Last updated on September 8th, 2020 at 04:39 pm
Made with shredded king oyster mushrooms and protein-rich chickpeas, this family-friendly, Vegan Tikka Masala with chickpea and mushrooms recipe creates a curry so close to the traditional chicken version, it's a little freaky. Yet, it's vegan, gluten-free, kid-friendly and bloody good.
It has been too long between curries on this blog - the last was my Japanese Tofu Curry - and it's high time I remedied that. Butter chicken and tikka masala were two of my favourites BIWV (before I went vegan) and I am so happy to be able to re-create one of them now.
This authentic vegan tikka masala is a wonderful ringer for traditional chicken tikka masala and that's not just my completely veganised tastebuds talking. I have the full backing of my carnivorous husband. This tikka masala is the real deal.
The Trick To This Vegan Tikka Masal
The not-so-sneaky-trick to this vegan tikka masala is using king oyster mushrooms. Currently one of my favourite things to cook with, king oyster mushrooms are delicately flavoured taking on any sauce or seasoning you care to pair them with. Also, their texture when shredded is pretty chicken-esque. I use them in my Vegan Po'boy recipe and they are fabulous in The Best Vegan Pot Pies Recipe.
Non-traditionally I have added chickpeas and baby spinach to this recipe but I never like to miss an opportunity to add protein and iron to my recipes. Especially when MY DAUGHTER EATS IT! No, I'm not yelling at you. I am a little excited though because if you've been here before you might recall my ongoing battle to get my four year-old to eat well. She has recently added mild curry to her approved list. Who would have thunk it? This vegan tikka masala is family-friendly!
Make it Your Own
While my husband likes his vegan tikka masala with a little added chilli, the Elf and I are more than happy with the warming mix of traditional spices and tomato based sauce as is. That's the beauty of this family-friendly curry; those that like it hot can add a little spice while us less adventurous types can enjoy this much-loved curry's slightly buttery, full-bodied tomato and cream flavour. Served with aromatic basmati rice and naan bread, this authentic mushroom and chickpea tikka masala is quickly becoming one of our family favourites.
Enjoy, x.
Vegan Tikka Masala
Ingredients
- 8 King oyster mushrooms
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 large brown onion, finely diced
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- 2 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
- 400 g / 14 oz can chickpeas, drained
- 1½ cups tomato passata
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup coconut milk
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1-2 cups baby spinach
- 1 to 2 tbsp vegan buttery spread
- naan bread or papadums to serve
- 3 cups cooked basmati rice to serve
Instructions
- Trim and discard the woody bases of the king oyster mushrooms and wipe the remaining with a cloth to remove any dirt. Carefully drag fork prongs down the length of each mushroom to shred the "meat". Set aside.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a pan over low to medium heat and add the onion to sauté for 2 minutes. Add the garam masala, coriander, turmeric, cumin, cardamom, paprika, nutmeg, nutritional yeast and stir though the onions before cooking for another minute.
- Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for a minute before stirring in the shredded mushrooms and chickpeas.
- Add the tomato passata, tomato paste, coconut milk, stock and water and stir well. Add the sea salt and increase the heat to high to bring the mixture up to a boil before reducing the heat to low again and cooking at a simmer for around 40 - 50 minutes or until the mixture has thickened.
- Remove from the heat and stir through the baby spinach and vegan butter. Allowing the curry to sit for 5 minutes for the spinach to wilt. Serve with basmati rice and either papadums or naan bread.
Nutrition
If you like this vegan tikka masala you might like these other curries →
Tried this tonight and it was a winner with Miss 10, the first curry she has liked - thank you! A perfect balance of tasty spices but not too overwhelming. Delicious 🙂
Maree, that's fantastic. I am so happy you like the curry - you've made my day. Thanks so much for letting me know. 🙂
That's completely new and fresh. Will definitely try
Cheers Smita. Thanks so much, I hope you enjoy it
Do you make your own Naan bread? If not, where do you find it dairy free. I haven't been successful at finding any. Also, this looks amazing! I cannot wait to try it out on my family. Thank you!
Hey Zameira, thanks for stopping by. Naan bread often has yoghurt in it which is so frustrating. I have made my own but I am also lucky enough to live near a whole foods market that has vegan naan. Papadums are pretty wonderful with this too so if you can't find a vegan naan, there is always those. Enjoy and thanks again.