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Easy but elevated vegan eats

7 Minute Vegan Scrambled Tofu

7 Minute Vegan Scrambled Tofu

Eggy, fluffy scrambled tofu ‘eggs’, done in 7 minutes. This 7 Minute Vegan Scrambled Tofu is your staple vegan simple, healthy and delicious breakfast recipe.

Tofu can be flavoured to have a totally eggy-flavour. Plus, this 7 Minute Vegan Scrambled Tofu is full of protein, keeping you nice and full and powering you through your busy mornings. Mixing together the spices and throwing the tofu in the pan takes 2 minutes, cook for 5 and then you’re done! It’s perfect for an elevated everyday breakfast. Add a slice of healthy whole wheat toast with a touch of plant butter, ketchup, herbs, whatever you fancy!

Giving your 7 Minute Vegan Scrambled Tofu That Eggy Flavour

The key to getting the eggy flavour of any tofu scramble worth its salt is, well, salt. Kala Namak is an Indian volcanic rock salt with a distinct sulfurous taste. This Himalayan black salt is a secret ingredient in vegan cuisine because of this eggy taste and smell. It’s ideal for making the perfect for tofu scramble, plant-based quiche, or eggy spaetzle.

You can use Kala Namak black salt in any dish that requires the replacement of an egg taste. It’s not, however, a suitable replacement for dishes that use real egg as the binder. Black salt replaces egg in flavour only. If you need an egg replacement to hold ingredients together, in muffins, cookies etc, choose a plant-based binder such as banana, apple sauce, or ‘egg replacer’ made from ground flax.

Himalayan black salt, a little goes a long way! Just as dash is needed in your vegan tofu scramble to get that eggy flavour.

tofu egg vegan scramble recipe

Serving Suggestions

This 7 Minute Vegan Scrambled Tofu recipe is meant to be super quick to make. Avoid over-cooking your tofu scramble or it will dry out! If you’re making a big brunch, I suggest making your mixture and adding it to the tofu in a pan, and only turning the heat on about 5 minutes before your brunch is ready. This will ensure your quick and easy vegan tofu scramble will be hot and not dried out!

If you want to get fancy, serve your scramble topped with some fresh chopped herbs, or try it on toast. You can even fry up some leeks in a pan to add to your scrable, or top with a bit of vegan cheese. It’s also really delicious in a wrap, with a dash of vegan mayo on hot sauce! (pro tip, once your roll it into a tortilla, sear it on a pan for a few minutes. This will keep it sealed and the contents contained inside the wrap while you’re enjoying it, making for elegant eating!

Keep your vegan tofu scramble leftovers stored in a covered container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a hot frying pan.

For a full on vegan brunch, accompany your tofu eggs with my fluffy Vegan Buttermilk Pancakes!

vegan tofu scramble plant-based eggs on a plate with toast

7 Minute Quick Vegan Scrambled Tofu

Eggy, fluffy scrambled tofu 'eggs', done in 7 minutes. This is your staple vegan simple, healthy and delicious breakfast recipe. Mixing together the spices and throwing the tofu in the pan takes 2 minutes, cook for 5 and then you're done! It's perfect for an elevated everyday breakfast.
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Prep Time 2 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine Canadian, Plant-Based, Vegan
Servings 1 person

Ingredients
  

Tofu

  • 1/2 package of tofu

Vegan egg mixture

  • 1 tbsp vegan butter
  • 2 tbsp nutritional list
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp mustard
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp kala namak (black salt)
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened oat milk (or plant milk of choice)

Instructions
 

Vegan Tofu Scramble

  • Add your nutritional yeast, turmeric, paprika, mustard, garlic powder, black salt and onion powder to a bowl. Then add the oat milk and whisk it into a sauce.
  • Add your vegan butter (optional) to a frying pan and turn to medium heat.
  • Crumble your tofu and place into frying pan.
  • Add your sauce the tofu and mix it in so your tofu absorbs the sauce.
  • Cook until lightly browned, approximately 5 minutes.
  • Top with black pepper and chopped chives and serve with some toast. (optional)
Keyword Breakfast, Plant-based eggs, scrambled eggs, tofu, tofu scramble, Vegan breakfast, Vegan brunch, Vegan eggs, Vegan scramble

Easy Vegan Seitan Chicken

vegan plant-based chicken

Easy and made with only tofu, vital wheat gluten flour, nutritional yeast, broth and savoury spices, this Easy Vegan Seitan Chicken is easy to whip up, even on a weeknight.

