Vegan Chicken Tikka Masala

book recipes

There’s a vegan Indian restaurant in Viva!’s hometown of Bristol which has a whole menu of mock meats. We didn’t think it was possible to create something close to their vegan chicken tikka masala, but we’ve come pretty close with this one! It’s really worth making your own paste but if you’re short of time you can always use one from the shops.

Photograph by Rebel Recipes

Gluten free
Wheat free
Freezable
Cheap

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Preparation time

15 min

Cook time

35 min

Total time

50

Cuisine

Indian and Indian Subcontinent

Meal

  • mains

Servings

4

Ingredients

Paste

Use this homemade paste or for a speedy version, use 4-6 tablespoons shop-bought tikka masala paste (eg Patak’s)

  • 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • 2″ piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and roughly chopped
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • ½ tsp ground fenugreek (optional)
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 tbsp desiccated coconut
  • 2 tbsp plain oil (eg rapeseed)

Curry 

  • 500g/17½ oz vegan chicken pieces OR 2 x 400g/14½ oz tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 2 onions, finely diced
  • 1 red pepper, cut into bite-sized chunks
  • 1 x 400g/14½ oz tin chopped or plum tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 tbsp ground almonds (optional)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 200ml/⅚ cup water
  • 1 tbsp syrup (eg maple or agave)
  • Zest and juice of ½ a lime
  • 150ml/½ cup plain vegan yoghurt

Instructions

Paste

  1. Blend all ingredients together until smooth. You may need to add a little more oil or water to get a smooth consistency. Set aside.

Curry

  1. Cook the vegan chicken, as per the instructions on the packet and set aside.
  2. Whilst the ‘chicken’ is cooking, take a separate large pan and fry the onions in a little oil until lightly golden.
  3. Add the tikka masala paste and red peppers. Heat for five minutes, stirring frequently.
  4. Add the tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, ground almonds, salt and water. Cover with a lid and gently simmer for 15 minutes.
  5. Stir through the syrup, lime zest and juice, vegan plain yoghurt and the pre-cooked ‘chicken’ pieces. Heat for around five minutes before serving.
  6. Taste the curry and add a little more salt if needed.

Serving suggestions: aubergine chutney, brown rice, dhal, fresh coriander, fresh tomatoes, fried potatoes, leafy green salad, lime pickle, mango chutney, onion bhajis, onion salad, pappadoms, roasted cauliflower, steamed broccoli, toasted flaked almonds, vegan naan, vegan plain yoghurt, vegan raita, vegetable pakora, vegetable samosas

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