Do you love tikka masala curry at your favorite Indian restaurants? You can make the same flavorful chickpea tikka masala at home easily, using pantry staple ingredients and without excess oil. This simple vegan recipe is designed for everyday cooking, even on busy weeknights.
I love keeping a batch of tikka masala sauce handy. Once the sauce is ready, everything else comes together quickly, which makes this recipe ideal for busy weekdays. Don't worry if you're new to Indian curries; this one is very forgiving and easy to adjust to your taste.
A Flexible Curry That Fits Busy Weekdays
What I love most about this chickpea tikka masala is how adaptable it is. Cooked chickpeas, whether homemade or canned, blend easily into the tikka sauce, making this a reliable option for last-minute meals.
I often cook a batch using my Instant Pot chickpeas recipe and keep them ready for recipes like this. Having cooked chickpeas ready makes dinner feel effortless.
On days when I want something different, I swap in other legumes or add extra Indian roasted vegetables.
Happy Cooking!
-Sravanthi
Detailed Steps
Step 1: Heat the tikka masala sauce in a pan over medium heat. Check my tikka masala sauce recipe if you want to make it homemade.
Step 2: Add the cooked chickpeas and cooked vegetables. Stir well and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. I steamed veggies in the Instant Pot, but roasted veggies work great too.
Step 3: Adjust consistency with water if needed. Finish with cilantro and lemon juice before serving, if using. I drizzled it with cashew cream to make it more creamy.
Serving Tips
At home, we usually serve this curry hot and fresh, straight from the pot, especially on colder days. It's filling but still works well as part of a simple Indian meal. A fresh kachumber salad or chopped vegetable salad adds crunch and freshness to the meal.
- Serve with soft chapathi for an easy, everyday dinner.
- I cook the quinoa in a rice cooker while making this curry and serve it as a grain bowl. Instead of quinoa, you can also make millet in a rice cooker.
- For a restaurant-style meal at home, serve it with Indian basmati rice.
- I pack the leftover curry along with spinach paratha or pumpkin paratha for the kids' lunch box.
- Mash leftovers slightly and use as a sandwich spread the next day; it's surprisingly good.
Recipe
Vegan Chickpea Tikka Masala
Rate this recipe by clicking the stars!
Ingredients
- 2 cups tikka masala sauce
- 1.5 cups chickpeas cooked
- 1 cup vegetables cooked
Instructions
- Start by warming the tikka masala sauce in a deep pan or pot over medium heat.2 cups tikka masala sauce
- Once it loosens and starts to bubble gently, add the cooked chickpeas and cooked vegetables.1.5 cups chickpeas, 1 cup vegetables
- Stir well so everything gets coated evenly with the sauce.
- Let the curry simmer for a few minutes so the chickpeas absorb the flavors.
- If the curry looks too thick, add a splash of water and stir. This short simmer helps everything come together without overcooking the veggies.
- I usually finish with a swirl of cashew cream or yogurt for a softer, rounder flavor.
- Turn off the heat, then garnish with chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Notes
Tested Tips from My Kitchen
- Drain and rinse canned chickpeas to remove excess salt.
- Simmer gently to avoid over-thickening the sauce.
- Leftovers thicken overnight, so add water while reheating.
- Using veggies is optional, but I like to add them as they taste great. I steamed veggies in an Instant Pot and used them in this recipe.
- Veggies like cauliflower, beans, carrots, broccoli, sweet corn, and green peas go very well in this curry.
- Instead of chickpeas, you can use other beans or legumes.
Nutrition
If you try this chickpea tikka masala, I'd love to hear how you served it and what tweaks you made. Leave a comment below and explore more easy chickpea recipes for everyday meals. If you enjoy chickpea curries, recipes like Saag chickpeas and Chana masala are also great companions in the weekly rotation.
PIN the recipe for later use
Leave a Reply