Whether you’re trying to get more plants into your life, doing meatless Mondays or are vegan, a simple plant-based chicken recipe is a staple. This Easy Vegan Seitan Chicken is super versatile and can be used as you would raw animal-based chicken. Meaning, once you’ve thrown the ingredients together and steamed it 25 minutes, you can then cook it any way you’d like in any dish.

Plant-based vegan chicken

Add Homeade Vegan Seitan Chicken to Your Skillset

It’s essential to have some healthy homeade plant-based meats in your arsenal. Store-bought plant meats can be tasty and super convenient, and while they’re often a good source of fibre, folate and iron, and typically contain less saturated fat than ground animal beef, they can be highly processed and full of salt.  

Cooking up your own homeade plant-meats is cheaper, healthier, and opens up a larger array of possibilities. Instead of breaded processed vegan nuggets with a boring sugary processed bbq packet of sauce, you can make a lovely plant-based chicken breast with homeade pesto. Much more elegant, right?

Methods of Cooking Vegan Seitan Chicken

pot of boiling water with lid

First off, seitan always needs to be cooked to use it in a vegetarian or vegan meal. In this recipe we’re steaming it which gives it a chewier texture. You can use a steaming basket placed in a pot of simmering water on the stove with the lid on, or use a metal strainer placed over a pot of water with the lid on. This method of of boiling is a great overall method and particularly good for making seitan sausages and pepperoni. Once steamed, it’s considered cooked, and you can then use your vegan seitan meat to make any sort of meal. Grill it in a pan and use it in any sort of cuisine.

Boiling seitan is the other method of cooking your vegan meat. This will give your final product a very moist texture, great for slicing and sauteeing as meat, and adding to baked casseroles and the like. In this method you add the seitan breasts to boiling liquid, typically a broth, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. It will double or triple in size, and will take on the flavour of the liquid it’s cooking in.

Don’t bake a seitan recipe that recommends simmering or steaming. Baking seitan requires the dough to have more moisture in it than simmering or steaming requires. If the dough isn’t moist enough, the baked seitan will have a super bready texture to it.

Health Benefits

vital wheat gluten flour

Seitan is high in protein and fairly low in calories, fat, and carbohydrates. It also contains a number of minerals. Compared to beef loin, seitan contains fewer calories and less fat but nearly the same amount of protein. Wheat gluten is technically a processed ingredient, but a very healthy one!

Let the Breast Rest…Only if You’d Like

Once you mix together your simple ingredients (by hand, with a hand mixer, or using the mix setting on your Kitchenaid Mixer), shape and steam your breasts, you have the option of letting them cool. Placing your vegan chicken breasts in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour will change the texture. If you don’t have the time to the let the breast rest, then don’t! This recipe is not overly fussy, and will give you a nice tasting plant-based chicken either way. If you have the time, try out cooling them and see if you prefer the texture that way.

Make this Recipe Work for You

Although this recipe calls for soft tofu, if you only have firm you can still work with that. The thing with vegan seitan meat recipes is everyone will end up liking a certain taste and texture. Don’t be afraid to alter this recipe a bit-from the spices, to the tofu type, to the time resting. Fine tune it according to what works for you. If you only have firm tofu on hand, be sure to add in a few tablespoons of water to make up for decreased moisture. Soft tofu contains a lot more water in it, giving you a more moist and soft seitan dough. Firm will work just fine though!

