I love Tikka Masala. There’s something about the creamy, rich sauce that is just so incredibly satisfying. I’m pretty sure I’m tried almost every recipe for Tofu Tikka Masala on the internet but none of them hit the same spot as the classic takeout version of Chicken Tikka Masala. A treasured favourite of our pre-vegan days, I deeply wanted to find a homemade version that was just as good.
Lets get something straight, I’m not claiming this is an authentic Indian recipe. Instead, this is based on a British-Indian restaurant classic and is a damn delicious fakeaway copycat dish that has converted some tofu-haters in our family. What’s more, this isn’t a difficult curry to make once you know the trick to it.
Just like my Restaurant Style Brinjal Bhaji recipe, a key part of this is my curry base. I tend to make large batches of this base sauce and always have some in my freezer so I can easily whip a great dish with very little prep. Once you get cooking, don’t rush it. You want a good char on your tofu when grilling it. Let your tomato puree roast in the pan before adding the sauce, and don’t be afraid to let the sauce caramelise before you add the tofu. This will give you the great depth of flavour that is the secret to a perfect restaurant style curry.
This is a great dish for entertaining as it can be made in advance and then simply heated through when you are ready to eat. I like to serve it with plain basmati rice but you could also serve it with naan, chapati or paratha (flatbread).
Leftovers?
You have leftover tikka masala? You lucky, lucky duck. Almost all curries are better the next day and really benefit from time to let the flavours meld. Store your tikka masala in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Alternatively, it will happily sit in your freezer till your next takeaway craving hits.
Restaurant Style Tofu Tikka Masala
Ingredients
Tandoori Style Marinade
- 500 grams Extra Firm Tofu
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp Garlic Ginger paste
- ⅓ cup Tandoori Masala spice mix*
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- 1 Green Chillie finely chopped
- 1½ tsp Ground Coriander
- 1½ tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Ground Cumin
- 1 tsp Curry Powder
- 1 tsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves
- 2 tsp Dried Mint
- 1 tsp Cider Vinegar
- 1½ tbsp Oil
- 300 ml Water
- ½ tsp Salt
Tikka Masala Sauce
- 1 cup Cashews
- 500 ml Vegetable Stock
- 2 Green Peppers chopped into bitesize chunks
- 85 ml Rapeseed Oil
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 3 Cardamon Pods
- 3 Tbsp Garlic Ginger Paste
- ⅓ cup Ground Almonds
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 3 tbsp Tandoori Masala
- 1 tbsp Paprika
- 3 tsp Garam Masala
- 2 tsp Curry Powder
- 1½ tsp Turmeric
- 1½ tsp Ground Cumin
- ¼ tsp Cinnamon
- 1½ tsp Ground Coriander
- ¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper
- ½ cup Tomato Puree
- 900 ml Curry Base
- 5 g Fresh Coriander Stems finely chopped
- 1½ tsp Red Food Colouring optional
- 3 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 50 g Vegan Butter
- 1 tbsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves
- Handful of chopped coriander leaves
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Press the tofu for 20 to 30 minutes by wrapping it in a clean tea towel and weighing it down with a heavy pan or a large cookbook. Mix together all the marinade ingredients in a wide bowl. Rip up the tofu into large, bite-sized chunks and add to the marinade. Gently mix to ensure all the tofu is completely coated, cover, and place into the fridge. Marinade for at least 2 hours (but preferably overnight) stirring occasionally to ensure the spice blend is evenly distributed.500 grams Extra Firm Tofu, 1 tbsp Sugar, 1 tbsp Garlic Ginger paste, ⅓ cup Tandoori Masala spice mix*, 1 tsp Garam Masala, 1 Green Chillie, 1½ tsp Ground Coriander, 1½ tsp Turmeric, 1 tsp Ground Cumin, 1 tsp Curry Powder, 1 tsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves, 2 tsp Dried Mint, 1 tsp Cider Vinegar, 1½ tbsp Oil, 300 ml Water, ½ tsp Salt
- Soak the cashews in half the stock overnight, when soft, blend together to make a tasty savoury cream and put to one side.1 cup Cashews, 500 ml Vegetable Stock
- Crank your grill (or broiler for our American friends) up as high as it will go, and allow to preheat. Leaving any excess marinade behind, spread the tofu out onto a baking tray with the chopped peppers, in a single layer. Place under the grill and cook until the tofu starts to noticeably char. Put to one side while you work on the sauce.2 Green Peppers
- Place the oil in your favourite heavy pan on a medium high heat. When the oil starts to shimmer, toast the cardamom and bay leaves until they darken and start to toast.85 ml Rapeseed Oil, 1 Bay Leaf, 3 Cardamon Pods
- Add in the garlic ginger paste and cook until the water evaporates. then add the ground almonds, sugar, 2 tsp of the garam masala, and the rest of the ground spices. Stir well, mixing until the mix becomes dry and crumbly. Add the tomato puree and continue to stir until the mix darkens slightly, and the puree has roasted.3 Tbsp Garlic Ginger Paste, ⅓ cup Ground Almonds, 1 tbsp Sugar, 3 tbsp Tandoori Masala, 1 tbsp Paprika, 3 tsp Garam Masala, 2 tsp Curry Powder, 1½ tsp Turmeric, 1½ tsp Ground Cumin, ¼ tsp Cinnamon, 1½ tsp Ground Coriander, ¼ tsp Ground Black Pepper, ½ cup Tomato Puree
- Deglaze the pan with the rest of the stock before adding the curry base. Add the finely chopped coriander, bring up to a bubble and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the sauce caramelises a little and darkens.900 ml Curry Base, 5 g Fresh Coriander Stems
- Add in the charred tofu and peppers, mixing well to ensure it’s well combined and continue simmering till everything is heated through. If using, add the food colour at this point and stir well to get that classic Indian takeaway colour.1½ tsp Red Food Colouring
- Finish the curry by stirring through the cashew cream you made earlier with the butter, lemon juice, fenugreek leaves, coriander leaves, and the rest of the garam masala. Taste and season as needed. Serve with rice or your favourite Indian style flatbread.3 tbsp Lemon Juice, 50 g Vegan Butter, 1 tbsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves, Handful of chopped coriander leaves
Notes
