Chickpea Tikka Masala | Chole Tikka Masala

Chickpea Tikka Masala (Chole Tikka Masala) is a gourmet dish packed with creamy tomato-based sauce, aromatic spices, and flavorful chickpeas. This is the best vegetarian and vegan, plant-based alternative to the classic chicken tikka masala.

Chickpea tikka masala

If you are looking for Indian flavors in plant-based and protein-packed meals, this tikka masala recipe is for you. Serve it with any Indian bread or flatbreads like naan, roti, chapati, or simple basmati rice or ghee rice.

To make this dish, first marinade the chickpeas and cook it. This can also be served as an appetizer or starter for your parties. Then, with leftovers, you can make the tikka masala curry.

While you are here, don't miss out on our traditional chana masala, Indian restaurant-style butter chicken, or paneer butter masala.

Ingredients

For the tikka marinade, Use boiled or canned chickpeas with yogurt, chile powder, tandoori masala, lemon juice, garam masala powder, garlic cloves, ginger, and green chile.

For the tikka masala sauce: onion, garlic, ginger, tomato, cilantro and cashews.

Spices: Red chile powder and garam masala powder.

Check out the recipe card for the full list of the ingredients.

Making of chickpeas tikka

• Add yogurt, red chile powder, tandoori masala, lemon juice, garam masala, garlic cloves, ginger, green chile, and salt to taste and mix well in a large bowl.
• Add cooked chickpeas and mix well so that the masala is distributed evenly to the chickpeas.
• Keep this aside for 15 to 30 minutes, or start cooking immediately.
• Heat oil on a nonstick or cast iron pan. Add the marinated chickpeas and any masala leftover in the bowl.
• Shallow fry this on a medium flame for about 5 to 8 minutes or until it becomes golden and slowly turns brown.
• Chickpea tikka is ready. You can serve this as an appetizer with your cocktail or mocktail or use it to make the curry.

Making of the masala

• In a large nonstick pan on medium-high heat, add oil or butter, onions, garlic cloves, ginger, and a pinch of salt and sauté for 8 minutes or until onions turn golden brown.
• If you are using tomatoes, add them at this point and sauté until they become soft. (Note: If using puree or sauce, add later)
• Transfer this to a blender with chopped coriander leaves, almonds or cashews, and tomato puree (only if you have not added tomatoes earlier), and blend until completely smooth.
• You may add about ½ cup water if required while blending.

Making of chickpea tikka curry

• Add the blended masala to a nonstick pan and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes.
• Add garam masala powder and red chili powder and mix well. Adjust salt and add a little water if needed for desired consistency. Taste the sauce and add spices or salt if needed.
• Add chickpea tikka and cream and cook for another 3 to 4 mins. Garnish it with some more coriander leaves and a dollop of butter if desired.
• Serve it with flatbreads or over a bed of rice, and enjoy.

Tips

• Adjust garam masala and chile powder to taste.
• Adding cashews or almonds makes the dish creamy, rich and sweet.
• If you like the dish on the sweeter side and to balance out any sourness from tomatoes, you may add ½ teaspoon of sugar if needed.
• Simmer the dish for a little longer so that it develops more flavors.
• The leftover dish can be stored in the refrigerator for 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or stovetop.  
• If using dried chickpeas, soak overnight and then pressure cook until tender.

Serving suggestions

• Best served over a bed of steamed basmati rice or ghee rice. You can also serve it with quinoa or broken wheat as an alternative to rice
• Goes well with any Indian bread and flatbreads like butter naan, rumali roti, chapati, etc.

More vegetarian curry recipes

Recipe card

Chickpea Tikka Masala | Chole Tikka Masala

Kushi

Chickpea Tikka Masala (Chole Tikka Masala) is a gourmet dish packed with creamy tomato-based sauce, aromatic spices, and flavorful chickpeas. This is the best vegetarian and vegan, plant-based alternative to the classic chicken tikka masala.