Try this vegan chicken topped with my Easy Vegan Teriyaki Sauce recipe!

vegan plant-based chicken

Quick & Easy Vegan Seitan Chicken

Easy and made with only tofu, vital wheat gluten flour, nutritional yeast, broth and savoury spices, this Vegan Seitan Chicken is easy to whip up, even on a weeknight.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Course dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine American, Canadian, Chinese, Italian, Mediterranean, Mexican, Plant-Based, Vegan
Servings 6

Equipment

  • steamer basket (optional)

Ingredients
  

Vegan Seitan Chicken

  • 1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten (plus more for dusting)
  • 1 1/4 cups soft or silken tofu  (can use firm but will have different texture)
  • 2 Tbsp water (add extra 3-5 tbsp if using firm tofu)
  • 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 Tbsp onion powder
  • 1/8 tsp ground sage (optional)
  • 1/8 tsp rosemary (optional)
  • 1 vegetable bouillon cube (or 2 tsp broth powder)
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions
 

Vegan Seitan Chicken

  • Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse to combine until dough forms a ball. Or, mix everything together by hand, or mix using on the 'mix' setting on your Kitchenaid mixer, working the dough until it forms a ball.
  • Dust a work surface with a touch of the vital wheat gluten. Turn the dough ball onto the surface and lightly dust the top with a little more vital wheat gluten to keep it from sticking to your hands. The dough will be soft and sticky. Do not knead the dough or it will become tough.
  • Cut the dough ball into 6 pieces and use the tips of your fingers to press each piece of dough into an oval shape about 5" x 6".
  • Add several inches of water to a large pot with a steamer basket (or strainer) and bring to a simmer. Lightly grease the steamer basket and lay the tenders in the basket.
  • Cover and steam at a simmer for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through so they steam evenly. They will double in size. Keep your water at a gentle simmer for the best texture. 
  • Once steamed, remove the tenders and let cool in the fridge for one hour to allow the chicken to firm up.
  • You can now use your vegan chicken how you like (grill in a pan, toss in marinade etc.).
Keyword chicken, Plant-based meat, seitan, seitan chicken, Vegan chicken, Vegan meat

Vegan Authentic Bruschetta

This vegan bruschetta is made the authentic Italian way, with simple but quality ingredients. Effortless yet bursting with flavour. My Vegan Authentic Bruschetta is the only bruschetta recipe you’ll ever make again.

Bruschetta’s beauty is in its simplicity, relying on the quality of its ingredients to create big flavour. A rustic loaf of artisanal bread, the balance of acid and sugar from ripe tomatoes, the peppery grassy taste of quality olive oil and the slightly spicy aroma of fresh basil: these are the tastes of a bruschetta classica.

Bruschetta is something everyone knows how to make, but still requires a good recipe to get the balance of flavours right. There’s no hope of hiding mediocre ingredients in a bruschetta. If your ingredients aren’t great, your bruschetta won’t be either.

In Italy, bruschetta comes from the Roman dialect verb bruscare, the equivalent of the Italian word abbrustolire which means ‘to toast’. Born in the 16th century in central and southern Italy, this antipasto spread to the entire country and eventually to the world by Italian emigrants.

The Secrets to Perfect Bruschetta

For the best bruschetta, the bread has to remain crunchy. So, your topping should be not too soggy, and it should be put on the bread only a few minutes before serving.

Traditionally a hint of garlic is added by rubbing a peeled garlic clove onto the toasted bread. It can also be added in small amounts directly to the tomato mixture, as it is in this recipe. When rubbing the toasted bread with garlic the rough surface of the bread will shred the garlic like a grater, and impart tons of flavour to your bruschetta.

Quality tomatoes are essential. They should be ripe, which means they should be heavy for their size, and when you gently press on their skins, they should feel exceedingly fragile, and feel as though they are on the precipice of bursting. You can use any variety of ripe tomato you like. A mix of heirloom varieties offers a confetti-like rainbow of colours and blend of flavours; some sweeter, some more tart.

A rustic Italian loaf is a classic as the base for bruschetta, with its soft interior and crusty outer layer. Avoid thin and unsubstantial store bought sliced brought at all costs! Your bread should taste phenomenal, and it should be a loaf with enough heft to carry your tomato mixture without turning soggy. Any quality fresh artisanal bread or homeade loaf will work beautifully.

