Vegan Tikka Masala
This is the Vegan Tikka Masala recipe that is going to turn your vegetarian Indian meals up to the higher planetary system of tastiness! Aromatic spices, meaty tofu or seitan, and a luscious tomato-coconut sauce. It’s the perfect vegan curry to serve over your favorite rice or flatbread.
Servings: 4
Calories: 382kcal
Cost: $8.50
Ingredients
For the tofu or seitan
- 2 tablespoons canola oil vegetable oil, or sunflower oil
- 2 14 oz. blocks Extra firm tofu drained, pressed and torn into bite size piece, -or 2 cups seitan, hand torn
For the Sauce
- 2 teaspoons canola oil vegetable oil, or sunflower oil
- ¾ cup diced onion
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons ginger grated
- 2 green chilies hari mirch or a single jalapeño, minced
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon asafetida hing
- 1 tablespoon kasuri methi dried fenugreek leaves
- 28 oz diced tomatoes
- ⅔ cup coconut milk unsweetened (full fat coconut milk is best)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
To Garnish:
- Cilantro leaves
- Thinly sliced hari mirch chilies
Instructions
- Heat oil in a frying pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. After 90 seconds, when the oil is hot, sauté the tofu or seitan for about 7 minutes until golden brown all around. Set aside.
- In the same pan, add 2 teaspoons more oil and sauté diced onion for 4 minutes until lightly golden.
- Add minced garlic, grated ginger, minced green chilies, turmeric, Kashmiri chili powder, coriander, garam masala, asafetida, and kasuri methi. Cook for a couple of minutes until strongly fragrant, but do not let the garlic darken.
- Pour in diced tomatoes and coconut milk. Simmer for 5-8 minutes until the sauce thickens. Add salt to taste.
- For a smoother sauce, blend by using an immersion blender. Or blend in batches in a blender and return the blended sauce to the pot.
- Gently fold the prepared tofu or seitan into the sauce. Allow it to simmer for a few minutes, letting the sauce penetrate the protein a little.
- Serve garnished with cilantro leaves and thinly sliced green chilies. Serve the vegan tikka masala over rice or with your favorite flatbread and Indian pickles.
Notes
🥋 Tofu/Seitan Prep:
Achieve tofu/seitan perfection by ensuring it's super dry pre-sauté. My pressing method in the tofu katsu recipe works wonders.
🌸 Spice Blooming:
Maximize spice potential with the "blooming" technique. Add ground spices to hot oil before introducing the wet ingredients for more well-distributed and intense flavors.
🍅 Patient Sauce Simmer:
Don't rush! Let tomatoes and coconut milk simmer gently for at least 5-8 minutes, ensuring a balanced, creamy fusion of flavors.
Nutrition
Calories: 382kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 546mg | Potassium: 529mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 234IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 334mg | Iron: 6mg