Every time I’m trying to think of something new to cook I turn to Jamie Olivers book, Jamie’s Food Revolution: Rediscover How to Cook Simple, Delicious, Affordable Meals. There so many good ideas that you can mix and match a million ways. I had never in my life attempted to make Indian food but he makes it look so easy that I thought my kid and I would give it a whirl. I liked the idea of making it super mild so that my kid would try it. (When we order Indian it’s always too spicy for him.)

Jaime’s book has a recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala but since my husband is a veggie, we made Tofu Channa Masala instead. My husband also H-A-T-E-S cilantro so we had to adjust the recipe a bit to accommodate both restrictions. The good news is that my kid loves chickpeas and is a fan of using the food processor, so this turned out to be a good family meal. I’m so excited that we can take him for Indian food and get him to eat more than just bread! Now for the recipe…

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Tofu Channa Masala Recipe

Prep Time: 20 mins  Cooking Time: 30 mins

Tikka Masala Paste Ingredients:
2 cloves garlic
thumb sized piece of ginger peeled
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon smoked parika
2 teaspoons garam masala
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 fresh red chile
1 tablespoon shredded coconut
bunch of cilantro (we left this out)
2 tablespoons almond flour
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds (we left this out)

Peel the garlic and ginger. Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a dry frying pan on medium heat until fragrant. Add the toasted spices to a pestle and mortar and grind until fine. Put the spices and the rest of the ingredients into a food processor and grind until it forms a smooth paste.

Tofu Channa Masala Ingredients:
1 14 oz can chickpeas (drained + rinsed)
1 package cubed firm tofu
1 medium onion (peeled + sliced thin)
thumb sized piece of fresh ginger (grated)
2 tablespoons peanut oil
pat of butter
sea salt and fresh ground pepper
1 14oz can of diced tomatoes
1 14 oz can of lite coconut milk
tikka masala paste (from above)

Heat oil in a large pan on medium high heat. Add the butter, onions, chile, ginger and cook until translucent. Add the curry paste, tofu and chickpeas. Stir well. Season with salt and pepper. Add the tomatoes and coconut milk. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Check on it regularly to make sure it isn’t drying out. If it is, add some water. Serve with rice. Serves 4.

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