veggie tikka masala curry

It’s been a snowy weekend here so I have been spending time in my kitchen prepping for the week ahead. One of my favorite winter dishes is curry - it’s so versatile and easy to make. This recipe comes from The Happy Pear ; two plant based brothers from Ireland who have embraced a plant based lifestyle. Their website has lots of great recipes, courses and information. I love their energy and positivity. Find out more by listening to Episode 11 in Season 1 of the Deliciously Ella Podcast.

Don’t be put off by the long list of ingredients. This is super easy to make! Flatbread and naan breads are popular in my house. I made some whole wheat flat breads to go along with this curry as shown in the photo above. Here is a recipe for flat breads if you want to try them out. I added some chopped cilantro (coriander), cumin seeds and chopped jalapenos for some extra flavor.

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 tsp onion powder (optional)

• 1 tsp cumin seeds

• 1 tbsp coriander seeds

• 1 tsp garlic powder (replace with 2 cloves of garlic)

• a thumb-size piece of ginger, peeled and chopped

• 1/2 a red chilli (replace with some dried chili flakes if you can’t find a fresh chili)

• 1 heaped tsp of garam masala

• ½ tsp smoked paprika

• 1 1/2 tsp salt

• ½ tsp black pepper

• ½ tsp cinnamon

• 50 g ground almonds (flaked almonds work fine)

• 1 tbsp tomato puree

• 1x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

• 1x 400ml tin of full fat coconut milk

• juice of 1/2 a lime

Vegetables

(Feel free to mix and match your own vegetables. Blanched green beans also work well and add a nice crunch).

• 1 red pepper finely sliced

• 1 can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed)

• 1 bunch of chopped spinach

• 1 small head of cauliflower - roasted (see below)

• 1 onion finely chopped

• Dash of curry powder

• Avocado oil/olive oil/coconut oil - your choice

To Serve

• 1/2 a handful of chopped cilantro (coriander leaves) approx. 30g

• 2 tbsp soy yogurt or regular yoghurt

• Flaked almonds

Creating the Magic!

• Add all ingredients for the sauce to a blender and blend until smooth. Ideally the sauce will be smooth and not chunky. The smoother the better.

• To roast the cauliflower - preheat the oven to 425F (or 220C). Separate the cauliflower into florets (ideally bite size pieces) and place on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and a little curry powder. (curry powder is optional). Bake for about 10 minutes or until it starts to brown. Remove from oven.

• While the cauliflower is cooking, drizzle some avocado oil (or olive oil/coconut oil) in a pan and add the chopped onion and let it cook for about 5 minutes. Then add the red pepper, roasted cauliflower when it is done, chickpeas and spinach. Mix together and then add the sauce. If you want more sauce and less vegetables, then add less vegetables. You can get creative here!

• Let the vegetables simmer in the sauce for about 15 minutes or so (or until they are tender).

• Serve with coconut yoghurt (or regular yoghurt) and some fresh cilantro/coriander. Flaked almonds on the top add a nice crunch.