Bruschette Recipe Variations

Add balsamic vinegar: For a mellow tartness, drizzle on some balsamic vinegar. Be sure to use the highest quality aged balsamic that you can get your hands on. Acropolis Organic Balsamic Vinegar is a lovely choice. Barrel aged for six years, it’s Naturally sweetened with Petimezi and is vegan. A quality balsamic will be on the pricy side, but worth it. Aged balsamic should be thick and syrupy, not runny, and with a rich, complex sweetness.

Add vegan cheese: A grated plant-based mozzarella slightly melted on top is divine on bruschetta. Or, you could sprinkle some freshly-grated vegan Parmesan on top of each piece of bruschetta too. Little morsels of a nice soft cashew cheese like those by Nuts for Cheese would also work beautifully on top.

Add vegan Pepperoni: If you’d like to add some plant meat, a nice vegan pepperoni thinly sliced would also be delicious sandwiched between the crostini and tomato topping.

Add different herbs: Experiment with different fresh or dried Italian herbs like oregano, thyme, or marjoram in your tomato topping.

Classic Bruschetta Bread

A Simple & Easy Bruschetta Classica
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Resting Time 15 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Italian

Ingredients
  

Bread

  • 1 loaf crusty bread (Rustic bread, baguette or Italian loaf)

Bruschetta mixture

  • 1 pound ripe tomatoes, diced
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (plus extra for brushing/drizzling)
  • fine sea salt (to taste)
  • freshly-cracked black pepper (to taste)
  • 2 large cloves garlic (1 minced and 1 for rubbing)

Instructions
 

Bruschetta Mixture

  • Stir together the diced tomatoes, 1 minced garlic clove, basil, olive oil and a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl.
  • Cover and let sit 15 minutes (optional-the longer you let it combine the more flavourful)

Bread

  • Heat oven to 400°F.
  • Arrange the bread slices on a large baking sheet in an even layer.
  • Brush the bread lightly with olive oil. Bake for 7 to 10 mins.
  • Slice off the ends of one garlic clove (without removing the papery skins).
  • Rub the cut end of the garlic on the bread slices.
  • Add a spoonful of the tomato topping mixture to each slice of bread, then drizzle a hint of olive oil over the tomato topping.‍
  • Salt and pepper to taste.
Keyword Appetizer, Bruschetta, Italian, Tomatoes, Vegan bruschetta, Vegan Italian, vegan snacks, Vegan tomato recipes

Quick Vegan Naan Bread

Quick Vegan Naan Bread

Soft, pillowy, and full of airy bubbles, this Quick Vegan Naan Bread recipe is lovely and extremely versatile. A touch of vegan yogurt or vegan sour cream gives this recipe the rich flavour of traditional naan. This fluffy yeast flat bread from the Indian subcontinent is traditionally cooked in a tandoor clay oven, but it comes out beautifully in a pan on a conventional stovetop.

rolling dough for Quick Vegan Naan Bread

SHOP INGREDIENTS FOR THIS RECIPE BELOW:

Why this Quick Vegan Naan Bread is Easy

Freshly made naan has become a staple with our frequent curry nights. Once you start making naan, you’ll never have a homeade curry without, partly because they are so easy to make!

Bread-making has a reputation for being tricky and time consuming. Not so with naan bread. The ingredient ratios are not as picky as loaf bread. You don’t have to worry about weighing flour and testing out yeast quantities.

Throw a few ingredients into a bowl, roll it out and pan fry it, and you’ve got some beautiful fluffy Indian flat bread. To get a fluff vegan naan I used Fleischmann’s Quick-Rise Instant Yeast which you can buy here.

homeade Quick Vegan Naan Bread

Making Your Quick Vegan Naan Dairy-Free

Naan bread is usually made with an enriched dough, meaning that it often contains dairy; usually in the form of cow yogurt and ghee or butter. This is what helps to make it so soft and full of flavour. We know of course that dairy can be easily substituted with plant-based ingredients to achieve the same effect. Using vegan sour cream keeps your naan bread pillowy soft, just like the original kind. This quick and easy vegan naan recipe will give you a plant-based naan that is indistinguishable from that with dairy.

