Recipe · Chicken
Vegan 'Chicken' Tikka Masala
Chargrilled marinated pieces in a creamy, gently spiced tomato sauce — Friday night sorted.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Serves
- 4
- Effort
- Easy
Vegan
The takeaway favourite, done at home. Marinating the vegan chicken in spiced plant yoghurt and then charring it in a hot pan gives the pieces that tandoori edge before they meet the sauce. Creamy, tangy and not too hot — adjust the chilli to suit your crowd.
Ingredients
servings
For 4 servings.
- 400g vegan chicken-style pieces
- 4 tbsp plain unsweetened plant yoghurt (for the marinade)
- 1 tsp ground cumin (for the marinade)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika (for the marinade)
- 1 tsp garam masala (for the marinade)
- ½ lemon (juiced, for the marinade)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large onion (finely chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (crushed)
- thumb-sized piece fresh ginger (grated)
- 1 green chilli (finely chopped, optional)
- 2 tbsp tikka masala curry paste (check the jar is vegan — some contain dairy)
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 × 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp ground almonds
- 150ml coconut cream or oat cooking cream
- 1 tsp sugar
- small bunch fresh coriander (chopped)
- to serve basmati rice and vegan naan or flatbreads (many naans contain milk or yoghurt — check the label)
Scaled amounts are rounded. Cooking times usually stay the same, but a bigger batch may need a bigger pan or an extra few minutes.
Method
- Mix the marinade ingredients in a bowl with a pinch of salt, add the vegan chicken and toss to coat. Leave for at least 15 minutes (or overnight in the fridge).
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the marinated pieces in a single layer and cook for 4–5 minutes, turning, until charred at the edges. Remove to a plate.
- Add the remaining oil to the pan and turn the heat down to medium. Cook the onion for 8 minutes until golden, then add the garlic, ginger and chilli for 1 minute.
- Stir in the curry paste and garam masala and cook for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes and ground almonds. Simmer for 10 minutes, then blend with a stick blender for a smooth, restaurant-style sauce if you like.
- Stir in the coconut or oat cream and sugar, return the chicken pieces and simmer for 5 minutes until everything is piping hot. Season with salt and a squeeze of lemon.
- Scatter with coriander and serve with rice and naan.
Good to know
- Cool leftover rice quickly, keep it in the fridge and reheat it only once, until steaming hot all the way through.
- For a smoky tandoori flavour, char the marinated pieces on a very hot griddle pan or under a hot grill.
Check every label: stocks, sauces, breads and pastries sometimes contain milk, egg or fish. Cook until piping hot all the way through.
