Curry Pizza with Chickpeas and Quinoa
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.Grab a knife and fork and dig into this Curry Pizza with Chickpeas and Quinoa — a real treat for the senses! Whole wheat tandoori naan bread is topped with a delicious and spicy topping to create a healthy, vegan, and well balanced meal.

I’m combining a few family favorites in this recipe today: warm Naan, curried chickpeas (similar to chana masala, but without the gravy), and a fresh veggie “salsa” for added crunch. Think of it kind of like a hearty Indian “pizza” that will satisfy both meat eaters and vegetarians alike! This recipe is naturally vegan, and can easily be made gluten free by using a gluten free pita or flatbread.

It’s super easy to make, ready in less than an hour, and is kid-friendly too! If you are making this for the whole family and you have younger kids, I’d just adjust the “hot” spices in the chickpea mixture to match your kids’ tastes — you can always add more hot spices for the adults after the kids have been served! It’s a healthy vegetarian Indian recipe!

How to make this Curry Pizza with Chickpeas and Quinoa – Step by step
Step 1: Chop your veggies, cook the quinoa according to package directions, and heat up your flatbread.

Step 2: Heat a medium-sized, non-stick sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and a sprinkle of salt and cook, stirring, until onions soften. Add garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.

Step 3: Add the chickpeas, curry powder, and cayenne pepper, and stir briefly.

Step 4: Add the tomatoes and cooked quinoa, reduce heat to low, and cover.

Step 5: Simmer for about 20 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Add salt to taste.

Step 6: Mix tomatoes, onions, red peppers, lemon juice and salt together.

Step 7: Make flatbreads: Top your pita/bread base with chopped romaine/baby greens, 1 serving of the chickpea / quinoa mixture, and the tomato salsa.

What makes this curry pizza with chickpeas and quinoa healthy?
This recipe is healthy and balanced with fresh veggies, whole grains, fiber, and protein to keep you feeling full and satisfied. The chickpeas are high in protein, fiber, and are rich in vitamins K, folate, iron, B6, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese, choline, and selenium. Quinoa is the only complete vegetarian protein (all 9 amino acids), and is a good source of fiber, iron, copper, thiamin, magnesium, phosphorous, manganese, folate, and vitamin B6. And of course, the fresh veggies in this dish are rich in nutrients as well!
What type of flatbread can you use for this recipe?
You can use any type of whole grain base for this recipe including:

What are some ways to use leftovers of this dish?
The curried chickpea mixture makes excellent leftovers. The flavors just blend together even more when stored in the fridge, and will keep int eh fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. You don’t have to use the curried chickpea mixture to make flatbreads though – here are some other ways to serve this dish:
- Use the chickpea mixture as a base for a “bowl” — omit the flatbread and top with the fresh veggies along with a dollop of whole milk, plain Greek yogurt.
- Make Indian-style burritos with the chickpea mixture as your filling!
- Make Indian-style nachos, with whole wheat pita chips as your “chips”, and the chickpea mixture as your topping — and instead of topping your nachos with cheese, top them with plain Greek yogurt!
Does this recipe freeze well?
Absolutely! You can freeze the chickpea / curry mixture and reheat it in the microwave on the defrost setting. It will keep in the freezer in an airtight container for up to 4 months. The flatbread/pita base will also freeze well in a separate container, and the veggies are the only thing you should buy fresh (before serving!)