How to Eat Your Naan

vegan curry and naan bread

Naan is a favourite bread typically served with the rich curries of North Indian. Not only a delicious curry accompaniment, it’s also an edible utensil of sorts! In lieu of forks and knives, tear long chunks of naan with your right hand, pulling with your thumb and forefinger while holding the rest in place with your other fingers. Wrap this around the food and gravy in your main dish and eat the whole morsel in one scoop.

Go with a traditional naan simply with melted butter on top, or add in some extra flavours. This Quick Vegan Naan Bread is great with garlic, and dusted with fresh herbs like cilantro, chive or parsley.

A classic Chickpea Chana Masala is the ultimate dish to eat with your homeade naan. Naan bread isn’t just for eating with curry.

Use this delicious Indian flatbread to make soft tacos, pizzas, paninis or flatbreads dressed with pesto and veg. It’s comforting on the side for soups and stews, or even pop them in the toaster and top with a generous amount of fruit jam.

While best freshly made for curries, it can be stored in an airtight container for a few days and then reheated in the oven, microwave or stove top.

Quick & Easy Vegan Naan

A quick and easy dairy-free vegan naan.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course dinner, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine Indian

Ingredients
  

Naan

  • 1 tsp instant yeast
  • 3/4 cup warm water
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 3 tbsp vegan sour cream (or coconut cream)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin)
  • melted vegan butter for serving (optional)

Instructions
 

Naan

  • Add the yeast and sugar to a large bowl and pour the warm water on top. Allow to sit for a few minutes until it is frothy on top.
  • Add the flour, salt, baking powder, sour cream and olive oil. Stir with a wooden spoon until it becomes difficult, then turn the ball of dough out on a lightly floured surface.
  • Knead the ball of dough for about 2-3 minutes, until the ball of dough is smooth and soft. If it is too sticky, add a little more flour.
  • Place dough in a large bowl, cover with a tea towel and let it rise for about 30 minutes (this part is optional).
  • After it rises, flatten the dough and divide into 8 pieces.
  • Heat a large pan over medium heat. Roll each piece of dough on a lightly floured surface into a circle or oval shape.
  • Place the dough on the heated pan and cook until bubbles have formed and the bottom is golden brown. Flip and cook 1-2 minutes more until that side is golden brown as well.
  • Repeat with the remaining pieces. Cover the naan with a towel or wrapped in foil to keep warm until ready to serve.
  • Serve plain or with melted vegan butter and sprinkle with fresh herbs, such as cilantro or parsley.
Keyword curry, dairy-free naan, easy naan, naan, plant-based naan, vegan bread, vegan naan

 

 

Winter Roasted Squash & Tomato Stew

January’s frosty plunging temperatures call for a deeply flavourful and hearty stew. This plant-based meal relies on stewed tomatoes and oven roasted squash to make a next level broth. Organic local kale, a sprinkling of basmati and a couple handfuls of quality penne noodles (from our Italian fine food shop) add the heartiness. Protein comes in the form of elegant white beans, and the vegan soup staple, red (or you can use green) lentils.

Stewed Fresh Tomatoes

Fresh tomatoes stewed on the stove start this stew off right. Sure, you can use canned stewed tomatoes from your grocery store (in which case you should choose a quality brand like Mutti). But, the taste of homemade Stewed Tomatoes is much better, and will add a depth to your stew. Another plus of doing homeade is when you make your own, you can control the sodium and eliminate the use of chemicals and preservatives found in some store-bought varieties. It’s incredibly simple to stew your own tomatoes and well worth the extra time. Wash and chop your ripe tomatoes, throw them in a pan with quality olive oil, 1 onion, and salt (dash of sugar optional). Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, et voilà!

Roasted Butternut Squash

Winter squashes are uniquely beautiful with ribbed or bumpy skins, irregular shapes, and vibrant colours ranging from yellow to orange to dark green or even multi-toned. Compared to their summertime cousins, winter squashes have a denser texture and nutty flavour with firm flesh that holds up well in hearty soups, stews, casseroles, breads, and even desserts.

