Vegan Tikka Masala

Wednesday Night, I had the honor of cooking LIVE for NuvoTown.com. NuvoTown is a website, developed by Jennifer Manderichio, to help support us all during this time of isolation. In doing so, she has had a number of guest "speakers" come on to put on everything from Zumba Class to Tea Time. 

Thank you everyone who watched over Instagram and Zoom!

All that said, I had a great time! I've never cooked live, let alone filmed myself cooking, PERIOD, so it was a new experience. But I think all the years of watching Rachel Ray and Giada De Laurentis, really paid off, and I was able to pull off the 30 minute show. 

If the title didn't give it away already, I made Vegan Tikka Masala. It's incredibly easy to make, and so good for you! 

Vegan Tikka Masala

To be served over a bed of white or brown rice. I prefer white rice for this dish, but it lacks the nutrients that brown rice offers. Up to you!

Ingredients

• 1-3 Tablespoons Coconut Oil 
• Head of Cauliflower
• Salt 
• 0.5-1 Cup Water or Veggie Broth (I prefer Broth)
• 2- 15oz Cans Chickpeas
• Approx. 1.5 Cup Tikka Masala Sauce *
• Fresh Cilantro for Garnish

*Most store-bought Tikka Masala Sauces have Milk or Cream in them so be sure to read the label. If dairy doesn't bother you, go for it! For this recipe however, I used a 100% Vegan Sauce called Coconut Curry by Masala Mama - It's not exactly Tikka Masala, but the flavors are very similar and this sauce is OMG delicious.

Directions

1. Prep: Chop Cauliflower into 1 to 2 inch sized chunks and open and rinse your Chickpeas, set both aside.
2. In a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, heat ~1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil and sprinkle of salt. Bring to Medium or Medium High-ish heat, add Cauliflower. Stir occasionally, until lightly browned, ~2-5 minutes.*
   *I recommend pouring in a dash of veggie broth here or there, if the cauliflower starts sticking during this process.
3. Add ~1/2-3/4 Cup Veggie Broth, cover with lid, and cook until the cauliflower is tender (aka you can stab it with a fork pretty easily) ~5-10 minutes, depending on how soft you like it. I prefer it with a little bite, so probably closer to 5 minutes. 
4. Add Chickpeas and Sauce, continue to heat (with lid OFF) for ~2 minutes, or until all ingredients are heated through. 
5. Remove from heat and serve over a bed of rice. 
6. Top with chopped Cilantro (do not forget the cilantro! The flavor is key).

Bonus: this dish makes great leftovers. Just like soup, the flavors are more absorbed on day two, and it does well in the microwave.

On day two, I even wrapped the leftovers in a Gluten Free Wrap and had it for lunch: 

Clearly working from home here, eating on top of my laptop!

One last thing: During the show, I mentioned how much I love cilantro, the benefits of it, and how great it is in smoothies. So I went ahead and re-posted a smoothie recipe that I originally shared all the way back in 2013. It's in the post just below this one, or simply click here for the Cilantro Smoothie Recipe.

Thank you again to all of you who tuned in. You guys are the best! 

Wishing you good great health,

Lauren