I say this is a spin off because most recipes don’t call for coconut milk, but I use it as I love the flavour and colour it adds! You can decide if you want to use it or not. I’m a huge lover of Indian cuisine; it has so many vegan options without trying! A quick Google search showed that almost 40% of the citizens of India are vegetarian/vegan so their food has always been a go-to for me. Plus I love the flavours!!!!!!!!!

I paired this with some Spinach & Onion pakora from Farm Boy and some brown rice I made quickly in the Instant Pot. Enjoy!

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Makes: 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

Tikka Masala:

• 1 small white onion
• 1/2 C coconut milk
• 2-3 tomatoes, each cut into 4 pieces
• 3 garlic cloves, whole
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 C raw cashews
• 2 tsp oil, divided in 2

Chickpea Tikka:

• 2 C chickpeas, cooked (most cans of chickpeas are about 1.5 C)
• 3-4 tsp garlic, minced
• 2 tsp ginger, minced
• pinch of salt and pepper
• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 3/4 tsp garam masala

Directions:

1. Prepare chickpeas first, by mixing all of the ingredients of chickpea tikka list together in a bowl.
2. Bake in air fryer/oven at 400ᵒ F for about 10 minutes, then give them a mix and continue for another 10 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn!
3. While they are baking, heat a large pan on medium heat. Add 1 tsp of oil. Add garlic, onion and ginger and cook until onions are translucent (usually just takes a few minutes)
4. Add tomatoes and cashews. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring every so often.
5. Add cumin and coriander and mix well.
6. Now, put all of these ingredients into your blender, add water, and blend until smooth.
7. In the same pan from before, heated on low, add 2nd tsp of oil and chili powder and cook for a few minutes until you can smell the aroma from the chili.
8. Add sauce from blender to pan, pour in coconut milk and bring to a boil.
9. Mix in remaining spices, cover and let simmer for another 5 minutes or so.
10. Mix in chickpeas and serve over a bed of rice.