Vegan Tikka Masala Recipe

5 from 46 votes

Every time I share this vegan chickpea tikka masala on my social media you all go crazy! I think it's because it's so easy for weeknights - AND just look at it? My mouth waters every time I look at this photo! As someone who's made over 30+ chickpea recipes on my site so far, I know a thing or two about cooking chickpeas - like how to get them to soften properly, the perfect blend of spices, and what to pair them with. And in all honestly, chickpea tikka masala just has better texture than a tofu version (I find the tofu version is a bit too soggy).

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 212kcal

Author: Allie Petersen

Equipment

Large saucepan

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp ginger paste
1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander optional
pinch pepper
2 15 oz cans chickpeas drained and rinsed
3/4 tsp salt add more to taste
15 oz tomato puree
1/2 cup water
1 cup full-fat coconut milk*
1 teaspoons brown sugar*
Cilantro for topping

Serve with:

basmati rice
naan

Instructions

In a large saucepan, add your olive oil and warm over medium heat. Cook the onions until soft (~ 3-4 minutes).
1 tbsp olive oil, 1 medium onion
Add garlic and ginger paste and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, then add garam masala, cumin, turmeric, coriander, and pinch pepper (NO SALT YET). Fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant, while stirring occasionally.
2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp ginger paste, 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala, 1 teaspoons ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, pinch pepper
Pour in the tomato puree, chickpeas, water, and salt. Bring to a rapid simmer by turning heat up to high. Then turn heat down to med-low and simmer for about 20 minutes (covered), stirring occasionally until sauce thickens and becomes a deep brown red color.
2 15 oz cans chickpeas, 3/4 tsp salt, 15 oz tomato puree, 1/2 cup water
Stir the coconut milk and brown sugar through the sauce.
1 cup full-fat coconut milk*, 1 teaspoons brown sugar*
Garnish with cilantro and serve with hot rice and fresh naan.

Video

Notes

⭐️For less fat and calories, substitute with lite coconut milk.

⭐️If you don't have brown sugar you can substitute with coconut sugar or maple syrup.

Other notes:

As the chickpeas simmer, check them intermittently to make sure they are not drying out and sticking to the bottom. If this happens, add a touch more water to the dish and make sure heat is on LOW so it's simmering and not boiling.

Nutrition