Mo’s Masala Recipe (vegan, gluten free)
Sep 12, 2020 • Updated Jun 20, 2023
This page may contain affiliate links, which means I will make a small commission for products purchased through my link.
Mo’s Masala Recipe (AKA My Favourite Masala)
Today I’m excited to bring you another recipe courtesy of my partner–Mo’s Masala! As you may know, my partner Mo is half Indian and half Dutch, and his mum makes the most delicious Indian food. Lucky for me, she taught Mo well. I’ve never really bothered to perfect my own recipe because he really just makes the best Masala and I’ve finally written down a recipe so you can give it a shot at home! We also filmed a YouTube video tutorial, if you prefer to cook along, but you’ll see that the process is really quite simple. It’s a no fuss, one pan recipe and though it does call for a list of ingredients, the majority of those ingredients are spices.
The beautiful thing about this recipe is that you can customize it with your favourite plant protein and vegetables of choice. We’ve made it with dry mung beans, cooked mung beans, lentils, tempeh, tofu and even faux meat alternatives. It’s really all about the sauce, so you choose what you’d like to put in it. We recommend serving over basmati rice and fresh herbs of choice to finish.
What’s in Mo’s Masala?
- Flavour builders like onion, garlic, ginger and chili
- Mo’s Masala Spice Mix, or any storebought spice mix
- Tomato paste
- Coconut milk
- Vegetable broth
- Veggies and protein of choice like chickpeas and zucchini
Secrets to success
For the spice mix, you can either use a storebought masala spice mix (I’d recommend purchasing from an Indian grocery store if you have access to one), or create your own at home. It’s quite simple to make at home, and does result in a fresher, more vibrant flavour. I would highly recommend making a batch of Mo’s Masala Spice Mix and storing in a jar for future use if you can!
If you like this recipe, try…
- Thai Green Curry Noodle Soup
- Red Curry Cauliflower Soup
- Popped Makhana/Lily Seed Snack
- Golden Garlic Quinoa
If you try this recipe out, tag me on Instagram @veggiekins so I can see your delicious re-creations and feature them! As always, I love when you share your reviews in the comments below, and if you make any fun substitutions, let me know how it worked out below too.
Mo's Masala Recipe (vegan, gluten free)
Ingredients
- 1 small red onion finely diced
- 1 small red chili finely diced, incl. seeds (roughly 5" size chili)
- knob of ginger minced (roughly 1.5" in size, or to taste)
- 3 large cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp masala spice mix can use storebought or DIY Mo's Masala Spice Mix (see below)
- 1.5 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 1 large zucchini sliced and quartered
- 1/2-1 cup vegetable broth
- 1 cup coconut milk
- salt and pepper to taste
- optional*
- star anise bay leaves
- masala spice mix makes a large quantity of spice mix, see below for ground option
- 1/4 cup coriander seeds
- 1/4 cup cumin seeds
- 2 tsp black peppercorns
- 8-9 cardamom pods
- 1-1.5 " piece of cinnamon stick
- 4-5 cloves
- 1 tbsp ground turmeric
- 3 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tbsp mustard seed
Instructions
- To make spice mix, dry toast coriander, cumin, peppercorn, cardamom and mustard seed on a frying pan over medium heat until slightly fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool. Add ingredients to a high power blender, spice grinder or use a mortar and pestle until a fine powder forms.
- In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté red onion with neutral oil of choice until fragrant and slightly softened (you can use water/veggie broth for an oil free option). Add chili, garlic and ginger cloves and cook for 1-2 minutes, tossing with a spatula.
- Next add spice mix along with tomato paste and let spices toast and "fry", tossing with a spatula for 2-3 minutes.
- Now we're ready to add our produce. Start with only ingredients that require more cooking time (i.e. dry beans or pulses, root vegetables) and sauté for 3-4 few minutes. Ingredients that need a quick cook or warm through can be added after the next step.
- Add coconut milk to the pan, stirring to combine along with vegetable broth. You can adjust how much liquid you add to adjust the texture of the sauce to your liking. For a thicker sauce, add slightly less coconut milk and veggie broth. Also be sure to give your sauce a taste to make sure you're happy with the flavour.
- Finally, add any quick cooking veggies to the pan, increase heat to a light simmer and cook for a few more minutes, stirring constantly.
- Once ingredients are cooked through, finish with salt and pepper to taste and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
4 Comments