The chic, fawn-hued, Butternut Squash is a favourite for roasting. It’s bold orange interior gets tinged with a caramel taste after bathing in the heat of your oven. Look for squash with a nice beige-ish skin. Surface scratches and imperfections are normal, but deep scratching, cuts, or soft spots are not. Look for butternut squash that is heavy for its size. It doesn’t need to be the largest, but one that is solid and heavy is a must. Pick up a couple in your hands at the market and see how their weight compares.

In a rush you can use boiled or frozen squash, but a roasted squash will increase that flavour depth we’ve been talking about.

Navy Beans & Lentils

Lentils are the workhorse of a homeade plant-based soup. They transform your broth from watery thin to a lightly thickened and creamy base. Red lentils work best for this soup, as they cook quickly but not too quickly, and they break down a bit in the broth, adding to the soup’s texture. If you don’t have red lentils on hand, green lentils are a wonderful substitute, but take a few more minutes of cooking. Lentils are low in calories, rich in iron and folate, and an excellent source of plant protein.

Navy beans, with their soft, velvety texture and slightly nutty taste add a certain elegance to a dish. Here, they mix exceptionally well with the chopped kale in your Roasted Squash & Tomato stew. Also known as haricot beans, are a great source of fibre, B vitamins and minerals like folate, iron, zinc, magnesium, and calcium. Both of these lovely legumes will keep you full, which is what a big hearty winter stew should do!

Making your Roasted Squash & Tomato Stew

Winter Roasted Squash & Tomato Stew

A simple squash & tomato stew with a delicate and flavourful broth.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
1 hour 10 minutes
Course dinner, Lunch, Soup, Stew
Cuisine Mediterranean

Ingredients
  

Stewed Tomatoes

  • 7-8 ripe tomatoes
  • 1 onion
  • salt & pepper (to taste)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • cayenne pepper (optional)

Roasted Butternut Squash

  • 1 butternut squash
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • pinch salt

Stew

  • 6 cups vegetable broth (I use GoBIO Vegetable Cubes)
  • 1/4 cup red lentils
  • 1 can white beans
  • 2 cups chopped kale
  • 1/8 cup uncooked white rice
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp chilli powder
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne
  • 1/4 cup uncooked penne
  • salt & pepper (to taste)

Instructions
 

Stewed Tomatoes

  • Wash and chop your ripe tomatoes
  • Throw your tomatoes in a pan with quality olive oil, 1 onion, and salt (dash of sugar optional).
  • Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Making your Roasted Squash

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Using a large, sturdy knife, cut your butternut squash in half lengthwise.
  • Scoop out the seeds and stringy bits from each half and discard (or save for roasting).
  • Transfer the butternut squash, cut-side up into a baking dish and brush with olive oil.
  • Season with salt.
  • Roast in the oven for approximately 40 minutes until fork-tender but not mush (as it will cook a bit more in your stew).
  • Remove skin and cut squash into cubes.

Making your Stew

  • Add your 6 cups of vegetable broth to a large pot
  • Add your stewed tomatoes.
  • Add in your cubed roasted squash.
  • Rinse your lentils and add to pot.
  • Rinse and chop kale, add to pot.
  • Rinse canned white beans, add to pot.
  • Add in your spices.
  • Add your rice and penne.
  • Taste and add extra spice, salt & pepper to taste!
  • Simmer on medium low heat for 20 minutes, then serve!
Keyword Butternut Squash, Butternut Squash Soup, Hearty Stew, Squash, Stew, Tomato Stew, Vegetable Stew

Chana Masala (Easy Chickpea Curry)

vegan chickpea chana masala

Chana Masala is a staple of plant-based eating. It’s easy, comforting, healthy and delish. The earthy and fragrant spices, mixed with the slightly sweet smell of translucent onions cooking in the pan is divine. The spicy tinge on the tongue opens the passages and clears the head in the stuffy cold winter season. A side of quality basmati rice, with its delicate texture and light, fluffy grains, tops off this essential vegan dish. Accompany your Chana Masala with homemade naan, freshly rolled out and pan fried until crispy with an airy soft inside.

chickpeas garbanzo beans on counter

Garbanzo Beans

You can use dried chickpeas and fully cook them ahead of time to use on the recipe if you’d like. Keep in mind that while a lot of bags of dried chickpeas state that you must soak the chickpeas overnight before boiling, you actually don’t! You can simply boil them longer than it states and they will turn out great. If you rarely plan your meals ahead enough to boil dried chickpeas before using in a recipe, then canned will suit you well.

