Vegan Chana Masala with Creamy Cilantro Sauce
Vegan chana masala curry with creamy cilantro sauce is an easy recipe using canned chickpeas(garbanzo beans), warming spices, and tomatoes for a delicious curry made allthe better with a fresh cilantro sauce made in the blender.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 284kcal
Ingredients
Cilantro Cream Sauce
- 14 ounces light coconut milk 1 can
- ½ tablespoon chia seeds this will grind down to 1 tablespoon (substitute with flax seeds).
- 1 cup cilantro roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice about ½ lemon
Chana Masala
- 2 medium onions chopped (2 cups)
- 2 medium jalapenos minced (depending on the heat you like)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons ginger minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoons ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoons cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoons turmeric
- 4 large tomatoes 3 - 4 cups diced
- 4 ½ cups cooked chickpeas 3 -15 ounce cans, rinsed and drained
Instructions
- Timing tip: Make the coriander cream first so it has time to thicken up.
Coriander cream
- Grind ½ a tablespoon of chia or flax seeds. This will yield 1 Tbsp.
- In a blender add 1 cup coconut milk, 1 tablespoon ground chia seeds, 1 cup fresh coriander and 1 tablespoon. lemon juice. Blend well and set aside.
Chana Masala
- Heat a large pan or medium pot to medium heat. Add the onions and jalapenos ¼ cup vegetable broth and add the onions and jalapenos. Cook for few minutes, stirring them constantly until they soften.
- Stir in the garlic, ginger, and spices.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, then lower the heat and cover the pan. Cook the tomatoes for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the chickpeas and half the cilantro sauce.
- Serve over rice if desired and top off with the remaining sauce.
Notes
- If you don't like fresh cilantro, leave it out and make lemony coconut cream with chia seeds, coconut milk, and lemon juice.
- Substitute fresh tomatoes for 1 can of tomatoes. Add ½ a cup of vegetable broth if the sauce is too dry.
- Store leftover chana masala in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze it for 3 months.
- To save time on a busy weekday, make the cilantro sauce a day ahead and store it in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
Nutrition
Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Sodium: 668mg | Potassium: 737mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1316IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 125mg | Iron: 4mg