Chana Saag Paneer Tikka Masala (Vegan)!

Chana Saag Paneer Tikka Masala (Vegan!)

Yummy!!! Easy! Seriously! 🙂 My dishes seem to be getting easier and easier as my diary fills up with more and more things. This is another ‘why didn’t I do that before’ dish! It’s creamy, it’s spicy, it’s baked, it’s nutritious, it’s protein packed and it’s simple to make!!! 😀 Hooray! No frying, no slaving, literally mix it up, and put it in the oven! Simples! 😀

Oh the ingredients? In English it would read ‘Chickpea, Spinach, Cheese’, or in this case as it’s vegan I’ve used tofu (but feel free to use paneer if you want to).

Baked style tikka masala

How’s your week been? We’ve had housefuls of people this week – hence the quick meal! Anything easy to have a rest from all the cooking and baking that’s been going on over the weekend here! 😛 Maybe in December I’ll have a bit more time and will post some of the dessert recipes we’ve been testing out! 😀

Chana Saag Paneer Tikka Masala (Vegan & Free-From)

• Servings: 2-3
• Time: 25-35 mins
• Difficulty: easy
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Gather

• 1 block of firm tofu pressed and drained
• 1 x 400g chickpeas with liquid
• 4 tablespoons tomato puree
• 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic granules
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• pinch of cloves
• salt to taste (I used Maldon sea salt)
• *optional 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1/2 cup yogurt (I used natural coconut)
• 1 cup of frozen spinach (defrosted)

Prepare

1. Ensure the tofu is fully drained, then cut into small bite sized cubes.
2. Pour the chickpea liquid into a deep wide bowl, then mix in the tomato puree.
3. Stir in the curry, cumin, turmeric, coriander, garlic, paprika, cloves and salt, (nutritional yeast if using) followed by the yogurt. Do a taste test for spiciness and adjust as necessary.
4. Add the cubed tofu and coat well, before adding the chickpeas and gently stirring in. At this stage you can leave it to marinate for at least half an hour if you wish to really develop the flavours, but it’s fine to cook straightaway.
5. Spread the spinach over the top and bake in a preheated oven at Gas Mark 5 (375f / 190c) for 20-30 minutes. It should still have some sauce and be starting to brown.
6. Gently mix the spinach in.
7. Enjoy!

Serve & Store

• Serve with your favourite grain (I used millet as I was out of brown rice).
• Add a side of veg such as fresh green beans.
• Try with some tasty bhajis or pakoras.
• Use as a selection of dishes for an Indian style feast – try curry or saag aloo.
• Make a flat bread and scoop up the tikka masala.
• Add some sweetcorn or peas before you bake it.
• Prepare up to stage 4, cover then leave in the fridge until ready to cook.
• Store refrigerated for up to three days.

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