4.95 from 20 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine European, Indian

Servings 4 servings

Calories 226 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  Pan

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

For the marinade

• ▢ 1 ½ cups Canned Chickpea or Cooked chana
• ▢ 2 tablespoon Plain Yogurt dairy-free yogurt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Red chile powder cayenne powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Tandoori masala powder
• ▢ 2 teaspoon Lemon juice or chaat masala to taste
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Garam masala powder
• ▢ 2 Garlic cloves grated
• ▢ ½ inch Ginger grated
• ▢ 1 Green chile grated
• ▢ Salt to taste
• ▢ 1 ½ tablespoon Vegetable oil

For the curry sauce

• ▢ 1 Onion large chopped
• ▢ 2 to 3 Garlic cloves chopped
• ▢ ½ inch Ginger grated
• ▢ 2 Tomatoes chopped or substituted with tomato puree or canned tomato sauce 8 oz (⅔ cup)
• ▢ 2 tablespoon Cilantro or coriander leaves chopped
• ▢ 8 Cashews or Almonds
• ▢ 2 tablespoon Vegetable oil butter
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Garam masala powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Red chile powder cayenne powder
• ▢ Salt to taste
• ▢ 2 tablespoon Heavy cream milk, or dairy-free milk (optional)
• ▢ Coriander leaves and butter garnish (optional)

Instructions

 

Making of chickpeas tikka

• Add yogurt, red chile powder, tandoori masala, lemon juice, garam masala, garlic cloves, ginger, green chile, and salt to taste and mix well in a large bowl.
  2 tablespoon Plain Yogurt, ½ teaspoon Red chile powder, ½ teaspoon Tandoori masala powder, 2 teaspoon Lemon juice, ½ teaspoon Garam masala powder, 2 Garlic cloves, ½ inch Ginger, 1 Green chile, Salt
• Add cooked or canned chickpeas and mix well so that the masala is distributed evenly to the chickpeas.
  1 ½ cups Canned Chickpea
• Keep this aside for 15 to 30 minutes, or start cooking immediately.
• Heat oil on a nonstick or cast iron pan. Add the marinated chickpeas and any masala leftover in the bowl.
  1 ½ tablespoon Vegetable oil
• Shallow fry this on a medium flame for about 5 to 8 minutes or until it becomes golden and slowly turns brown.
• Chickpea tikka is ready. You can serve this as an appetizer with your cocktail or mocktail or use it to make the curry.

Making of the masala

• In a large nonstick pan on medium-high heat, add oil or butter, onions, garlic cloves, ginger, and a pinch of salt and sauté for 8 minutes or until onions turn golden brown.
  1 Onion, 2 to 3 Garlic cloves, ½ inch Ginger, 2 tablespoon Vegetable oil
• If you are using tomatoes, add them at this point and sauté until they become soft. (Note: If using puree or sauce, add later)
  2 Tomatoes
• Transfer this to a blender with chopped coriander leaves, almonds or cashews, and tomato puree (only if you have not added tomatoes earlier), and blend until completely smooth.
  2 tablespoon Cilantro or coriander leaves, 8 Cashews or Almonds
• You may add about ½ cup water if required while blending.

Making of the chickpea tikka curry

• Add the blended masala to a nonstick pan and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes.
• Add garam masala powder and red chili powder and mix well. Adjust salt and add a little water if needed for desired consistency. Taste the sauce and add spices or salt if needed.
  ½ teaspoon Garam masala powder, 1 teaspoon Red chile powder, Salt
• Add chickpea tikka and cream and cook for another 3 to 4 mins. Garnish it with some more coriander leaves and a dollop of butter if desired.
  2 tablespoon Heavy cream, Coriander leaves and butter
• Serve it with flatbreads or over a bed of rice, and enjoy.

Notes

• Adjust garam masala and chile powder to taste.
• Adding cashews or almonds makes the dish creamy, rich and sweet.
• If you like the dish sweeter and want to balance out the sourness from the tomatoes, you can add ½ teaspoon of sugar.
• Simmer the dish for a little longer so that it develops more flavors.
• The leftover dish can be stored in the refrigerator for 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or stovetop.  
• If using dried chickpeas, soak overnight and then pressure cook until tender.

Nutrition

Calories: 226kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 5gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 231mgPotassium: 330mgFiber: 5gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 869IUVitamin C: 14mgCalcium: 56mgIron: 1mg

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Note: We originally posted this chickpea tikka masala recipe in Nov 2016. It has now been modified in March 2025 with Expert Chef Tips, FAQs, Storage Instructions, etc.