Always Pan Deal + 1 Pan Tikka Masala Recipe (Dairy Free)

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Always Pan in “Blue Salt” and “Steam” c/o
camel sweater xs, stretch jeans 25 ankle, leather headband

As you guys can tell from our posts during quarantine, Nick and I love cooking as a way to de-stress. Having cookware that is functional AND gorgeous only makes it even more enjoyable! I initially received our Always Pan in “Steam” this spring, and wanted to test it out thoroughly before recommending it. Over the past few months it has truly become a pan we reach for on a daily basis, and it’s even earned my picky mom’s seal of approval. With her visiting this season cooking up a storm, I recently added their new “Blue Salt” color to our kitchen, though all the colors are beautiful and pair well with each other!

The Always Pan would truly make a wonderful holiday or housewarming gift, especially for those on your list who are hard to shop for like parents or in-laws. Pretty much everyone in our family who has seen or used this pan in our kitchen has dropped a subtle comment about not minding one for themselves!

dairy free chicken tikka masala recipe

I’m all about 1-pot meals for minimal cleanup, so love how we can cook multiple ways in the Always Pan such as steam, sauté, and braise. I then transfer it directly from stovetop to tabletop looking beautifully presented, with a slot for the included wooden spatula to sit neatly on for serving! The ceramic non-stick coating is a dream to cook on, and is non toxic, made without Teflon or other potentially harmful materials. It’s also easy to wash using the included sponge, and the pan is lighter weight than I expected which also helps with clean up.

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We’ve been using this for everything from eggs in the morning to pasta, fried rice, braised Asian dishes I’m learning from my mom, and even pan searing bread like this naan! I did want to note that the steaming insert sits very low in the pan so works best with items like veggies that are okay to touch the simmering water below – for items that require more steaming space like buns or dim sum, they just came out with a bamboo insert (for smaller items like dumplings, I have simply raised my steaming insert up using a shallow metal rack underneath).

Thank you to Our Place for partnering on this post.

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Recipe: Chicken or Veggie Tikka Masala (dairy free)

I also wanted to share a Tikka Masala recipe we’ve been making regularly – this one is very easy to make vegetarian or dairy free! It was inspired by a reader, Diane, who shared with me a similar sauce she served with this turkey meatball recipe. Chicken thighs and cauliflower is one of our favorite combos in this sauce, but we’ve also made it vegetarian (with chickpeas, cauliflower, peas, just to name a few ideas)! Just make sure to use good quality canned tomatoes since it’s such a key component of this dish.

Also, garam masala has a little kick to it, so if making for kids you can reduce that and sub with some curry powder. If you do not have garam masala on hand, I have also made this with just curry powder plus more of the other spices. It won’t be the same but is still tasty!

Print Recipe
4.86 from 14 votes

1-Pan Chicken Tikka Masala (w/ vegetarian & dairy free subs)

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs *see vegetarian subs below
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 Tablespoon ginger minced
  • 1.25 Tablespoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric optional
  • 1.25 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 can 14oz tomato sauce
  • 1.5 Tablespoon garam masala + more to taste
  • 1.5 Tablespoon brown sugar + more to taste
  • .5 can full fat coconut milk use half of a 13.5oz can, or 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • cilantro optional, for garnish

Instructions

  • Sautee onions, garlic, and ginger in a little olive oil over low-medium heat until fragrant
  • Add cumin, cook for 2-3 minutes more
  • Add chicken, season with paprika and turmeric, and let brown for 2-3 minutes
  • Pour in tomato sauce, add garam masala and sugar
  • Let it come to a simmer, reduce heat to low and cook for at least 20 minutes or until meat is done (longer cooking time on very low heat = more tender chicken)
  • When meat is almost done, stir in coconut milk and continue cooking on low for 5 - 10 more minutes, adding any more spices, salt and sugar to taste. Garnish with optional cilantro before serving with naan bread or steamed rice!

Notes

Vegetarian substitution ideas: cauliflower (we're using "caulini" here from the Asian grocery), firm tofu, paneer, or canned chickpeas. Wait until the sauce has simmered for 10 minutes or so to let all the spices meld before adding the veggies.
Optional prep step: If using chicken, you can marinade it in the spices and ~1/2 cup of plain unsweetened greek yogurt of dairy free plain unsweetened coconut based yogurt (we use SoDelicious brand). This will help tenderize the chicken and add another layer of flavor to the sauce.
When making with chicken, we also love adding steamed cauliflower and frozen green peas toward the end!
 

