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Cape Malay Spiced Chickpea-and-Vegetable Quinoa Curry with Trio of Sambals
Recipe

Cape Malay Spiced Chickpea-and-Vegetable Quinoa Curry with Trio of Sambals

Dinner • South Africa

Cape Malay-inspired chickpea-and-vegetable curry gently spiced with turmeric, masala and bay leaf, served with quinoa cooked four ways (plain, toasted, coconut, and herb-lemon) and a side of classic South African-style sambals.

Why smarter

Uses fibre-rich chickpeas, plenty of colourful vegetables and moderate oil, with quinoa for complete protein and steady energy. Sambals add crunch and freshness so the curry feels lighter and more balanced.

Chef tip

Bloom the spices in a little oil before adding liquids—this builds Cape Malay depth without needing lots of salt or fat.

Soft line

Great for weeknights and even better as leftovers the next day.

Ingredients

# Ingredient Text Amount Unit Ingredient Name Notes
1 Quinoa, rinsed well 1.500 cups Quinoa
2 Water (for cooking quinoa), plus more as needed 3.000 cups Water Adjust depending on quinoa brand
3 Olive oil, divided 2.000 tbsp Olive oil
4 Onion, finely chopped 1.000 large Onion
5 Garlic cloves, minced 3.000 cloves Garlic
6 Fresh ginger, grated 1.000 tbsp Ginger
7 Cape Malay curry powder 2.000 tsp Cape Malay curry powder Or mild curry powder
8 Garam masala 1.000 tsp Garam masala
9 Ground turmeric 1.000 tsp Turmeric
10 Ground cumin 1.000 tsp Cumin
11 Cinnamon stick 1.000 small Cinnamon stick
12 Bay leaves 2.000 Bay leaves
13 Tomato paste 1.000 tbsp Tomato paste
14 Crushed tomatoes 400.000 g Crushed tomatoes 1 can
15 Light coconut milk 200.000 ml Light coconut milk About 3/4 cup
16 Vegetable stock (or water) 250.000 ml Vegetable stock About 1 cup
17 Chickpeas, drained and rinsed 2.000 cans Chickpeas About 800 g total canned
18 Carrots, diced 2.000 medium Carrots
19 Red bell pepper, diced 1.000 Red pepper
20 Cauliflower florets 3.000 cups Cauliflower Bite-size pieces
21 Baby spinach 3.000 cups Spinach Add at the end
22 Dried apricots, chopped (optional but traditional-leaning for Cape Malay sweetness) 6.000 Dried apricots Omit if preferred less sweet
23 Lemon juice 2.000 tbsp Lemon juice To finish curry and one quinoa variation
24 Salt 1.000 tsp Salt To taste
25 Black pepper 0.500 tsp Black pepper
26 Fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped 0.500 cup Coriander For herb-lemon quinoa and garnish
27 Desiccated coconut, toasted (for coconut quinoa variation) 2.000 tbsp Desiccated coconut
28 Cucumber, finely diced (for sambal) 0.500 Cucumber About 1 cup diced
29 Tomatoes, finely diced (for sambal) 2.000 medium Tomatoes
30 Red onion, finely diced (for sambal) 0.500 Red onion About 1/2 cup
31 White vinegar (for onion sambal) 1.000 tbsp White vinegar
32 Mango chutney (for quick sweet sambal) 3.000 tbsp Mango chutney South African-style
33 Fresh chilli, finely chopped (optional, for sambals) 1.000 Fresh chilli Add to taste

Method

  1. Cook quinoa base: Rinse quinoa until water runs clear. Add quinoa and 3 cups water to a pot, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer 12–15 minutes until tender. Rest 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
  2. Make quinoa 4 ways: Divide cooked quinoa into 4 bowls. (1) Plain: leave as is. (2) Toasted: heat a dry pan and toast one portion for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until nutty. (3) Coconut: stir toasted desiccated coconut into one portion (add a pinch of salt if needed). (4) Herb-lemon: stir chopped coriander and 1 tbsp lemon juice into one portion.
  3. Start the curry: Heat olive oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook 6–8 minutes until soft. Add garlic and ginger; cook 1 minute.
  4. Bloom spices: Stir in Cape Malay curry powder, garam masala, turmeric and cumin. Add cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant.
  5. Build the sauce: Stir in tomato paste for 30 seconds. Add crushed tomatoes, coconut milk and stock. Bring to a gentle simmer.
  6. Simmer vegetables and chickpeas: Add carrots, red pepper, cauliflower and chickpeas. Simmer uncovered 18–22 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and sauce thickens. Stir in chopped dried apricots (if using) for the last 5 minutes.
  7. Finish: Stir in spinach to wilt. Season with salt and black pepper. Remove bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Add remaining lemon juice to brighten.
  8. Prepare sambals: (1) Tomato sambal: mix diced tomatoes with a little salt and optional chilli. (2) Cucumber sambal: mix diced cucumber with a squeeze of lemon and optional chilli. (3) Pickled onion sambal: toss diced red onion with vinegar and a pinch of salt; rest 5 minutes. (4) Sweet sambal: spoon mango chutney into a small bowl (add chopped chilli if you like heat).
  9. Serve dinner: Spoon curry into bowls and serve with your choice of the four quinoa styles (or let everyone sample). Add sambals on the side and garnish with extra coriander.