Vegan Chickpea Tikka Masala

Vegan Chickpea Tikka Masala -  So much better than takeout and so much quicker! If you find yourself heading to your local Indian takeaway, you just need to try this one-pot Vegan Tikka Masala Curry - ready in under 30 MINUTES!

Serve warm over Pilau rice or with naan bread to scoop out all the creamy sauce.

Learn how to make this One Pot Chickpeas Tikka Masala recipe with ease following the step-by-step method.

ONE POT CHICKPEA TIKKA MASALA CURRY RECIPE 

Paneer Tikka Masala is something I like to treat my guests on special occasions. Surprisingly I haven't posted a recipe yet on this blog. But there are many times, we have a vegan guest around and I have been in a fix thinking how do I treat them to a special curry, a vegan version of our tikka masala.

It's a shame that our vegan guests miss on something delicious. So I simply decided to swap the Paneer for Chickpeas and use coconut milk instead of cream in this recipe. This easy and delicious Vegan Chickpeas Tikka Masala was a clear winner on the table.

It was not just the vegan guests but our vegetarian guests also loved it thoroughly!

You can cook Chickpeas at home in less than 1 hour. I have got you covered with all the details on whether to soak or not soak? How to cook dried chickpeas in a pressure cooker? Check out my post to make a large batch and save some money too.

VEGAN CHICKPEA TIKKA MASALA

This Tikka Masala curry is healthy with incredible flavours. Dairy-Free Free & Gluten-Free!  It is actually made with pantry staple ingredients along with 2 minutes Garam masala or Tikka Masala Powder.  The recipe is quite straightforward.

Firstly, we quickly stir up a curry base. Then top it up with chickpeas & coconut milk which lends a creamy coconut flavour to this curry. Finally, finish the chana masala with coconut milk off with coriander leaves.

Flavors in this curry just gets better the next day. Well, I mean the leftover tikka masala is so delicious, that I do stir up a big batch and save some for my lunch next day.

I like using Tikka Masala powder for this curry, however if you don't have any in your pantry, just use some garam masala powder instead.  It is easy to stir up an instant garam masala recipe in 2 minutes. 

INGREDIENTS FOR THIS TIKKA MASALA CURRY with CHICKPEAS

Oil - Sunflower oil or Olive Oil works well. I like to keep the quantity of oil quite low in my curries, as the recipe really doesn't need more.

Onions -  Red Onions add a lot of flavor to the Chickpeas curry. However, White Onions also work well. 1 large onion or 2 small onions are good for this recipe.

Ginger & Garlic - Use 1" Ginger and 4 cloves of Garlic minced. Alternatively use 1 tablespoon of Ginger Garlic Paste.

Canned chopped tomato - Add the whole can along with juice to the curry base. Canned tomatoes add a depth of red color to the curry. You can swap likewise with fresh tomatoes too if they are available in plenty.

Tomato Paste 

Chickpeas - I usually have a batch of cooked chickpeas in my fridge, so they went straight into this curry. For convenience, you can use 2 cans of chickpeas. Remember to drain the water before you add the chickpeas to tikka masala

Garam Masala Powder or Tikka Masala Powder - To give our Tikka Masala gravy an authentic spin, add tikka masala powder. However, if you don't have them accessible add HOMEMADE garam masala powder to the recipe.

Please keep in mind, Curry Powder is not Garam Masala Powder.

Turmeric Powder

Red Chilli Powder or Cayenne Pepper

Salt to taste

Coconut Milk or Cashew Cream works as a great vegan replacement in the authentic tikka masala gravy. But if you are not keen on a vegan choice, just go for HEAVY CREAM OR DOUBLE CREAM.

Coriander Leaves or Cilantro Leaves

HOW TO MAKE ONE-POT CHICKPEA TIKKA MASALA STEP BY STEP

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.

Add onions, salt, and saute in between until translucent. About 3 minutes.

Stir in minced garlic and ginger

Cook Ginger Garlic Onion mixture until fragrant for about 2 minutes.

Stir in a can of chopped tomatoes.

Add the Garam masala powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder & salt, and stir.

Cover and cook until the tomatoes are mushy, about 5-6 minutes.

Add  2 tablespoon tomato paste, ¾ cup of water, and cook covered for 2-3 minutes.

Add chickpeas, coconut milk and cook for another 5 minutes, until the curry gravy has thickened.

Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Add more coconut milk to the curry, if you find it spicer.

Switch off the flame. Remove the chickpea tikka masala from heat and garnish it with coriander leaves.

Serve this vegan Indian curry with steaming white basmati rice and naan bread.

Btw, did you know

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA IS UK'S NATIONAL DISH.

So popular and top of the chart at most of the restaurants. Yes, it is true that Chicken tikka masala is now a British national dish because Chicken Tikka was devised for the British to suit their flavors by Indians during the rule of the British Empire (between 1858- 1947 ).

Being a vegetarian, I like to Serve One-Pot Vegan Chicken Tikka Masala by making real deal simple swaps. I would recommend using homemade Chickpeas for Chicken in the Tikka Masala and coconut milk instead of cream.

More Easy Vegetarian Indian side dish recipes

Moong Dal Tadka

Indian Cucumber Raita

Quick & Easy Chana Masala

Saag Aloo

Aloo Gobi

Easy VEGAN CHICKPEA TIKKA MASALA RECIPE WITH COCONUT MILK BELOW