Vegan Chickpea Tikka

About this recipe

Chickpea tikka is the dish our Nani still makes when relatives descend on a Sunday, and it's never been paneer or chicken in our family—it's always been chickpeas. The version that tastes most like what she taught us has one secret that everyone gets wrong: a single spoonful of besan (gram flour) mixed into the marinade. That spoonful is what lets the yoghurt grip the chickpeas instead of sliding off in the oven, so you get charred, craggy edges instead of a pale, wet roast that tastes like it was boiled. The flavour is warm, spiced, and complex. Kashmiri chilli brings more warmth than heat, tandoori masala adds a subtle smokiness that tastes almost like a tandoor oven, while kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) brings a bittersweet herb-note that lifts the whole dish. Lemon juice cuts through the yoghurt's richness, so every bite tastes alive rather than heavy. The red onion and capsicum chunks cook alongside the chickpeas, absorbing the spice and adding sweetness. The technique that matters most is the roast-and-finish method. Bake the marinated chickpeas at 220°C on a wire rack over foil for eighteen minutes, which lets heat circulate underneath and above, crisping the chickpeas and browning them evenly. Flip them once midway so all sides get colour. Then, if you have access to a direct flame, finish them with thirty seconds over open fire for that unmistakable tandoor smoke—it's optional but worth it if you can manage it. Serve the chickpea tikka hot with mint chutney and lemon wedges. It's equally delicious cold the next day as part of a packed lunch or wrapped into roti with a spread of chutney. These keep in the fridge for four days and freeze beautifully for up to a month, making them perfect for batch cooking on a lazy weekend. This is the kind of dish that tastes even better as it sits, the flavours marrying and deepening.