Chickpea Tikka Masala

Even though I’ve been developing recipes for over 15 years, sometimes I still surprise myself with how easy it can be to make restaurant-quality food at home. Take this chickpea tikka masala recipe. It’s super-flavorful, but made with pantry spices.

It comes from my friend Kathryne’s book, Love Real Food, and I’m very excited to share it with you today because it’s both easy and delicious. The best of all worlds!

This vegetarian dinner is made with simple pantry ingredients, like crushed tomatoes, chickpeas, and coconut milk. It’s the perfect weeknight meal! I serve it with cauliflower rice for an extra serving of veggies, but I’ll also include Kathryn’s recipe for making green rice in the recipe notes.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review

“This is such a great recipe! I have made it several times over the course of a few months. The whole family likes it.” – Kristen

Ingredients for Tikka Masala with Chickpeas

• Chickpeas. You can make this with one or two cans of chickpeas, depending on how hearty you want it to be. Be sure to rinse and drain them well before using.
• Diced or Crushed Tomatoes. I like to start with a big can of crushed tomtoes, so I don’t have to blend them first. But, if you keep diced tomatoes in your pantry, you can blend them into a silky-smooth puree in seconds.
• Coconut Milk. This adds creaminess while keeping the dish dairy-free. I don’t think the coconut flavor is very noticeable, due to all the spices in this sauce. You can add more coconut milk to taste, if you prefer a creamier texture.
• Pantry Spices. Ground coriander and cardomom are the prominent spices in this sauce, but you’ll also need cumin, turmeric, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne pepper.
• Cilantro. Fresh cilantro makes this dish taste like it came from a restaurant. Don’t skip it.
• Aromatics. Onion, garlic, and fresh ginger complete the flavor profile of the sauce. You’ll cook these first, to bring out the aromatic flavor.

How to Make Chickpea Tikka Masala

Step 1:

Drizzle olive oil into a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped yellow onion and cook it for 5 to 7 minutes, until it looks translucent. While you wait on that to cook, measure out the ground cumin, cardamom, coriander, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper. It helps to have these spices measured and ready to go!

Next, add the minced garlic and ginger and stir for 1 more minute. Then add the spices you just measured out and stir for 30 more seconds. Toasting them briefly helps bring out the best flavor.

Step 2:

Open the can of crushed tomatoes and pour them into the pan with the spices. If you’re using diced tomatoes, pour them into a blender and blend until smooth. Then pour the blended mixture into the pan.

Add the drained chickpeas, a half teaspoon of salt, coconut milk, and cilantro. Stir well and bring the liquid to a rapid simmer. Once it’s bubbling, lower the heat and cover the skillet with a lid.

Let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so, to prevent the sauce from sticking to the pan.

Serving Tips

When the timer goes off, remove the lid and adjust the seasoning to taste. I usually add more salt, just a half teaspoon at a time, until the sauce is flavorful. (I use one and a half teaspoons in total, usually.)

You can add more coconut milk for a creamier sauce, or add a touch of maple syrup for sweetness to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. I also like to add a squeeze of lime juice to brighten the flavor, but that’s optional.

When you’re happy with the flavor, serve warm with cooked rice, perfectly cooked quinoa, or cauliflower rice.

Chickpea Tikka Masala

4.63 from 27 votes

Chickpea Tikka Masala has all the classic flavor you love, only it's made with chickpeas instead of chicken. This vegetarian dinner uses simple pantry ingredients, like canned chickpeas, coconut milk, and tomatoes, so it's easy to whip up on a weeknight! It's ready to eat in about 30 minutes, requires minimal chopping, and tastes like it was ordered from a restaurant.

prep10 mins cook25 mins total35 mins

Servings:4

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Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

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• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion , finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, if you like some heat)
• 1 inch fresh ginger , minced
• 3 cloves garlic , minced
• 28 ounces canned tomatoes (crushed or diced)
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 15 ounces canned chickpeas , drained and rinsed
• 1 cup canned coconut milk
• ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro , plus more for garnish

Instructions

• Arrange a large, deep skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and cook the onion until it starts to soften, about 5 to 7 minutes. While you wait on that, measure the coriander, cumin, turmeric, cardamom, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper into a small bowl.
• When the onion is tender, add the minced garlic and ginger, and stir for 1 more minute. Then add the bowl of spices and stir for 30 more seconds, just until they smell fragrant.
• If using diced tomatoes, pour them into a blender and blend briefly until pureed. You can skip this step if using crushed tomatoes. Pour the tomatoes into the skillet and add the drained chickpeas, coconut milk, and cilantro. Increase the heat to high and bring the liquid to a simmer. Then reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• When the timer goes off, carefully taste the sauce (it's hot!) and adjust the flavoring. I usually add more salt, a ½ teaspoon at a time, until it's flavorful. You can also balance the acidity of the tomatoes by adding up to a tablespoon of maple syrup. (This is optional and up to your taste buds.)
• Serve warm over your favorite cooked rice and garnish with additional cilantro if desired. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

Nutrition information is for 1 of 4 servings, without rice. This information is automatically calculated so it’s just an estimate, not a gaurantee. 

Pan Tip: Use a nonreactive skillet, such as stainless steel or an enamel-coated cast iron skillet (like Le Creuset). Don’t use your cast-iron skillet, since the acidity in the tomatoes can eat away at the seasoned surface that you’ve worked so hard to maintain

This recipe is shared with permission from Love Real Food, by Kathryne Taylor. I originally shared this recipe with her green rice, which you can find below. 

How to Make Kathryne’s Green Rice: In a food processor or blender, combine 2 cups of baby spinach, 1 seeded and chopped jalapeño, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ½ cup of water. Blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a medium saucepan. Add 1 ¼ cups of water to the pan and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Add 1 ½ cups long-grain brown rice, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and has absorbed all the liquid, about 40 minutes. There will be a layer of green on top, so you’ll need to take off the lid and check underneath with a fork to be sure it’s done. (If the rice has absorbed all of the moisture but is still a little crunchy, add a couple more tablespoons of water and cook for a few minutes longer.) Once the rice is done, remove the pot from the heat and let the rice steam, covered, for 10 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 346kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 860mg | Potassium: 973mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 479IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 140mg | Iron: 6mg

Author: Megan Gilmore

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: chickpea tikka masala

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If you try this Chickpea Tikka Masala recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how you like it.