South AsianSoup / stew

Chana Saag Lunch Pot

A simple chickpea and spinach curry lunch pot with tomato, cumin, coriander, turmeric, lemon, soy yogurt and basmati rice.

Eat nowMake-aheadContains soy
Hands-on26 minTotal time26 minEnergy787 kcalProtein42g
Recipe details
HeartyEasy-goingFreezer-friendly

Equipment: Hob

Keep chilled after cooking

Chana Saag Lunch Pot
Servings1 standard portionAdjust

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Standard portions

About 700 kcal per adult reference portion

Making 1 standard portion. Ingredients, instructions and Cooking Mode update together.

Doubling up barely adds effort and covers another mealtime.

Ingredients

Spices

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Now we make

Method

Do the night before

  1. 1
    Defrost 310g cooked chickpeas overnight in the fridge if using frozen
  2. 2
    Defrost 85g cooked basmati rice overnight in the fridge if using frozen

These steps sit outside the cooking-day clock.

26 min hands-on 26 min altogether
  1. 3
    Warm 3ml olive oil in a saucepan and cook ΒΎ finely diced white onion for 5-6 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Add 1Β½ clove minced garlic, 10g finely grated ginger, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp ground ground coriander, ΒΌ tsp turmeric and 1 pinch chilli flakes, then stir for 45 seconds
    πŸ– 7 min
  2. 4
    Add 230g chopped tomato and simmer for 5 minutes until it darkens slightly and looks saucy rather than watery
    πŸ– 5 min
  3. 5
    Add chickpeas and a splash of water. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, mashing a spoonful of chickpeas against the side of the pan so the sauce thickens around the rest
    πŸ– 8 min
  4. 6
    Fold in 155g roughly chopped spinach in handfuls until wilted. Turn off the heat, then stir through 135g plain, unsweetened soy yogurt and 19ml lemon juice so the curry turns creamy and bright without splitting
    πŸ– 4 min
  5. 7
    Spoon over basmati rice and finish with 13g roughly chopped coriander leaf.
    πŸ– 2 min

Look under the lid

Nutrition details

Nutrition is shown for one standard portion, not the whole batch selected above.

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Nutrition summary

At a glance

Higher inVitamin KFolateVitamin C
Lower inSelenium

Worth noticing: Sugar uses more than half of the daily limit in this portion.

Calories

787kcal

37%
Top contributors
Chickpeas Β· 54%Basmati Rice Β· 14%Soy Yogurt Β· 11%
22% cal

Protein

42.3g

67%
Top contributors
Chickpeas Β· 65%Spinach Β· 10%Soy Yogurt Β· 8%
60% cal

Carbs

118.9g

Top contributors
Chickpeas Β· 55%Basmati Rice Β· 16%Soy Yogurt Β· 9%
18% cal

Fat

15.8g

23%
Top contributors
Chickpeas Β· 51%Olive Oil Β· 17%Soy Yogurt Β· 15%

Small numbers, big impact

Everyday essentials

Fibre34.30g
117%
Top contributors
Chickpeas Β· 69%Spinach Β· 10%Tomato Β· 8%
Vitamin B120.00ΞΌg
0%
Vitamin D1.76ΞΌg
12%
Top contributors
Soy Yogurt Β· 100%
Iodine0.00ΞΌg
0%
Iron16.96mg
94%
Top contributors
Chickpeas Β· 53%Spinach Β· 25%Cumin Β· 10%
Zinc6.85mg
62%
Top contributors
Chickpeas Β· 69%Spinach Β· 12%Tomato Β· 6%
Calcium590.80mg
59%
Top contributors
Soy Yogurt Β· 30%Spinach Β· 26%Chickpeas Β· 26%

Nutrients food alone won't reliably cover

These three are commonly under-consumed across all diets, not just plant-based ones - the difference is mainly B12, which has no whole plant food source at all.

  • Vitamin B12: is absent from whole plant foods entirely - the number above only reflects fortified ingredients (nutritional yeast, fortified soy milk). A reliable B12 supplement or fortified source is the standard recommendation for a fully plant-based diet, regardless of what any single day's total shows.
  • Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): most people fall short here regardless of diet - the typical omnivore diet doesn't include much oily fish either. This app only tracks ALA, the plant form (flax, walnuts, hemp, chia). The body converts some ALA to EPA and very little to DHA - the forms most directly used by the brain, eyes and heart - and that conversion is inefficient. An algae-oil supplement is the usual plant-based way to get EPA/DHA directly; it won't show up as an ingredient in any recipe here.
  • Vitamin D: deficiency is widespread across all diets, not just plant-based ones - it's mostly absent from whole plant foods here, and even the fortified soy milk and yogurt tracked don't cover the full target from food alone. Reasonable sun exposure or a D2/D3 supplement is the standard recommendation.

Not medical advice - if you're eating fully plant-based long-term, it's worth a conversation with a GP or dietitian, and a blood test is the reliable way to check where you actually stand.

See the full supplement guide (incl. creatine) β†’
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