This vegan Keema Masala is my favorite dish to take to potluck parties, and it’s usually the first thing to disappear from the table, it’s that good. If you like complex Indian food without having to spend a whole lot of time and effort making it, this is the perfect recipe. If you have a meat-eater around who thinks vegan food is all salads and quinoa, and you want to rub their nose in it, this is the perfect recipe. If you want a dish that’s healthy, nutritious, but delicious too, this is the perfect recipe. Keema masala is usually made with ground beef or mutton, but for my divinely vegan version I’ve used TVP granules in the past. It’s important to use a meat substitute in this dish because it really won’t work without the right texture. This time, I used beefless “beef” – you can sold the kind sold at Trader Joe’s or use Beyond Beef or Impossible Beef for a soy-free, gluten-free, nut-free option. This dish is rich and flavorful without any added oils, and to achieve that I came up with a clever trick: use coconut milk to saute your onions and herbs and spices. The fat in the coconut milk helps cook the ingredients and draws out their flavors, and since you do need a small amount of coconut milk in this recipe anyway, it works perfectly. Use the canned coconut milk here, not the one in a carton. Check to get new recipe updates by email.
It takes no more than 30 minutes to make this recipe, from start to finish. Serve the vegan keema with roti or naan or rice or even with a crusty French or Italian bread. You can add more water or vegetable stock to make it saucy – I like mine with just a little sauce to scoop up with a piece of bread.
More Indian recipes with vegan keema
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