Chickpea and spinach curry with rice (vegan): how much it costs to make, per portion
Chickpeas and spinach in a tomato and coconut curry sauce, served on basmati rice. Vegan as written. Ten portions costed from JJ Foodservice prices dated 10 October 2026.
The menu price is the one ChefSums uses for this dish on its sample restaurant menu, a realistic UK menu price. The lowest price is the one that just reaches 68% GP, the UK food GP benchmark (UKHospitality × Christie & Co, 2022: 65.9–69% food GP across every segment). It covers the ingredients at a normal margin, not staff, rent or energy, and most cafés, pubs and takeaways charge more for simple dishes. Check what places near you charge. GP is worked out on the ex-VAT price.
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Ingredients and cost, 10 portions
| Ingredient | Pack price | Pack size | Used | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chickpeas (2.5 kg tin) | £4.79 | 2500 g | 2500 g | £4.79 |
| Frozen leaf spinach | £2.29 | 1000 g | 1000 g | £2.29 |
| Coconut milk | £14.49 | 4800 ml | 800 ml | £2.42 |
| Chopped tomatoes (tinned) | £19.99 | 17700 g | 1200 g | £1.36 |
| Onions | £7.49 | 10000 g | 667 g | £0.50 |
| Garlic | £3.49 | 1000 g | 34 g | £0.12 |
| Fresh ginger | £15.49 | 5000 g | 30 g | £0.09 |
| Vegetable oil | £26.99 | 20000 ml | 60 ml | £0.08 |
| Madras curry powder | £5.99 | 1000 g | 40 g | £0.24 |
| Garam masala | £11.49 | 1000 g | 10 g | £0.11 |
| Ground turmeric | £2.99 | 500 g | 5 g | £0.03 |
| Ground cumin | £3.99 | 400 g | 10 g | £0.10 |
| Basmati rice | £29.99 | 20000 g | 750 g | £1.12 |
| Table salt | £10.99 | 6000 g | 15 g | £0.03 |
| Batch total | £13.28 | |||
| Per portion (÷ 10) | £1.33 | |||
Cost per line is pack price × (amount used ÷ pack size), the same sum the tool runs. Change one pack price and every line that uses it moves.
What it really costs: waste and staff time
| Ingredients | £1.33 |
| Waste allowance, 5% (trim, ends, the odd one binned) | £0.07 |
| Staff time: 15 min hands-on for the batch of 10 at £12.71/hr + 25% on-cost | £0.40 |
| Food, waste and staff per portion | £1.80 |
At the sample restaurant menu price (£11.25 ex VAT) that is 16% of the price, before rent, energy and everything else. Many UK sites aim to keep food plus staff (prime cost) at or under 60–65% of sales. The staff line counts hands-on prep only, not unattended cooking, and uses the April 2026 National Living Wage; put your own rate, minutes and waste in the calculator's real cost section or the prime cost calculator. Every dish side by side: the UK dish cost index.
Method
- Soften the sliced onions in the oil, add the garlic and ginger, then the spices, and cook for a minute.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and coconut milk and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add the drained chickpeas and simmer for 10 minutes more, then stir in the thawed, squeezed spinach and season.
- Serve on 75 g (dry weight) of cooked basmati rice a portion.
Costing notes
The whole batch comes to £13.28, so a portion is £1.33. The chickpeas are costed on the tin's gross weight, as bought. This is one of the cheapest main courses you can put on a menu, which makes it a good vegan option for a canteen or a set menu: even priced well below the meat curries, it clears a 68% GP easily.
Check the labels if you sell it as vegan: some curry powders and stock products carry milk or other allergens as ingredients or as a may-contain.
Prep loss is costed in: each fresh vegetable line is the weight you buy, not the prepared weight that goes in the pan. Onions: 600 g peeled is 667 g as bought at 90% (onion yield); Garlic: 30 g peeled is 34 g as bought at 87% (garlic yield).
Where the prices came from
JJ Foodservice collection prices as shown on its public search pages on 10 October 2026 (delivery runs about £1-2 a case higher; one line JJ listed on delivery only is marked). JJ does not label VAT on most lines: raw food is zero-rated in the UK, while soft drinks, alcohol, confectionery and some ingredients carry standard-rate VAT. Your supplier's price is the one that matters: open the recipe and type it in.
- Chickpeas (2.5 kg tin): Gomo Chick Peas 1x2.5kg (VEG157), 2.5 kg tin, £4.79 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-10
- Frozen leaf spinach: Greens Frozen Leaf Spinach 1x1kg (VEG318), 1 kg, £2.29 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-10
- Coconut milk: KTC Coconut Milk 12x400ml (SPI259), 12 x 400 ml, £14.49 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-10
- Chopped tomatoes (tinned): JJ Chopped Tomatoes 6x2.95kg, 6 x 2.95 kg, £19.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-10
- Onions: Brown Cooking Onions 1x10kg (VEG655), 10 kg, £7.49 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-10
- Garlic: Fresh Garlic 1x1kg (VEG784), 1 kg, £3.49 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-10
- Fresh ginger: Fresh Ginger 1x5kg (VEG787), 5 kg, £15.49 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-10
- Vegetable oil: JJ Vegetable Cooking Oil BIB 1x20L (OIL114), 20 L, £26.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-10
- Madras curry powder: Natco Madras Curry Powder 1x1kg, 1 kg, £5.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-10
- Garam masala: Natco Garam Masala 1x1kg, 1 kg, £11.49 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-10
- Ground turmeric: JJ Signature Ground Turmeric 1x500g, 500 g, £2.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-10
- Ground cumin: JJ Signature Ground Cumin 1x400g, 400 g, £3.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-10
- Basmati rice: Laila Basmati Rice 1x20kg, 20 kg, £29.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-10
- Table salt: DP Table Salt Tub 1x6kg (SPI277), 6 kg, £10.99 collection — JJ Foodservice, accessed 2026-10-10
More costed dishes: pub and restaurant classics
- Apple crumble and custard — £0.77 a portion
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- 8 oz beef burger and fries — £2.82 a portion
- Fish and chips — £4.04 a portion