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.
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.