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Scrumptious restaurant-style Tofu Tikka Masala made by simmering baked cubes of tofu in a creamy tomato onion curry sauce. Serve with basmati rice or a flatbread like vegan naan or roti for the final word Indian fashion consolation meals meal.
This tofu tikka masala — spiced, marinated tofu cubes in an opulent, luscious and silky curry sauce — is a dish that I really like making on weeknights once I need a scrumptious meal in a rush.
If you happen to love velvet-textured Indian sauces like tofu makhani and vegan butter hen, this tofu tikka masala is a recipe you’ll get pleasure from making, serving and consuming.
The tofu tikka masala riffs off from paneer tikka masala, a dish served in Indian eating places (together with hen tikka masala), the place cubes of paneer, a cottage cheese, are added to an appetizing purple sauce and simmered collectively.
A key level to bear in mind when making a tikka masala is that you’ll want to create two sauces: each with a base of onions and tomatoes. One sauce will get blended up whereas the opposite will not be. This offers the tikka masala extra complexity of taste and texture. Making two sauces would possibly sound tedious, however it really isn’t. Every thing comes collectively in a single pan and a lot of the substances for each sauces are the identical so that you simply want to cut every part up as soon as.
What I really like about this Tofu Tikka Masala is that the sauce has so many flavors — creamy and tangy and spicy — however it isn’t scorching or overbearing. The tofu, baked till it is chewy exterior and smooth on the within, soaks up all the flavors. And if I do not really feel like making one other vegetable aspect dish it is okay, as a result of there already are loads of veggies on this dish.
Desk of Contents
What’s tikka masala?
As a lot as tikka masala appears like — and is usually recognized with — Indian delicacies, it’s in reality no extra Indian than curry powder or balti delicacies are. As an alternative, it’s a dish created fully on British soil by immigrant cooks from the Indian subcontinent who had been hungry for the flavors of house. Over the a long time tikka masala has change into so common in the UK that it has been voted England’s nationwide dish!
Veganizing a tikka masala requires changing three key substances: the paneer, the cream, and the yogurt, used as a marinade. For this recipe we substitute the paneer with tofu, the cream with cashew cream, and the yogurt with vegan yogurt (you need to use do-it-yourself or store-bought).
This recipe is kind of easy and comes collectively rapidly. However if you wish to, it’s also possible to make my jarred tikka masala sauce and have it readily available to make dishes like this tofu tikka masala in a rush.
Tofu vs. Paneer
Paneer, a cottage cheese made by urgent out the liquid from curdled milk, is barely softer in texture and creamier than tofu. However baked or marinated tofu stands in properly for paneer in practically any Indian recipe, together with tofu curry, chilli tofu, vegan malai kofta and vegan palak paneer.
Tofu can also be higher for you as a result of it has a great deal of heart-healthy protein and fiber, in contrast to paneer, which is clogged with saturated fats and ldl cholesterol and which, like all cheeses, has no fiber.
Substances for Tofu Tikka Masala
- Further-firm tofu or high-protein tofu. You can too use my air fryer tofu on this recipe for much more taste and texture.
- Greens: onion, tomatoes and inexperienced bell peppers.
- Spices: floor coriander, floor cumin, garam masala, paprika or cayenne, and turmeric.
- Herbs: kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves), ginger-garlic paste and cilantro.
- Vegan yogurt. For a nut-free model use a nut-free yogurt, unsweetened.
- Tomato paste. This provides umami and extra richness to the sauce.
- Lemon juice
- Oil of alternative, together with avocado oil, sunflower oil or grape seed oil.
- Uncooked cashews. Sub with pumpkin seeds if nut-free.
- Maple syrup (or sugar). This isn’t so as to add sweetness however to stability and spherical out the flavors of the tikka masala.
Learn how to make tofu tikka masala
In a bowl, place vegan yogurt, paprika, floor cumin, floor coriander, ginger garlic paste and salt.
Combine the marinade substances till completely mixed.
Toss tofu cubes within the marinade utilizing a spoon.
Warmth a skillet with 2 teaspoon oil. Add the tofu tikka cubes and cook dinner till the tofu is evenly golden-brown on all sides.
