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tofu tikka masala served in a bowl
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Vegan Tofu Tikka Masala

Tofu Tikka Masala is a vegan spin-off of Chicken Tikka Masala. It's a healthy and delicious Indian curry made with marinated and fried tofu that's cooked in a delicious masala paste along with aromatic spices and flavors. This flavorful curry can be served with bread or rice.
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine Indian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Marinating time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4 people
Calories 139.26kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

To marinate the tofu

To prepare the tikka sauce

To make the curry

Instructions

  • If using super firm pre-pressed tofu, then you can directly cut them into small bite-sized cubes, else follow the process of removing the excess water till dry and then cutting it.
  • Add these tofu cubes to a ziplock bag.
  • Also add turmeric powder, garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder, chilly powder, vegan yogurt, and salt. Chef Tip - Don't shy away from adding spices. The flavors will balance out eventually. Shake the bag so that the masala coats the tofu well. Keep the Ziplock in the fridge for at least 30 mins.
  • Now take the bag out of the fridge. Melt vegan ghee or butter in a pan and toss in the marinated tofu. Roast it evenly and then take it off the pan. Chef Tip - If there is any leftover marinade, reserve it and add it to the curry later.
  • Heat oil/vegan ghee/vegan butter in a pan, and temper cumin seeds. Then add the chopped ginger, garlic, and roughly chopped onion. Saute till the onion turns translucent.
  • Then add roughly chopped tomatoes and salt. Give a good mix and cook it till the tomatoes turn soft. Chef Tip - Put a splatter guard on the pan to avoid mess.
  • Next, add curry powder, sugar, and chilly powder. Continue to saute for a minute. Take it off the flame and let it cool down.
  • Now grind the onion-tomato mixture to a smooth paste. Add water when grinding.
  • Add it back to the same pan that you made the mixture before. Throw in a bay leaf, cinnamon stick, salt, and water as required. Cook it till it comes to a boil. Simmer and cook for another 2 minutes.
  • Add vegan yogurt. Mix.
  • Then add the fried tofu. Lightly give it a mix.
  • Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve it with steamed rice/bread.

Notes

Don't skip the marination of the tofu. That's what will infuse flavor into it and help with the texture. To save time, while it's marinating in the fridge, prepare the masala base. Then use that same pan (without cleaning) to fry the tofu. It will absorb all the leftover flavors from the pan. You can also let it sit in the marinade overnight, and add the leftover marinade to the sauce. 
To save on cooking time, use store-bought premade tikka sauce. Marinate the tofu as mentioned in the recipe and then cook it in the premade sauce. I find using the ziplock to marinate the tofu work better than mixing it in a bowl. It prevents it from breaking. If you let the curry simmer for a long time, it will thicken. If it's too thick, add some water or stock to get the desired consistency.
You can nutritional yeast when finishing the curry to give it a cheesy flavor. Add coconut milk to the curry towards the end, to give it a different flavor. Add black salt instead of garlic to get the flavor. Coconut milk can also be added toward the end to give this curry an earthy and creamier texture. If you don't have dairy-free yogurt at hand, you can also use cashew, vegan sour cream, or coconut cream. If you are Jain, you can also make it without onion and garlic.

Nutrition

Calories: 139.26kcal | Carbohydrates: 12.57g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 5.48g | Saturated Fat: 1.23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.91g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1.61g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 1.09mg | Sodium: 121.47mg | Potassium: 436.29mg | Fiber: 3.21g | Sugar: 5.22g | Vitamin A: 1000.81IU | Vitamin C: 11.99mg | Calcium: 105.94mg | Iron: 3.12mg