Chickpea Tikka Masala

Ever on social media and you're scrolling through and something catches your eye. That's kind of what happened with this recipe. I spotted the pic and thought, wow, that looks good. I read the recipe and then forgot about it. When I remembered it again was when I said to my husband that this is what we should have for dinner. I never looked at that original recipe again and gave him a list of ingredients based off what I thought they were. While this may not be true to the original, I can say this was absolutely one of the best meals I've ever had. And it's 100% vegan. Don't get me wrong, I eat meat but once a week I like to cook a meal that is meat-free. With this recipe, we did not miss the meat, I assure you. Oh, and it's a one-pot wonder. So easy and tasty, I hope you give it a try!

Chickpea Tikka Masala

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium organic onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp grated ginger
2-3 tbsp garam masala 
1- 28 ounce can organic tomato puree
2- 14 ounce cans organic garbanzo beans
1- cup organic unsweetened coconut milk
S & P to taste
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Directions

1. Add the olive oil to a wide-rimmed skillet or small soup pot. Place on the stove and set to medium heat.
2. Add the onion and cook for about 3-4 minutes until starting to become translucent. Add the garlic, ginger, and garam masala and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes stirring often. 
3. Add the tomato puree and stir together making sure the onion mixture is evenly mixed.
4. Add the beans and coconut milk. 
5. Raise the heat to high and bring to boil, stirring every couple of minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and continue cooking for 25 minutes. Season with salt & pepper to your liking. Serve over rice, quinoa, or with cauliflower rice as pictured above.

Notes: You will notice the pinkish hue of the dish after you add the coconut milk. Don't worry, it will deepen to a beautiful rich red color after it cooks. 

Tip: Make sure you let the onions cook a little bit before adding the garlic. Not just for this recipe but any recipe you cook. This will help ensure the garlic doesn't burn.

Garam Masala

  The essential ingredient in this recipe, besides the chickpeas of course, is the garam masala. I absolutely love this spice. If you have cooked my fiber-rick sloppy joes, you see I use a little in that recipe. It really pairs so nicely in tomato-based dishes like sloppy joes. It will be that taste in the background that people are like, hmmm, what is that. This delicious spice is found in most, if not all grocery stores. A mix of cumin, coriander, pepper, cinnamon, and cloves to name a few of the ingredients, it is a versatile flavor that you will love, I promise.

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