Tofu Tikka Masala

Say hello to one of my favorite curries: Tofu Tikka Masala! This plant-based version of the popular dish delivers all the same warm, spiced flavors and creamy tomato-based curry sauce, with baked tofu as the protein. While this recipe does take a little bit of effort, it’s still very approachable and well worth it! It’s easy to double the recipe for feeding a crowd or batch cooking to freeze half for later.

Origin

Although it’s incredibly popular at every Indian restaurant you walk into, Chicken Tikka Masala didn’t originate in India! The origins of the dish are debated but one popular story credits a Pakistani-Scottish chef in Scotland, who created this dish after a customer complained of dry chicken.

Why you’ll love this Tofu Tikka Masala

• Restaurant-quality Tikka Masala made in your own kitchen.
  
• Great for batch cooking—just double the curry recipe. (I recommend only freezing the curry and not the tofu, as freezing tofu changes the texture.)
  
• Flavorful, satisfying comfort food that’s still incredibly healthy.
  
• Perfect for leftovers. This curry tastes even better the next day!
  

Tips for Success

• Prep is key.
  Chop and measure everything out so that it’s ready to go. Trying to do this on the fly will be stressful and potentially disastrous.
  
  
• Read entire recipe card before beginning.
  Reading the entire recipe before starting helps you understand the flow and timing, making the cooking process much smoother.
  
• Kashmiri chilli powder is not the same as chili powder.
  Kashmiri chilli powder is a vibrant red hue and usually more mild and smokey. That being said, my most recent batch was as spicy as cayenne so that’s why I added the next bullet point:
  
  
• Kashmiri chilli powder varies in spicy levels.
  Kashmiri chilli powder is generally mild-medium, but sometimes I’ve gotten a bag that’s pretty spicy. Adjust preferred spice level according to your chilli powder.
  
  
• Simmering longer will bring out more flavors.
  I realize not everyone has time to spend hours in the kitchen so I try to make this as quick as possible, but allowing the tomatoes to cook on low a little longer and/or allowing the curry to simmer beyond 15 minutes will result in a more flavorful sauce.
  
  

Adjusting spice level

Make it spicier.
If you want to take the spice up a couple notches, add cayenne powder ¼ tsp at a time. Add slowly, because sometimes the heat will increase over time and sneaks up on you.

Too spicy?
If you over-do the spice, it’s challenging to take it back. What helps is stirring in more cashew cream at the end and that should mellow out the spice.

Variations

Whole spice seeds
If you don’t have whole cumin or coriander seeds, use ground powder instead and add at the same time as the chilli powder, paprika, and garam masala. Same with cinnamon and cloves, just add a pinch of each. Whole spices have so much more flavor though, and I try to use whole seeds as much as possible.

Yogurt vs cashew cream
I’ve done this both ways but personally prefer the cashew cream for a richer sauce without additional unwanted flavors of vegan yogurt. You can absolutely sub vegan yogurt, but make sure that it’s unflavored and if it’s sweetened then omit the added sugar in the recipe. Stir in at the end to prevent yogurt or cashew cream from separating and changing texture.

How to Store + Reheat Tofu Tikka Masala

Refrigerate – Store curry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

Freeze – Freeze curry sauce in an airtight container for 1-2 months. I personally don’t like the texture of tofu after it’s been frozen so I only freeze the sauce by itself and make a bake a fresh batch of tofu when I’m ready to defrost and reheat curry.

Reheat – Curry and basmati rice re-heat quick and easily in the microwave. You can also reheat on the stovetop on medium-low heat, stirring frequently.

Print Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Tofu Tikka Masala

This Tofu Tikka Masala is a plant-based version of the classic dish, delivering all the same warm, spiced flavors in a creamy tomato-based curry with baked tofu as the protein.

Prep Time45 minutes mins

Cook Time45 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: creamy, Curry, dinner, Tofu

Servings: 5 servings

Equipment

• 1 High Speed Blender
• 2 Large pots

Ingredients

Cashew Cream

• ½ cup cashews
• ½ cup water

Tofu

• 14 oz tofu, extra firm
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp paprika
• ¼ tsp salt
• several grinds of black pepper

Curry

• 2 tsp avocado oil
• 2 cups yellow onion, small dice
• 4 cups tomatoes, medium dice
• 8 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
• 2 tsp paprika
• ¾ tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp black pepper
• ¼-½ tsp cayenne powder (optional for spice, if your chilli powder is mild)
• 2" ginger root, peeled and chopped
• 2 whole cloves
• ½ stick cinnamon
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 bay leaf

Basmati Rice

• 2 cups white basmati rice
• 3 cups water
• ½ tsp salt

Finishing

• ¼ tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp fenugreek leaves
• chopped cilantro, for garnish

Instructions

• Soak cashews: Place ½ cup cashews in a heat safe bowl and pour boiling water over them. Soak for 15 minutes.
• Tofu Prep: Slice the tofu in half, wrap it in a clean kitchen towel, and place something slightly weighted on top. Let it sit for 10 minutes to absorb excess moisture. Pre-heat oven to 350℉ and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Bake Tofu: Cut tofu into squares and place in a large bowl. Toss with ½ tsp turmeric, 1 tsp paprika, ¼ tsp salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden.
• Sauté: Heat large pot on medium heat. Once hot, add oil and onions with a pinch of salt and sauté until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Then make a well in the center of the pot and add 2 tsp cumin seeds and 1 tsp coriander seeds and toast about 30 seconds, stirring frequently. Then add 4 cups tomatoes, 2 tsp kashmiri chilli powder, 2 tsp paprika, ¾ tsp garam masala, ½ tsp salt, ⅛ tsp black pepper, and optional cayenne powder. Cook until tomatoes cook down, about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool enough to blend.
• Cashew Cream: While tomato mixture is cooling, drain cashews and add to the blender along with ½ cup fresh water. Blend until smooth and creamy, stopping a couple of times to scrape the sides. Pour cashew cream in a bowl and set aside. Don't rinse blender.
• Blend and Simmer: Place chopped ginger and the cooled tomato mixture in blender and blend until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer creamy mixture back to pot and add 2 whole cloves, ½ stick of cinnamon, 1 tsp sugar, 1 bay leaf, and the baked tofu. Turn heat on medium-low and cook for 15-30 minutes, stirring occasionally and turning down heat if it starts to splatter.
• Basmati Rice: In a large pot, bring 3 cups water with ½ tsp salt to a boil. Once boiling, add 2 cups white basmati rice, cover with a lid, and reduce heat to low. Set a timer for 13 minutes. Once timer goes off, remove pot from heat and let rest for at least 10 minutes. Don't lift the lid!
• Finishing: Remove cinnamon stick and cloves. Stir in ¼ tsp garam masala, 2 tsp fenugreek leaves, and cashew cream starting with ¼ cup and adding more if desired. (Tikka masala is supposed to be tomato-forward, not cream heavy.) Taste curry, adding any other spices it may need such as salt, cayenne for spice, pinch of sugar if too acidic.
• Serving: Serve Tofu Tikka Masala over cooked basmati rice or with naan or roti, and garnish with cilantro and a swirl of cashew cream.

Notes

For doubling the recipe, note that the sauce will need to be blended in two batches to avoid overloading the blender.

If freezing sauce, I prefer to not freeze the tofu along with it as it changes the texture. Simply make a fresh batch of tofu when ready to defrost curry.

Did you make Tofu Tikka Masala? I’d love to hear how it turned out and any variations you made in a comment below!