This fusion Easy Vegetable Tikka Masala is jam packed with veggies coated in a tangy, luscious, and deliciously spiced sauce – check out the recipe below and happy cooking!
This recipe was first published on November 10th, 2017. It has since been updated and is being republished today.
Even after all these years, three little words strung together, can be so powerful.
They are just a bunch of black on white … right?
But, three little words “chicken tikka masala” can have the spittle trying to escape out of those glands in the back of my mouth like my dog trying to escape my hold when he sees a squirrel!
Way, way back when I was a teenager, chicken tikka masala was synonymous with the beginning of the weekend.
Back then, I lived in Abu Dhabi with my parents, and most Thursday nights (Friday was our Saturday) my dad would head to the little Indian Restaurant on the corner of the block and bring home packages of delicious-smelling chicken tikka masala, fish masala and buttery parathas.
And, my parents, sister and I would tear into them like bears waking up after winter (only, we woke up from our “winter” every 6 days.. hehe ).
Chicken tikka masala was foreign to our Sri Lankan tastebuds then and we were not able to get enough of it.
That creamy, tangy, oh so tastily spiced sauce that so generously and lusciously coated chunks of tender chicken …or fish … and those flaky, buttery parathas (so different from the rotis we were used to)- ahhh …those were the Thursday nights of such gluttonous bliss!
Recently, I was talking to my daughter about those Thursday nights and she asked if I could try making a tikka masala.
As she is was a vegetarian, I opted to use cauliflower, carrots and green pepper in a vegetarian version. This came out so much better than we expected, my daughter suggested it had to be shared on here (lest I forget the recipe and never make it again).
I won’t say that what you see here is an authentic tikka masala but more a fusion one. One that is made with ingredients you will find at your neighborhood grocery store.
But, still, one with a creamy, tangy, oh so tastily spiced sauce that so generously and lusciously coats chunks of veggies. One that is a delight to eat as is (yes, we ate bowls of these like we would soup) or sopped up with naan (which we also picked up at our neighborhood grocery store).
Whether you give this delicious yet super easy Vegetable Tikka Masala a try or not, I hope this week will be filled with something delicious for you, something that will have the spittle trying to escape out of those glands in the back of my mouth! Happy Cooking AND Eating until next week!
This fusion Easy Vegetable Tikka Masala is jam packed with veggies coated in a tangy, luscious, deliciously spiced sauce – check out the recipe below and happy cooking!
Ingredients
2tbspoil
1yellow onion diced
2tspsfreshly grated ginger
4clovesgarlic diced
1tspchili powder
1tspsmoked paprika
1tspcoriander
1/2tspturmeric
1/2tspcumin
1 6ozcan tomato paste
1 13.5ozcan fire roasted tomatoes
1 13.5ozcan full fat coconut milk
1cupwater
1head cauliflowerwith florets separated or chopped
2carrots peeled
1green bell pepper chopped
salt and pepper to taste
3tbspplain Greek yogurt
Instructions
Peel and chop onions and add the onions to a pan a pan with oil, over a medium/low flame. Stir often to make sure onions are caramelized and not burned. Keep on stirring occasionally and cooking onions for about 20-25 minutes.
While onions are sauteing, chop cauliflower, carrots and bell pepper and set aside.
Add grated ginger and chopped/diced garlic and saute about a minute or so.
Then add in tomato paste, fire roasted tomatoes, coconut milk, smoked paprika, chili, coriander, cumin, turmeric and water and stir till well incorporated.
Add in chopped cauliflower and carrots and let simmer covered about 10 minutes.
Add in the green bell pepper and let simmer covered again for another 5 minutes or till cauliflower is tender.
Then add in the yogurt, season with salt and pepper and enjoy with naan or rice!
*Can be served with a dollop of Greek yogurt and green chillies if desired.
