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Tofu Tikka Masala
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Restaurant Style Tofu Tikka Masala

Charred Tofu in a creamy, rich, curry sauce. Make this your next go to when you're craving a take away!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Marinade2 hours
Total Time3 hours 5 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Keyword: curry, fakeaway, tofu
Servings: 4

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

Allergy Notes: This is naturally vegan and gluten free however there is a significant amount of ground almonds. If you’re allergic to nuts then substitute with a similar amount of desiccated coconut, ground to a powder in your blender.
If you have any allergies to the ingredients in this dish or have questions on substitutions, leave me a comment below.