Chickpea Vegetable Tikka Masala
A lightened-up version of Chicken Tikka Masala that features vegetables and chickpeas in a flavorful Indian-spiced sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 onion, chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 carrots, diced
- 2 cups cauliflower florets, chopped or riced (fresh or frozen)
- 1.5 TBSP garam masala*
- 2 TBSP grated fresh ginger (about 2 inches of ginger root)
- 1 jalepeno, seeds removed and minced
- 1.5 cups water or vegetable broth
- 2 cans chickpeas (or 3 cups, cooked)
- 2 14-oz cans petite diced tomatoes
- 1 14-oz can coconut milk (full fat or light)
- 1 handful chopped cilantro
For serving
- brown rice and/or whole-grain naan
- additional cilantro or fresh jalepenos
Instructions
- Start cooking brown rice. Chop all ingredients.
- In a large pot or skillet, saute onions, garlic, carrots and cauliflower. Add small amounts of water if the bottom starts to turn brown. Stir and cook about 5 minutes, until carrots start to get tender.
- Add garam masala, ginger, and jalepeno. Cook 1 minute to wake up the spices.
- Add diced tomatoes and 2 cups of water. If desired, spoon half the mixture into a blender and puree for less chunkiness. Return to the pot.
- Add chickpeas and bring to a hardy simmer on medium-high heat. Let cook, stirring occasionally, for 15-20 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
- Stir in coconut milk and cilantro. Add salt to taste. I add between 1/2 and 1 teaspoon, depending on if I use water or vegetable broth as the liquid. Add additonal garam masala to taste if you'd like deeper flavor, starting with an additional teaspoon.
- Serve over rice or with naan, and with addional cilantro, jalepeno, and lime wedges if desired.
Notes
*To make your own garam masala blend, stir together the following:
1 TBSP cumin
1.5 tsp coriander
1.5 tsp cardamom
1.5 tsp black pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
