Seitan tikka masala
Tikka Masala is the most vibrant and mouth watering dish found in Indian restaurants in America. A little known fact in our society is that tikka masala originated in London. A curry typically made with a creamy tomato base with tandoori chicken, this dish requires only a handful of ingredients and is prepared in under fifteen minutes. No joke.
I’ve made this clearly mouth watering dish about 5 times since adapting the mother recipe in my Curry Bible by Mridula Baljekar I have substituted the chicken with seitan, garbanzo beans, lentils and vegetables. It is the perfect hot summer dish when you are craving fire or full spice but don’t want to heat up the kitchen. Having a vegan version of this dish makes my heart sing.
Adjust the heat, but don’t fear the spice!
The wine I served was produced by von Hovel, the 2007 Oberemmeler Hutle (the farm that grew the grapes), SAAR, a Reisling Spatlese (level of sweetness) had a complicated label that was explained to me by the well educated man working the wine, beer and cheese department at the Sacramento Co-Op.
The subtly dry, sweet hints of tart apple juice combined with a slight citrus of a grapefruit take over the palate. Yet it is not very aromatic. The burst of a starburst plays along side the tart tomato, inexplicably balancing eachother.
Seitan tikka masala
14 oz can chopped tomatoes
1 1/4 c heavy non-dairy cream (use non-dairy creamer in a pinch)
1 c sliced seitan, cooked garbanzo beans or cooked lentils
1 tbls canola oil
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
1 fresh red chile (optional), chopped fine
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp paprika
salt to taste
Saute the garlic and chile in a large sauce pan for one minute. Add the cumin and paprika and continue stirring for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes and cream on low heat. Simmer on low for 10 minutes until it starts to thicken. I used several different creamers in this dish to see how they would hold up. Every single time the creamer separated. My solution? Hit it with an immersion blender or puree in a blender. The spices blend so perfectly, I’m surprised the original recipe didn’t recommend it.
Add seitan or other protein such as garbanzo beans. Serve on rice or eat it from a bowl. It is superb.
Subscribe to Eat well, live free by entering your e-mail address for free updates!
