Quick, Spicy Vegan Chicken Masala

An easy, quick and spicy Vegan "Chicken" Masala Curry that is ready in under 30 minutes. Serve with rice or naan and raita for the most delicious weeknight--or weekend--meal.

Dishes like this quick, spicy vegan chicken masala or this seitan curry are what I throw together for my family when I feel like serving something with a bit of a restaurant flair but without all the fuss.

Most curries in my home are born of whatever is at hand, and that's especially true right now. I came up with this recipe after digging through the freezer and finding a third of a vegan seitan "chicken" loaf that I'd bought on an impulse around Thanksgiving last year.

It was a huge loaf, too big for a family of three, and as tasty as it was drowned in a creamy vegan mushroom gravy, we barely managed to make a dent in it. I cut up the rest into two large pieces and froze them for another day.

This past weekend seemed as good a time as any to use some of it up. So into this Vegan Chicken Masala it went.

Although it sounds like something that would take a lot of time to make, this dish is really easy, and you can get it to the table in 30 minutes flat. If you have ginger garlic paste on hand, you also don't need to blend or process anything. And practically everything here, with the exception of cilantro (you can leave it out if you don't have any, or sub with mint), comes from the pantry or freezer.

How to make a tasty vegan "chicken" masala:

When I add meat substitutes to vegan recipes, I like to infuse flavor in them before adding them to the rest of the dish. So when I make Vegan Beef Stew, I dredge the soy chunks in flour and brown them, the way you would do if you were actually using beef. When I make Vegan Buttter Chicken, I marinate the tofu in the same spices you'd marinate the chicken in before adding it to the dish. When I make my Goan Sausage Curry, I steep the vegan sausage in the spices that locals in Goa use to give it the most authentic flavor. You get the idea?

It's important to take this added step because as convenient as meat substitutes are, and as grateful as so many of us vegans are for them, they are not always flavorful by themselves.

In this recipe, I marinate the vegan chicken cubes in a quick and easy marinade of paprika, ginger and garlic and bake it until the vegan chicken has absorbed all of that amazing flavor. It's a small time investment that pays big returns.

If you don't have seitan or any kind of chunky vegan meat substitute, use tofu. Extra firm or super firm tofu is preferable over softer varieties. If using extra firm, swaddle it in paper towels and place a heavy weight on it. Set aside for at least 30 minutes to get as much water out of it as you can. Then cube it and add the marinade to it before baking.

Serving suggestions

• Serve with Vegan Naan, Aloo Kulcha or Roti.
• Serve with Jeera Rice.
• Serve Cucumber Raita or Kachumber on the side.

More vegan masala curries