Tikka masala curry is much loved in Britain
and around the world.
As I recall the years I spent living in the
UK, on a midweek evening, many reputed restaurants
would have a line of people waiting patiently
on the pavement in the streets of London.
I have been reminiscing about the taste and
aroma of tikka masala recently and today I
am sharing my vegan version of this amazingly
flavoursome dish.
In this recipe, I am using Chinese eggplant
which is the thin and long variety.
You may also use globe eggplant.
Cut the eggplant into discs or chunks of about
1-inch thick.
Chinese eggplants are a little more bitter
than the globe variety and they can sometimes
cause itching in the mouth for some people
who are sensitive to eggplants.
To reduce the bitterness and itchy substances,
massage the cut eggplant pieces with a tablespoon
of salt.
Then fill the bowl with water to cover them.
Leave the eggplant to soak for about 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the other vegetables.
Slice the courgette or zucchini into half-moons
of about 1 cm thick.
If you are using onions, slice or chop them.
I am leaving the onions out for myself as
both Kevin and I are sensitive to them and
we’ve been having a little too much lately.
After about 12 minutes, drain the eggplants
and rinse them a couple of times with fresh
water to remove the excess salt.
Then pat them dry with a paper towel so that
the water does not splash in the oil when
we will cook them.
We’ll start by pan frying the eggplant.
In a skillet, on medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of
vegetable or coconut oil.
Add in the eggplant.
Fry for about 3-4 minutes on one side or until
golden.
Then flip and fry for another 3 minutes on
the other side.
Prick the eggplant with a fork to test for
doneness.
If the fork goes it smoothly with no spongy
resistance, the eggplants are done.
Remove from the pan and set aside.
As for the spice mix, you can use a store-bought
tikka masala mix in this recipe but I find
that a homemade blend gives a unique personal
touch to the dish.
Watch our upcoming video for the homemade
tikka masala blend.
Now to make the curry, if you are using onions,
add them to the pan first on medium-high heat
and cook for one minute or until translucent.
Then add one tablespoon of minced ginger (or
ginger-garlic paste)
and add the tikka masala mix.
Roast for about 10 seconds.
Add the tomato puree, stir and mix well with
the spices.
Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the tomato
puree slightly changes colour.
If you are using fresh tomatoes, let them
cook for a little longer.
Add in the cooked red kidney beans followed
by the courgette.
Cover and simmer for about 7 minutes.
Add the eggplant.
Stir and mix.
Take care not to crush the eggplant as they
are quite delicate at this stage.
Then add the coconut milk and mix well.
You may use vegan yogurt and cashew cream
instead of coconut milk in this recipe.
I find coconut milk to be more easily available
than the other two counterparts; it also makes
the curry nut-free for those with allergies
(like Kevin and I).
Now you can add salt to taste.
Depending on how sour or sweet the tomatoes
are, you may also add a teaspoon of maple
syrup or sugar to round off the flavours.
Simmer uncovered for a few more minutes.
The turn off the heat.
Garnish with coriander leaves (or cilantro) and
serve over rice or with roti or naan bread.
As Indian as Tikka Masala sounds and tastes,
it is in fact a British invention.
The origin and attribution of this dish is
much disputed as many Indian restaurants in
Britain claim its creation.
So, we probably will never know whom to truly
be grateful for this amazingly rich, creamy
and flavoursome dish.
All we know is that the tikka masala curry
is much loved in Britain and around the world.
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