Top Tips for making this Curry Pizza with Chickpeas and Quinoa
- Use a high quality curry powder like this one. Since most of the flavor in this recipe comes from curry powder, you want to pick one that’s packed with aromatic spices.
- Dice your veggies super small for the salsa, it will allow the lemon juice and salt to marinate them well.
- If you’re making this for kids, omit the cayenne or adjust to their tastes — you can always add in more hot spices for the adults after!
- Be sure to use a naan or flatbread base that isn’t too thin or flimsy, so it holds up well under the weight of the chickpea/quinoa mixture.
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or for up to 4 months in the freezer!
For more vegan main meals, check out these recipes!
- Vegan Butternut Squash Chili
- Guilt Free Late Night Nachos
- Instant Pot Lentil and Cauliflower Curry
- Indian Rice and Curry Casserole (Chana and Saag Biryani)
- Vegan Chickpea Curry by Hurry The Food Up
- Vegan Quinoa Recipe by Chocolate Covered Katie
If you have tried this Curry Pizza with Chickpeas and Quinoa recipe, or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family friendly food!
Curry Pizza with Chickpeas and Quinoa
Ingredients
Curried Chickpeas/Flatbread:
- 1 medium red onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 tablespoon minced ginger
- 15 oz chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1 can
- 1 Tbsp curry powder or adjust to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne or other ground red pepper (or to taste)
- 15 oz diced tomatoes 1 can
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- Salt to taste Definitely don’t omit this step – this recipe needs salt added, otherwise it will taste bland!
- Whole wheat pita or toasted whole wheat bread, or whole wheat Naan Flatbread
Tomato “Salsa” and Other Toppings:
- 1 cup grape tomatoes quartered/halved
- Diced red onion
- Diced red bell pepper
- A few squirts of lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
- Mixed greens, baby spinach or romaine – chopped
Instructions
- Chop your veggies, cook the quinoa according to package directions, and heat up your flatbread.
- Heat a medium-sized, non-stick sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and a sprinkle of salt and cook, stirring, until onions soften. Add garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.
- Add the chickpeas, curry powder, and cayenne pepper, and stir briefly.
- Add the tomatoes and cooked quinoa, reduce heat to low, and cover.
- Simmer for about 20 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Add salt to taste.
- Mix tomatoes, onions, red peppers, lemon juice and salt together.
- Make flatbreads: Top your pita/bread base with chopped romaine/baby greens, 1 serving of the chickpea / quinoa mixture, and the tomato salsa.
Notes
- Use a high quality curry powder like this one. Since most of the flavor in this recipe comes from curry powder, you want to pick one that’s packed with aromatic spices.
- Dice your veggies super small for the salsa, it will allow the lemon juice and salt to marinate them well.
- If you’re making this for kids, omit the cayenne or adjust to their tastes — you can always add in more hot spices for the adults after!
- Be sure to use a naan or flatbread base that isn’t too thin or flimsy, so it holds up well under the weight of the chickpea/quinoa mixture.
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or for up to 4 months in the freezer!
I love that this is vegan, and INCREDIBLY DELICIOUS. A vegan diet is very new/rare in the US (unfortunately). I think it’s because a lot of people don’t know how delicious a plant based diet can be, and how you can turn tons of your everyday favorites into a vegan dish. Great Post!!!
I totally agree! Plant based diets are not only super delicious, easy to make, but they’re so good for you too! And it’s a total myth that you can’t get enough protein on a plant based diet too!
This is a great recipe which I will definitely try. I love the idea of blending chickpeas, quinoa and pita bread. Also a spicy recipe. Just the kind of recipe to make again and again.
Thank you so much! Enjoy!
love it
Thanks!
This is an interesting way to use Quinoa. Looks yumm!
This looks so delicious. It kinda reminds me of Rafaello sandwich that I ordered at Banapple.
This looks so good! Chickpeas are one of my favorite fiber-rich foods and I’m always looking for new ways to incorporate them into my menu.
Yum! This recipe sounds amazing! Putting it on the menu this week!
Hooray! Can’t wait for you to try it!
I’m always looking for more quinoa recipes since my son loves it and it’s so good for you. This is the next one we’ll try! Thank you!
What a nice healthy snack, lunch or dinner. Especially this time of year, I’m looking to eat lighter with all the heavier holiday fare around.
totally agree! it’s a great “clean” meal 🙂
Shut it down. This recipe is SO tasty. I just finished eating it for dinner and even without the naan it was fantastic! I had some of the Trader Joe’s red curry sauce leftover from your veggie/tofu stir fry recipe, so I used that instead of curry powder in this and WHOA. I can’t wait to eat it for lunch tomorrow!!
This is a very interesting point of view. Your blog is refreshing, but I wish one could find more content, though. I am looking forward to reading more from you. Keep up the good work. thanks
Thank you! Look out for many more posts in the near future – I’ve been traveling a lot lately so haven’t had a chance, but I’m back now so will have a lot more time to blog! 🙂
Eating my leftovers for lunch right now! So good.
I just found your blog and I love it! I’m about to make your falafel recipe for dinner tonight, can’t wait 😀 This recipe looks delicious too.
Thanks!! 🙂 Let me know how the recipes turn out for you!
Ohh yum this sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing this recipe 🙂
That looks soo delicious! I can’t wait to try it. I have to sadly admit that I have not done very much cooking with chickpeas, so I am excited to try them out!
Yum! This looks so good! The chickpeas and quinoa definitely won me over.
This looks wonderful..The closest Trader Joe’s is nearly 200 miles away from me….boo hoo!
Oh my gosh! That is too bad… do you have a whole foods near you? They’re slightly more expensive but will have many similar products.
Great idea. I just started eating quinoa but don’t know what to do with it as a main.
Always looking for good quinoa/chickpea recipes. How generous of your husband to “volunteer”
Looks fab 🙂
This really does look good! We are quinoa lovers and always trying to find a way to get more protein in the diet. I have to admit we LOVE that flatbread too!