This Tikki Masala Veggies and Rice is the perfect week-night dinner! The sauce comes together quickly and is as good or better than any store-bought option!
Is it odd that the foods my kids seem to eat best are Mexican and Indian flavored dishes? I mean, better than pizza, or pasta, or grilled cheese, or whatever else you can think of that kids typically love. I can literally give them a bowl full of beans, rice, avocado, sour cream, cheese, salsa, season it with the traditional Mexican seasonings, and it gets eaten. Every time.
The same is true for a bowl full of lentils, garbanzo beans, rice, and roasted veggies. Seasoned with garam masala, turmeric, cumin or curry powder and again, they devour it.
Which means we eat a lot of fajita bowls and quesadillas. And an equal amount of curry and masala dishes. And seeing as Josh and myself happen to love these foods and flavors, it works well. I can typically hide and pack a lot of veggies and nutrition in those bowls. Enough that I really don’t care how many tortilla chips or pita bread they dip in them. Because balance, right? 😂
For this recipe, I used long-grain brown rice but any rice will work. Here’s a nice guide for you if you prefer jasmine rice in an instant pot.
ALL THE REASONS TO LOVE THIS TIKKI MASALA VEGGIES AND RICE
- Sauce is super flavorful and comes together quickly
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Loads of veggies
- Kid-friendly
- The perfect thing to dunk your Homemade Flatbread in 🙌🏻
For some of my other favorite Indian inspired meals, check out the links below!
- Vegan Kabocha Squash Lentil Curry
- Spinach Masala over the Organic Rice
- Golden Sweet Potato Lentil Soup with Coconut Milk
- Vegan Lentil Curry Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Curry Wraps
Tikki Masala Veggies and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown long grain rice dry
For the Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 14 oz can lite coconut milk
For the Roasted Vegetables:
- 3-4 cups sweet potato cubed
- 2 small broccoli crowns roughly chopped
- 1 large red bell pepper roughly chopped
- 1 sweet onion roughly chopped
- 1 cup green peas frozen
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro finely chopped
- 4 pieces Homemade Flatbread or gluten-free option if necessary
Instructions
- FOR THE RICE: Place the long-grain brown rice in a colander or strainer and rinse the grains thoroughly under cool, running water. Allow the excess water to drain off. Put the rice in a saucepan along with 2 cups water, then stir in a pinch of salt. Bring the water to a boil, stir, then simmer for 45 minutes. Once rice is cooked, remove from heat and fluff with fork.
- FOR THE VEGETABLES: While the rice cooks, preheat oven to 400 degrees and line two baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray. Chop and prep sweet potatoes, broccoli, red bell pepper, and onion, then spread evenly among two baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, remove and stir, then bake additional 10 minutes or until all veggies are cooked to your preference.
- FOR THE SAUCE: In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the coconut oil and stir in minced garlic. Stir frequently and cook 2-3 minutes. Next add all seasonings - graham masala, coriander, cumin, turmeric, paprika, and salt - stir to combine. Stir in the tomato sauce and coconut milk and simmer for 10 minutes until thickened. Add peas half way through.
- Once vegetables are cooked, add them to large skillet with masala sauce, stir to combine. Serve over cooked long grain rice, garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with homemade flatbread or naan bread.