Our place always pan recipe dairy free vegetarian tikka masala

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16 Comments

  1. Caila wrote:

    Hi Jean,

    I had been wanting to buy this pan for awhile but I do have a question for you. Does the bamboo steamer come with the pan or you have to buy it separately? Thanks!

    Posted 2.25.21 Reply
  2. Linh wrote:

    Hi Jean!!

    You had a highlight in your insta on “always pan” and now I don’t see it. I was trying to see everything you’ve used it with. Any reason why it was deleted?

    Posted 1.30.21 Reply
    • Jean | Extra Petite wrote:

      Hi Linh, it should still be there! I brought it back up to the front of highlights

      Posted 2.1.21 Reply
  3. Esha wrote:

    Hi Jean, did you need to use oil or butter before putting the naan on the pan? Thank you for your help! Love your blog and recommendations 🙂

    Posted 11.22.20 Reply
  4. Smu wrote:

    Hi Jean, love following along in your everyday adventures, especially the cooking! I’m an Indian and I make chicken/paneer tikka a lot. I wanted to suggest a quick tip to take the powdery edge off the garam masala – add it in before you have too much liquid in the pan and let it get about 20-30 seconds of toasting in the oil (on low to medium heat) being careful not to let it burn. Add the tomato later on to prevent sticking/burning and balance the heat level. I swear on my life this will amp up the flavor like crazy!!

    Posted 11.20.20 Reply
  5. Rachael wrote:

    Hi Jean!
    I’m trying to decide which color to purchase for the always pan. How did your steam colored pan hold up? Did the metal grates/burners scratch the bottom of the pan? Overall, any chipping?

    Thanks,
    Rachael

    Posted 11.18.20 Reply
  6. mika wrote:

    We got this pan a few weeks ago and I’ve been using it pretty much every day, too! For some reason though, I find that eggs stick? Am I doing something wrong? What is your technique with eggs? Thank you! Also tried a variation of your butternut squash with coconut milk recipe today in the pan and enjoyed it a lot!

    Posted 11.17.20 Reply
    • Jean | Extra Petite wrote:

      I think you might just need to use more oil. I use oil pretty sparingly for eggs whereas my husband is a little more generous and his eggs always come out beautifully in the pan. Also, so happy to hear you enjoyed the coconut milk squash!

      Posted 11.18.20 Reply
  7. Nancy wrote:

    Hi, wondering if this sweater pills a lot. I don’t know about you, but my big pet peeve about a lot of sweaters is they look great when you get them but after a couple washes, are pulled like crazy and you have to throw them away. Would be great to see a post about no -pulling sweaters.

    Posted 11.16.20 Reply
    • Jean | Extra Petite wrote:

      Do you have a sweater shaver? Pilling is pretty normal for sweaters so I just use this shaver for occasional upkeep. I hand wash or wash inside out in a garment bag in cold water. Also, keeping them out of the machine dryer is really key if possible.

      Posted 11.18.20 Reply
  8. Sabrina wrote:

    Hi Jean!
    Thank you for the review have been debating whether or not to purchase this pan for a very long time!
    Have you also used the bamboo steamers that you can use along with the pan?

    Posted 11.16.20 Reply
    • Jean | Extra Petite wrote:

      I haven’t used the bamboo steamers! For the things that I cook at home, the included steamer rack works just fine – as mentioned in the post, I do raise it with a shallow air fryer rack though when steaming things that I want to raise up higher, like dim sum.

      Posted 11.18.20 Reply
  9. Lacey K wrote:

    Dear Jean thanks for this post! Very helpful. I should also say you look so amazing. I am such a mess when being wfh during the lockdown. I wish could look 5% as put together as you .. Stay blessed

    Posted 11.16.20 Reply
    • Jean | Extra Petite wrote:

      You are so kind, but the photos that make it into blog posts definitely aren’t reflective of everyday life : ) I’m in PJs 90% of the time, just one of the upsides of WFH!

      Posted 11.18.20 Reply
  10. katrina wrote:

    Hi Jean, can I ask how durable is the non stick layer? I have bought many different brands and the non stick layer always get some visible wear after a few months

    Posted 11.16.20 Reply
    • Jean | Extra Petite wrote:

      Hi Katrina – with the proper care I think this is very durable because it’s ceramic coated. Definitely don’t use metal utensils on any nonstick pan, and also use non abrasive sponges to clean (this pan comes with a sponge).

      Posted 11.18.20 Reply

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