Vegan Chicken-Style Tikka Masala

I'm not sure there are enough words in the English language to describe how mouth-wateringly good this vegan tikka masala is! It's become my husband's signature dish and an absolute family favourite; we just can't get enough of it! It's rich and spicy with an exquisite combination of flavours!

Ordinarily, we try to limit the amount of mock meat products we consume as a family and we generally only eat them at weekends. In this recipe, George uses No Chick Strips from Spar supermarket. They've got an amazing texture and they're absolutely perfect for this dish. However, the Plant Kitchen No Chic'n Chunks from Marks & Spencer would be fantastic too. Otherwise, you can substitute the protein for any alternative of your choice, including seitan and tofu, although tofu would lack the succulent and slightly chewy texture that the No Chick Strips offer.

This recipe also calls for sugar, which we never ordinarily use in our family meals, but it's just one teaspoon for around 10 portions, so we let is slide! And usually we never eat white rice as a family; we always serve up brown basmati rice as it contains more nutrients than white rice and is also lower on the glycemic index. However, white rice really does complement this dish perfectly and allows you to fully appreciate the contrasting, creamy, tomato-based deliciousness of the curry.

So yes, you read that right, this recipe makes 10 generous portions. After serving the 8 of us, it's wonderful to have leftovers for lunch the next day! You could also freeze it for easy future family meals. However, if you want to make less, simply half the portions in this recipe.

To start, put 3 packets of No Meat Co. No Chick Strips (960g) in a large bowl, or the equivalent of any other plant-based protein, and throughly coat them in the following ingredients:

1 can (400mls) coconut milk

1 whole bulb minced garlic

2 tablespoons minced ginger

2 teaspoons garam masala

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon of salt

Leave them to marinade for 20 minutes.

Next, heat 1 tbsp of canola oil over a medium-high heat. When sizzling:

Add the No Chick Strips in batches until they are browned (approx 3 minutes for each side), then set aside.

Then, heat another tbsp of canola oil and add:

2 large onions, finely diced

Fry until soft.

Next, add:

1 whole bulb minced garlic

2 tbsps minced ginger

Fry for about 1 minute, until fragrant.

Then, add:

1½ tsp garam masala

1½ tsp ground cumin

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp ground coriander

Fry for about 20 seconds, until fragrant, and stir occasionally.

Next, add:

2 bottles (2 x 700gms) tomato (passata) sauce

½ cup of vegan chicken stock

½ tsp chilli powder

1 tsp salt

Let it simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and becomes a deep brownish-red colour.

Then add:

1 can (400mls) coconut milk

1 tsp brown sugar

The marinaded and cooked No Chick Strips

Let it simmer for about 10 minutes until the sauce is thick and bubbling.

Finally:

Stir through a handful of fresh coriander

Then serve on basmati rice and enjoy!

I would love you to try this recipe for yourself to discover just what a taste sensation it is!