Gluten-Free Vegan Chickpea Tikka Masala

My healthy plant-based Gluten-Free Vegan Chickpea Tikka Masala is a hearty and easy one-pot recipe that's made with clean, real food ingredients and is ready in about 20 minutes! It's perfect served alone or over rice, and is freezer-friendly, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free and Medical Medium® Compliant.

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

I gave this traditional recipe a vegan makeover by replacing chicken vegan-friendly chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) and replaced the heavy cream with full-fat coconut milk.

The magical spice combination is what transforms this stew from a regular chickpea dish like my Spicy Chickpea and Tomato Soup recipe.

And don't fret when you look at the ingredient list because the majority of the ingredients are the delicious and aromatic spices and seasonings that give this dish its classic flavor.

You can serve this recipe over organic white rice, cauliflower rice or just enjoy by itself, which is how my family likes to eat it. 

It's also freezer-friendly so you can even make a double batch and save some for a busy weeknight dinner.

This healthy meal is made with clean, real food ingredients and it's vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, oil-free, nut-free and Medical Medium® Compliant.

Ingredients

Here are the healthy, real food ingredients I used to make this recipe. Try to use orgnaic if possible.

• Chickpeas
• Tomatoes
• Coconut Milk
• Veggie Broth
• Onions
• Garlic
• Spice: Garam Masala
• Spice: Ground Cumin
• Spice: Ground Paprika
• Spice: Ground Turmeric
• Spice: Ground Ginger
• Spice: Ground Cayenne Pepper
• Spice: Himalayan Pink Salt

That's it! Only 7 of the 13 ingredients are spices so my Vegan Chickpea Tikka Masala is super easy to make!

How To Make This Recipe | Step-by-Step Instructions:

You'll love how easy it is to make this plant-based recipe in under 20 minutes and I'll show you how with step-by-step instructions below:

Step 1: Saute the Onions and Garlic

First, saute' the onions and garlic in (2) tablespoons of organic vegetable broth on low-medium heat in a medium-sized pot. If you don't need the recipe to be oil-free, you can substitute with (1) tablespoon of either 100% pure avocado oil or organic extra-virgin olive oil.

Step 2: Stir in the Spices

Second, add all the spices to the saucepan.

You'll need to quickly stir them into the sauteed mixture and continue on low-medium heat.

Stir them until everything is well combined.

Step 3: Add the First Add-Ins

Third, add the first set of add-ins, which are the diced tomatoes and chickpeas.

Increase the temperature to a boil and then reduce it back down to low-medium heat.

Let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes.

While the stew is simmering, use the back of a fork to mash about ¾ of the chickpeas against the side of the saucepan, which will thicken the sauce.

Step 4: Add the Second Add-In

Lastly, after the stew has simmered, add the entire can of coconut milk into the saucepan.

Stir until well combined and simmer for an additional 5 minutes on low-medium heat.

Taste and adjust the seasonings to your preference.

How To Store:

This dish can be stored in an air-tight BPA-free container in the refrigerator and is freezer-friendly.

Karielyn's Expert Tips + Ingredient Substitutions 

Here are some of my expert tips to make this recipe perfectly:

Chickpeas: In this vegan recipe, the chickpeas (aka "garbanzo beans") are used as a substitute for chicken for both protein and texture.

• You will need to drain and rinse the chickpeas before adding them to the recipe. If possible, try to buy organic chickpeas in a BPA-free can.
• While the stew is simmering, take the back of a fork and smash about ¾ of the chickpeas along the sides of your saucepan. This will thicken the stew and, at the same time, leave some unmashed chickpeas behind. 

Vegetable Broth: You can use "salted" or "low-sodium" vegetable broth, just make sure the brand you use doesn't contain citric acid. Keep in mind that you may need to adjust the amount of added salt in the recipe depending on whether you use "salted" or "low-sodium" vegetable broth. If you don't need the recipe to be oil-free, you could substitute with (1) tablespoon of pure avocado oil or organic extra virgin olive oil.

Cayenne Pepper: You can reduce or omit this spice if you don't like spicy foods or will be serving this dish to children.

Tomatoes: Fresh organic tomatoes will taste best but if you are in a bind, you can use canned or jarred organic diced tomatoes. However, make sure the canned tomatoes are in a BPA-free can and that both are citric acid-free to be 100% Medical Medium compliant.

Himalayan Pink Salt: This is my salt of preference but you can always substitute it with sea salt.

Optional Preparation Tip: If you will be making rice to go with this dish, you can begin preparing it on the stovetop or an Instant Pot while the stew is simmering. Or even easier...use cauliflower rice!

Serving Size: This recipe will make approximately 6 cups of soup. Nutritional information is for 1 ½ cups which is (1) serving.

 

More Healthy Vegan Chickpea Recipes

1. Chickpea Apple Pecan Salad 
2. Gluten-Free Vegan Flourless Chickpea Brownie Fudge 
3. Spicy Chickpea and Mango Wraps  
4. or my Real Food Vegan™ 14-Day Meal Plan Program with 42 plant-based vegan + gluten-free recipes made with clean, real food ingredients just like this one that you will love!