Melissa Runs

One of my favorite {and not so good for you} dishes is Chicken Tikka Masala. In the spirit of Eat Veg September, I recreated it using chickpeas instead of chicken. I didn’t miss the chicken, especially since it slashed the prep time a ton. Any recipe that requires shredding or cubing chicken tends to be really time-consuming. I definitely didn’t mind skipping that step this time around!

No photo for this recipe, because I stand behind the philosophy that no photo is better than a terrible photo. Tikka masala is tough to photograph.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 jalapenos, seeded & diced
• 3 tbsp of grated garlic
• 1 tbsp of grated fresh ginger
• 1 28oz can of diced tomatoes
• 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• 4 tbsp Patak’s Tikka Masala sauce
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/2 – 3/4c half & half or coconut milk
• Uncle Ben’s Basmati Rice
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• cilantro, chopped

Directions

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and jalapenos. Sauté for 5-10 minutes, or until onions are translucent.

Stir in ginger, tomatoes, chickpeas, cumin, coriander and masala sauce. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until chickpeas have softened.

Reduce heat to low and add half & half. Start with 1/2 cup and check consistency. If it’s creamy enough for you, stop there. If not, add the remaining 1/4 cup. Add turmeric and chopped cilantro.

Serve over basmati rice.