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Creamy Peanut Chickpea Curry with Brown Rice

  • Writer: Devon Tonneson
    Devon Tonneson
  • Aug 4
  • 5 min read

Symptom check-in


POTS: I had no POTS symptoms today — no dizziness when I stood up, no racing heart, and no trouble breathing with simple exercise.

Vestibular migraine: I had no vestibular migraine symptoms today — no vertigo, no nausea, no vomiting, and no light sensitivity.

Lupus: I had body aches, a low fever, and a red rash across my cheeks today. I wanted something warm and anti-inflammatory today, so I made a chickpea curry with ginger, turmeric, tomatoes, peanuts, and brown rice.


Disorder safety check

Condition

Works?

Why

POTS

Not specifically targeted

It has carbohydrates, protein, and some sodium, but it is not intentionally built as a high-salt POTS meal

Vestibular migraine

Conditionally

Curry spices can be too strong on an active migraine day, so this one makes more sense when vestibular symptoms are quiet

Lupus

Yes

Chickpeas, peanuts, ginger, turmeric, tomatoes, and whole-grain brown rice make this plant-forward and anti-inflammatory-leaning

Recipe


Ingredients

Makes 3–4 servings

Brown rice

  • 1 cup brown rice

  • 2 cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth

  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Peanut chickpea curry

  • 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1 small yellow onion, finely diced

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely grated

  • 1 tbsp tomato paste

  • 1 tsp ground turmeric

  • 1 tsp ground cumin

  • 1 tsp ground coriander

  • 1/2 tsp mild curry powder

  • 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, optional

  • 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

  • 1 can diced tomatoes

  • 1 cup vegetable broth

  • 1/3 cup natural creamy peanut butter

  • 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk

  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

  • Black pepper

  • 1–2 cups chopped spinach, optional

  • 1 tsp maple syrup or honey, optional if the tomatoes taste sharp

Topping

  • 1/4 cup roasted unsalted or lightly salted peanuts

  • Optional chopped cilantro


Steps

1. Rinse the brown rice

  1. Put 1 cup brown rice into a fine-mesh strainer.

  2. Rinse it under cold running water for about 30 seconds.

  3. Move the grains around with your fingers so all of the rice gets washed.

  4. Shake off the excess water.


2. Cook the brown rice

Brown rice takes longer than white rice, so start it before the curry.

  1. Add the rinsed rice to a saucepan.

  2. Add 2 cups water or vegetable broth.

  3. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt.

  4. Bring everything to a boil over medium-high heat.

  5. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low.

  6. Cover tightly with a lid.

  7. Simmer for about 35–45 minutes, depending on the rice.

Try not to repeatedly lift the lid.

  1. Check the rice near the end of the cooking time.

  2. Once the liquid has been absorbed and the grains are tender, turn off the heat.

  3. Leave the saucepan covered for another 10 minutes.

  4. Remove the lid.

  5. Fluff the rice gently with a fork.

  6. Cover loosely while you finish the curry.


3. Drain and rinse the chickpeas

  1. Open the can of chickpeas.

  2. Pour them into a colander.

  3. Rinse thoroughly under cold running water for about 30 seconds.

  4. Shake off excess water.

  5. Set aside.


4. Prep the aromatics

Before heating the pan:

  1. Peel and finely dice the onion.

  2. Peel and mince the garlic.

  3. Peel a small piece of ginger.

  4. Finely grate about 1 tablespoon ginger.

Having everything ready matters because the spices cook quickly once they hit the pan.


5. Soften the onion

  1. Place a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat.

  2. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil.

  3. Let the oil warm for about 30 seconds.

  4. Add the diced onion.

  5. Add a small pinch of salt.

  6. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

The onion should become soft and translucent with a little golden color around the edges.


6. Add garlic and ginger

  1. Add the minced garlic.

  2. Add the grated ginger.

  3. Stir continuously for about 30–45 seconds.

You want them fragrant, not browned.


7. Cook the tomato paste

  1. Add 1 tablespoon tomato paste.

  2. Stir it into the onion mixture.

  3. Cook for 1–2 minutes.

The tomato paste should darken slightly from bright red to a deeper brick color.

This removes the raw tomato-paste taste and gives the curry more depth.


8. Bloom the spices

Add:

  • turmeric

  • cumin

  • coriander

  • mild curry powder

  • optional smoked paprika

  • black pepper

  • Stir continuously for about 30 seconds.

  • Make sure the spices mix into the oil and coat the onions.

The mixture will become deep yellow-orange from the turmeric.

If the pan looks completely dry, add 1 tablespoon vegetable broth so the spices do not burn.


9. Add the tomatoes

  1. Pour in the can of diced tomatoes.

  2. Stir thoroughly.

  3. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned onion or spices.

  4. Cook over medium heat for 3–4 minutes.

This lets the tomatoes start breaking down before the peanut butter goes in.


10. Add the chickpeas

  1. Add the rinsed chickpeas.

  2. Stir until they are coated in the tomato-spice mixture.

  3. Add 1 cup vegetable broth.

  4. Stir again.


11. Simmer the curry

  1. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.

  2. Reduce the heat to medium-low.

  3. Cook uncovered for about 8–10 minutes.

  4. Stir every few minutes.

The chickpeas should soften slightly and absorb some of the curry flavor.


12. Add the peanut butter

This is what turns it from tomato-chickpea stew into peanut curry.

  1. Put 1/3 cup peanut butter into a small bowl.

  2. Scoop about 1/3 cup of hot curry liquid from the pan.

  3. Add the hot liquid to the peanut butter.

  4. Whisk until smooth.

Doing this separately prevents big peanut-butter lumps in the curry.

  1. Pour the peanut mixture back into the pan.

  2. Stir thoroughly.

The sauce should immediately become thicker and creamier.


13. Add the coconut milk

  1. Pour in 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk.

  2. Stir until completely incorporated.

  3. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt.

  4. Reduce the heat to low.

Do not aggressively boil the curry once the coconut milk and peanut butter are in.


14. Simmer until thick

  1. Let the curry simmer gently for another 8–12 minutes.

  2. Stir every few minutes so nothing sticks to the bottom.

You want the final sauce to be:

  • creamy

  • thick enough to coat a spoon

  • but still loose enough to spoon over rice

If the sauce becomes too thick:

  • add vegetable broth 2 tablespoons at a time

If it looks too thin:

  • simmer uncovered for another few minutes


15. Add spinach, if using

If you want greens mixed through the curry:

  1. Add 1–2 cups chopped spinach during the final 2 minutes.

  2. Stir until the leaves wilt completely.

You can leave this out if you want the curry to look more like the photo.


16. Balance the flavor

Taste the curry.

If it tastes:

  • flat: add another pinch of salt

  • too tomato-heavy: add another spoonful of peanut butter

  • too thick: add broth

  • too sharp: add about 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey

  • not warm enough: add a little more cumin or turmeric

For this version, I would keep the chile heat low rather than making it spicy.


17. Prepare the peanut topping

  1. Roughly chop about 1/4 cup roasted peanuts.

  2. Leave some halves intact so there is a mix of textures.

If the peanuts are unsalted, you can add a very small pinch of salt.


18. Assemble the bowl

  1. Spoon the brown rice onto one side of a wide bowl.

  2. Ladle the peanut chickpea curry onto the other side.

  3. Let a little curry overlap the rice.

  4. Scatter chopped peanuts over the center.

  5. Add cilantro if using.

Serve warm.


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