Vegetables – there are so many vegetables that go well with tikka masala. Use 2 cups of your favourite fresh or frozen vegetables. I use a mix of knobby cauliflower florets, diced carrot or sweet potato and frozen peas. Spinach leaves are a great addition too, or even a can of lentils or chickpeas for added protein.
Tikka Masala is a tomato and cream-based sauce that's smoky from the chargrilled chicken, rich and creamy, with a slight sweetness and tanginess with mild heat (although we like it hot!) punctuated by earthy spices, ginger and garlic.
Add more spices: Store-bought curry sauces often lack the depth of flavour that homemade sauces have. To remedy this, you can add more spices like cumin, turmeric, coriander, and garam masala. Use fresh ginger and garlic: Fresh ginger and garlic add a lot of flavour to curries.
We used cauliflower and chickpeas and I guarantee you won't miss the chicken, even Josh gives this version two thumbs up and he LOVES our chicken tikka masala. Even meat eaters will enjoy this vegetarian tikka masala.
What is traditionally served with chicken tikka masala? Traditionally, chicken tikka masala is served with vegetables, steamed long-grained basmati or white rice, toasted pita, or any type of naan bread.
Subji Masala adds flavor, color and aroma to simple, everyday vegetable preparations. It Enhances the taste of food. King's Spice consists of following ingredients: Coriander, Chilly, Dry Mango, Cassia Leaf, Cumin, Turmeric, Black Pepper, Clove, Dry Ginger, Black Cardamom, Nutmeg, Common Salt.
Tikka refers to grilled or roasted pieces of meat that are either marinated in yogurt or spiced water before being cooked on skewers. Masala refers to a sauce made with cream, yogurt, or tomatoes; or a mixture of spices used to flavor food.
Add red chilli powder, garam masala, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric, salt, lemon juice, oil, ginger garlic paste, yogurt and kasuri methi. Skip the lemon juice if your yogurt is sour.
**Saturated Fat and Cholesterol**: Creamy or heavily sauced chicken masala dishes may contain higher levels of saturated fats and cholesterol, which can negatively impact heart health if consumed in excess.
Your curry can taste bitter if the spices and garlic are burnt or if you've added too much fenugreek to the dish. You see, the secret to cooking a delicious curry recipe is to create a spicy paste and slowly cook it before adding your meat.
Add one tablespoon of cornflour to two or three tablespoons of cold water and stir. Pour the mixture into the sauce and allow to simmer until the sauce begins to thicken.
cans rinsed chickpeas and one 12-oz. jar sauce, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup chopped cilantro. Spoon over 4 baked potatoes and garnish with Greek yogurt, diced red onion and more cilantro.
Butter chicken is a healthier option than tikka masala. Tikka masala has a shocking 400–500 calories per serving on average, but a serving of butter chicken may have 438 calories. If you're concerned with the amount of fat it has, you can always switch to low-fat substitutes for butter and heavy cream.
The curry base is made with onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, red chilli powder and garam masala. I prefer to go with potatoes, carrots, peas, green beans, cauliflower, corn and bell peppers. Though you can use other veggies like baby corn, sweet potato and broccoli, the curry will have different flavors.
However, other dishes are based on more familiar vegetables, such as beets, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumber, corn, eggplant, green beans, various greens, okra, onions, peas, peppers, potatoes, radishes, spinach, squash, and tomatoes.
Unveiling the backstory, Virat's story featured an empty plate accompanied by the caption, “You've really nailed this mock chicken tikka.” For those unfamiliar, a mock chicken tikka is a vegetarian rendition, prepared in a manner similar to the traditional chicken version but using plant-based alternatives like ...
Cumin, like many other herbs and spices in this dish, reduces blood sugar levels, which can help prevent diabetes. Vitamin E is also found in cumin, which helps reduce inflammation and fight aging.
Hobby: LARPing, Kitesurfing, Sewing, Digital arts, Sand art, Gardening, Dance
Introduction: My name is Amb. Frankie Simonis, I am a hilarious, enchanting, energetic, cooperative, innocent, cute, joyous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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