The highest quality chickpeas you’ll come across that are caned are Eden Organic Garbanzo Beans. Plump and pretty, these beans are packed only in water and Kombu seaweed. They’re never slimy, and have a beautiful texture and taste. Of course, any old chickpeas will do. This recipe is packed with flavourful spices, so your garbanzos will be swimming in a gravy of fragrant flavours.

  • can of Mutti chopped tomatoes
  • crushed tomatoes in glass bowl

Quality Tomatoes

When it comes to tomatoes, quality is important. If you’ve used your fair share of tinned tomatoes, you’ve probably come to realize that not all are created equal. There are massive differences in quality and flavour of canned tomatoes. Good tomato products should have a nice deep red colour, a pure tomato flavour, a freshness and a sweetness. Mutti tomato products always deliver on all fronts. They’re a bit pricier than your run of the mill canned tomatoes, but well worth it.

Another plus is that Mutti works closely with their farming partners, paying higher prices for the best quality so that their partners can pay fair wages and maintain sustainable farming practices. Ethical and way tastier than your average tin, it will be hard to go back to your budget cans once you’ve tasted these.

dices onions in olive oil in pot sauteed

Onions & Cilantro

Onion is the base of your Chana Masala. If you run out of onions, don’t bother making this dish until you get your hands on some onion! A chickpea curry is not worth a thing without onion. Pan fried until translucent in a bit of oil, it infuses intense flavour into the dish. Garlic alone won’t cut it! The potent smell of cooking diced onion coated in fine olive oil is part of the Chana Masala experience, and absolutely essential to the flavour of the dish.

Fresh cilantro is also a must for Chana Masala. Its pleasing taste reminiscent of parsley and citrus gives complexity to your dish. A little bit of cilantro mixed into your simmering curry amps up the flavours. A bunch topped on your plated Chana Masala adds a light bright contrast to the deep flavours of your curry.

pile stack of vegan traditional indian naan bread

Homeade Vegan Naan

Try my super easy Vegan Naan recipe with your Chana Masala! It has a crispy, bubbly exterior and a tender soft inside. Plant-based sour cream gives it that rich flavour of traditional naan.

vegan chickpea chana masala

Easy Vegan Chana Masala

An easy traditional chickpea Indian curry that is plant-based and vegan.
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Course dinner
Cuisine Indian

Ingredients
  

Chana Masala (Easy Chickpea Curry)

  • olive oil
  • 1 large onion (diced)
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 small green chilli (or 1 tablespoon dried red pepper flakes)
  • 1/4 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 can Mutti finely chopped tomatoes (796 ml)
  • 1 can chickpeas
  • juice half a lemon
  • fresh cilantro

Instructions
 

Chana Masala (Easy Chickpea Curry)

  • Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
  • Add onion and cook until onion becomes translucent and begins to brown, about 3-5 minutes.
  • Add garlic, ginger, and chilli or red pepper flakes.
  • Continue to cook over medium heat until garlic is fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Add garam masala, turmeric, salt, and pepper then continue to cook for 1-2 minutes.
  • Add tomatoes and chickpeas. Stir to incorporate.
  • Cook for 15 minutes while stirring occasionally.
  • Remove lid, reduce heat to low and mix in the lemon juice and chopped cilantro. Cook over low heat 1-2 minutes.
  • Serve over basmati rice or with a side of naan.
Keyword Bean curry, Chana Masala, Chickpea curry, curry, Easy curry, Garbanzo beans, Indian curry, Vegan curry

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