Vegan Tikka Masala (Instant Pot or Stove Top)

Vegan Tikka Masala - delicious dairy free version of this popular dish with chickpea, cauliflower and coconut milk.  Simple and quick to make for a filling healthy family meal. 

Simple Chickpea and Cauliflower Tikka Masala

Even the simplest of curry recipes can come packed with flavour if you use the right ratio of ingredients and spices. This curry uses nothing complicated but items most of us have in our store cupboard or pantry.

This week I really fancied adding a vegan/vegetarian dish to the menu. Despite being meat eaters, I try to incorporate lots of healthy veggie meals here and there. It's a great way to get some vegetables into our diet too.

So to keep it protein high, I substitute meat with some handy Chickpeas that a couple of cans of in the pantry and looking for some veggies I could add to this too, grabbed a bag of frozen cauliflower from the freezer. See how easy that was?

All that was left was to make the sauce and it was done!!.

Dairy-Free Tikka Masala

Traditional Tikka Masala usually adds cream and yoghurt which not only is high in points but of course is not dairy free. So how do you add that silky creamy feel to a Tikka Masala without using any dairy products?

One Simple Ingredient - Coconut Milk!! and you don't even need much of it. Just a small amount turns this yummy Tikka Masala into a creamy decadent curry. 

Can I use Light Coconut Milk?

You may be wondering if you can use light coconut milk to reduce the points in this recipe and the quick answer is yes.

But just a few things to take into consideration. Light Coconut Milk has a higher water ratio, so will make you curry a lot runnier than if you used the full-fat stuff.

Also, did you know the only difference between full fat and light coconut milk is the water ratio. Save yourself some money, buy the full-fat stuff and if you really do want to use less, just add more water. That exactly what you are doing when you buy the light stuff.

Can I freeze coconut milk?

The next question you probably have, is what can I do with the leftover coconut milk?

Well, you could make one of these other Recipes using coconut milk or you can indeed freeze coconut milk. 

The best way to do these is to freeze it in handy little portions in an icecube tray and then just drop them into a recipe whenever you need coconut milk. Great tip!!

What Vegetables to put in Curry?

The only reason I used cauliflower, is because it was what I had and I felt it would pair well with the chickpeas. 

You really can use any vegetables you like. So if cauliflower is not your thing, just swap it for something else. Just try not to increase the ratio of the vegetables too much as that is the only thing that could affect the end result. Meaning your curry ends up a little dry.

Some other great vegetables I recommend are:

• Cubes of butternut squash or sweet potato (but will add a sweeter flavour to the Tikka Masala)
• Green Beans
• Zucchini (Courgette)
• Carrots
• Broccoli 
• Spinach 

The list goes on.....

Substitute for Chickpeas

Don't have any chickpeas on hand but want to make this recipe? Great swaps are as follows, again just ensure you use the same ratio:

• Green or Brown Lentils (cooked/canned) - I don't recommend red lentils as they will go mushy whereas green and brown hold their shape.

Any beans of choice such as:

• Great Northern Beans or Cannelini
• Butter Beans/Lima Beans
• Kidney
• Pinto Beans 

so many different varieties to choose from, just stick to beans/lentils etc that retain a bite rather than going mushy. 

Spices for Tikka Masala

This is, of course, the spices I use in my recipe. I don't claim authenticity in any way, it's the spices I have on hand that for me create the perfect Tikka Masala recipe. 

Chilli Powder (I use deggi mirch) so the ratio used is by that chilli powder. Be aware that different brands of chilli powder come with different heat levels, so if it is one you haven't used before, I recommend adding the very minimum and tasting for heat level, as you can always add more if needed, but if you add to much and it's too spicy you could ruin a delicious dish.

other than the curry powder the others are just the basics:

• Garam Masala
• Cumin
• Turmeric

see how easy that is?

More Vegetable Curries

Love vegetable curries? Check out all these other recipes (some of these may not be vegan-friendly)

• COCONUT VEGETABLE CURRY (VEGAN)
• 4 INGREDIENT QUICK LENTIL CURRY (INSTANT POT)
• AUBERGINE, COURGETTE, SWEET POTATO AND LENTIL CURRY
• BUTTERNUT SQUASH CHICKPEA CURRY (VEGAN)
• COCONUT GREEN LENTIL CURRY
• LENTIL CURRY (INSTANT POT AND STOVE TOP RECIPE)
• MALAYSIAN BUTTERNUT SQUASH CURRY

or head on over to my Full Recipe Index with over 900 delicious Slimming Eats and Weight Watchers friendly recipes all fully searchable by meal type, ingredients, value and smart points etc

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