This VegetarianTikkaMasala is loaded with lots of veggies, chickpeas, and an amazing spice blend. Serve over rice with a spoonful of Greek yogurt, a quick snap pea topping, and lots of warm naan!
VEGGIES: Add coconut oil to a large cast iron pot, heated to medium-high heat. (A nonstick pot doesn't hold heat the same as cast iron, so you may need to cook a bit longer!) Once the oil is melted, add in the diced onion, diced carrot, and diced red pepper. Sauté for 8-10 minutes over medium-high heat or until crisp-tender. Add ginger and garlic, and sauté for 1 minute or until fragrant. Meanwhile, measure out the seasonings. Add seasonings and tomato paste into pot, and cook, stirring constantly, for 4 minutes. Everything should be very fragrant and tomato paste should darken (reduce heat if needed; nothing should be smoking/burning).
TOMATOES AND CHICKPEAS: Add in the crushed tomatoes and sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly and scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add drained and rinsed chickpeas; sauté for 1 more minute. Pour in the coconut milk and stir to combine.
FINISHING: Simmer over lowest heat, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens, about 10 to 20 minutes. Stir in peas, cilantro, and lime juice. Taste the sauce for any additional seasoning/salt. Depending on the tomatoes you use, you may need another 1-2 teaspoons of sugar to balance the acidity.
OPTIONALTOPPINGS: While the dish is simmering, prep the sides. If making the snap pea topping, add thinly slice snap peas, lime juice, oil, and 1/8 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a bowl. Gently toss and set aside. Warm the naan (See Note 1), cook the rice (See Note 2), and set out the Greek yogurt.
ASSEMBLY: Set out rice, top with the Vegetarian Tikka Masala and add any additional toppings like a generous spoonful of the snap pea topping, a spoonful of Greek yogurt, and any additional cilantro sprigs. Enjoy with warmed naan.
Notes
Note 1: I recommend warming the naan before serving. Here are some options:
To char naan on the stovetop, spray both sides of the bread with olive oil cooking spray. "Grill” the bread on the stovetop over the open flame until slightly charred. Cover with a tea towel after removing from the flame.
To warm naan in the microwave, cover with a damp paper towel and microwave for 10-15 seconds. Cover with a tea towel after removing it from the microwave.
Alternatively, you can purchase smaller naan that is made for the toaster. (Stonefire® makes this; it's usually labeled as mini naan.)
Note 2: How we like cooking basmati rice:
Measure the rice and rinse it in a fine-mesh sieve until the water runs clear.
Place the rice in a bowl and cover it with water to soak for about 5-10 minutes.
While the rice is soaking, fill a large pot with water and set it to boil.
Once the water is at a rolling boil, drain the rice and add it to the pot.
Cook without reducing the heat, for 5 minutes and then drain and fluff with a fork.
Note that these cooking directions do not work for other rice varieties (long grain, short grain, jasmine, etc.).
Nutritional information is for the Vegetarian Tikka Masala, but not the basmati rice or snap pea topping.