal oelek, tossing well. Mix all the spices in a small bowl, and sprinkle all over the zucchini mixture, and then spread the onion and zucchini in the pan. Bake for 10 to 14 minutes.

Remove the baking dish from the oven when the onions are translucent, and mix in the ginger garlic paste and tomato puree.

Then add in the rest of the ingredients (except garnish), and mix really well. Even it out with a spatula. 

Put the baking dish back in the oven to bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the sauce is boiling evenly and is thickening a little bit. Depending on your oven, this can take 30 minutes or so. Remove the baking dish from the oven, garnish with cilantro and lime juice. If the curry isn’t thick to your preference, mix in a few tablespoons of non dairy yogurt or nut butter while still hot. serve with toasted sourdough, garlic bread, naan, flatbread or rice.

What to Serve with Zucchini and Chickpea Curry

This curry is great served with naan, flatbread, rice, garlic bread or make a bowl with roasted veggies or baked potato.