Stir cubed onions and bell peppers into the tofu cubes and saute collectively for a few minutes. Take away the tofu and greens to a bowl or plate and put aside.
In the identical pan, add 1 teaspoon oil. Add half the finely chopped onions and bay leaves together with some salt and floor black pepper to style.
Saute till onions are smooth and simply starting to paint. Stir within the ginger garlic paste and saute for 30 seconds.
Stir in half the diced tomatoes and the tomato paste and blend effectively.
Stir within the cashews…
…adopted by the spices: floor coriander, turmeric, paprika, floor cumin and garam masala. Combine effectively and saute for a minute to toast the spices.
Add a cup of water and blend effectively. Take away the sauce to a blender and thoroughly mix right into a easy paste. Put aside.
To the identical pan add a teaspoon of oil. Add the remaining onions and saute till starting to vary shade. Stir within the remaining tomatoes.
Add the kasoori methi and garam masala to the pan and blend effectively.
Add the reserved tofu, bell pepper and onions to the pan.
Stir within the blended masala paste and add one other cup of water and the maple syrup or sugar.
Combine effectively and produce the tofu tikka masala to a boil. Decrease warmth to a simmer and cook dinner 10 minutes for the flavors to meld. Stir in cilantro and serve scorching.
Tweaks for particular diets
- Nut-free: Exchange the cashews with an equal amount of uncooked pumpkin seeds.
- Low-carb: A serving of tofu tikka masala has solely 16 grams internet carbs. To chop down additional on the carbs you’ll be able to lower down the onions by half and substitute the maple syrup with a low-carb-friendly sweetener, like stevia.
Serving recommendations
Storage directions
- Refrigerate: Retailer leftovers within the fridge for as much as three days.
- Freeze: Tofu, when frozen, turns into chewier. If you would like softer tofu cubes on this dish freeze the sauce individually and prep and add the tofu the day of serving. You can too prep the tofu as much as three days forward and retailer it within the fridge earlier than including it to the sauce.
- Reheat: Reheat the tikka masala sauce on the stovetop or within the microwave.
Extra tasty vegan tofu recipes
Tofu Tikka Masala
Scrumptious Tofu Tikka Masala made by simmering baked cubes of tofu in a creamy tomato onion curry sauce.
Servings: 6 servings
Energy: 223kcal
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Directions
Make the tofu tikka
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In a bowl, place vegan yogurt, lemon juice, paprika, floor cumin, floor coriander, ginger garlic paste and salt. Combine the marinade substances till completely mixed. Toss tofu cubes within the marinade utilizing a spoon.
-
Warmth a skillet with 2 teaspoon oil. Add the tofu tikka cubes and cook dinner till the tofu is evenly golden-brown on all sides.
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Stir cubed onions and bell peppers into the tofu cubes and saute collectively for a few minutes. Take away the tofu and greens to a bowl or plate and put aside.
Make the primary sauce
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In the identical pan, add 1 teaspoon oil. Add half the finely chopped onions and bay leaves together with some salt and floor black pepper to style.
-
Saute till onions are smooth and simply starting to paint. Stir within the ginger garlic paste and saute for 30 seconds.
-
Stir in half the diced tomatoes and the tomato paste and blend effectively.
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Stir within the cashews adopted by the spices: floor coriander, turmeric, paprika, floor cumin and garam masala. Combine effectively and saute for a minute to toast the spices.
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Add a cup of water and blend effectively. Take away the sauce to a blender and thoroughly mix right into a easy paste. Put aside.
Make masala sauce
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To the identical pan add a teaspoon of oil. Add the remaining onions and saute till starting to vary shade. Stir within the remaining tomatoes.
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Add the kasoori methi and garam masala to the pan and blend effectively. Add the reserved tofu tikka cubes, bell pepper and onions to the pan.
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Stir within the blended tomato-onion paste and add one other cup of water together with the maple syrup.
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Combine effectively and produce the tofu tikka masala to a boil. Decrease warmth to a simmer and cook dinner 10 minutes for the flavors to meld. Stir in cilantro and serve scorching.
Vitamin
Energy: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 10g | Fats: 13g | Saturated Fats: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 3g | Monounsaturated Fats: 7g | Potassium: 604mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 966IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 3mg
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