Vegan tikka masala

Tofu tikka masala recipe (Dairy free)

Vegan tikka masala is made with marinated and seasoned “chicken style” tofu. Best served with basmati rice or vegan naan. The creamy, dairy free masala sauce is full of flavorful and warming spices.

Jump to:

• Tofu tikka masala recipe (Dairy free)
• ❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
• 🧂 Ingredient notes
• 👩‍🍳 Expert tips
• 🔪 Step by step instructions
• ❄️ Storing tips
• 🥄 How to cook this in an instant pot
• ♨️ Serving suggestions
• ❓ FAQ’s
• 🍛 Similar recipes
• 📖 Recipe

Tikka masala is a favorite take out dish from Indian restaurants in the United Kingdom and United States.

This dish is usually served with chicken, but we’re serving this with high protein tofu that’s been marinated in a dairy free yogurt sauce.

❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe

• It’s cheaper and healthier than ordering take out.
• It’s dairy free, vegan and vegetarian friendly.
• Nut free and coconut milk free
• Full of amazing Indian flavors.
• It’s rich and creamy and super comforting.

🧂 Ingredient notes

• Extra firm tofu – Instead of chicken in this recipe, we’re going to be marinating and then broiling extra firm tofu. Make sure it’s extra firm because we want it to hold up and be nice and chewy.
• Tomatoes – I used canned diced tomatoes for this recipe. You can also use crushed tomatoes or fresh tomatoes
• Cumin powder
• Cumin seeds – These are different from cumin powder. You can usually find these in Indian grocery stores, or you can order them online as well. If you cook a lot of Indian food, it’s good to have these on hand because they’re in almost every recipe.
• Turmeric – This gives the dish that bright yellow color. Plus it’s full of amazing health benefits.
• Cayenne – If you don’t like spiciness, keep this out of the recipe.
• Coriander powder
• Dairy free yogurt – Make sure to use unsweetened and plain. I use either soy or cashew yogurt.
• Cilantro – This is to top off the dish with at the end. It adds a nice, bright flavor and color.
• Onion – Red onion will taste the best, but use whatever you have on hand.
• Garlic – A must have for any Indian dish.
• Ginger – Fresh ginger is a must in this recipe. I like to use a zester to grate it nice and find. It’s completely ok to leave the skin on if you’re grating it.

👩‍🍳 Expert tips

• The tofu tastes best if it’s had at least 30 minutes to marinate. It will taste even better if it’s had 4 hours, but I honestly can never remember to prep that far ahead of time.
• If you want to save some time, you can skip marinating the tofu and just bake it plain with 1 tablespoon of corn starch, a splash of soy sauce and some curry powder. Bake at 420 degrees for 30 minutes.
• If you want to save even more time, don’t even bake the tofu, just cut it in chunks and add it to the masala sauce (plain) after the masala sauce is done simmering. I do this on weeknight when I just can’t be bothered. But be aware, marinating then broiling the tofu brings this recipe to a whole new level.
• I love tearing the tofu instead of cutting it up because it creates more rigid edges for the sauce to stick to. But make sure not to tear into too small of pieces. I like to keep them about the same size as a large chunk of chicken.

🔪 Step by step instructions

1. Marinate the tofu

• Drain the tofu and press it for 15-30 minutes. After it’s been pressed, tear it into bit sized chunks about the size of large chunks of chicken. Make sure not to tear them too small.
• In a large mixing bowl, add the tofu chunks, dairy free yogurt, garam masala, cayenne, ginger, garlic, salt and lemon juice. Stir gently and make sure every piece is covered. Put in the fridge and let it marinate while we get our masala sauce together. This tastes best if it’s had at least 30 minutes to marinate.

2. Prepare the masala sauce

• Add oil to a large pot on medium heat. Let the pot heat up for 2 minutes. Add the cumin seeds and let them cook for about a minute. Add the diced onions and cook until translucent and golden brown (about 5-8 minutes). Season with a small pinch of salt.
• Add the turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder, ginger and garlic and sauté for about 1-2 minutes. Stir constantly. This brings out the flavor of the spices.

• Add the tomatoes, salt and water. Cover and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes. When sauce has about 10 minutes left, broil the tofu with the directions below.

3. Broil the tofu (while the sauce is simmering)

• While the sauce is simmering, put the oven rack to the second highest rung. Turn oven on to 450 degrees and set a cast iron or oven safe pan in the oven to heat up the pan. This ensures the bottom of the tofu will cook. Heat it up for about 5-10 minutes.
• With oven safe gloves, take the pan out of the oven. Oil the bottom of the pan and add the tofu to the pan. Add the tofu to the oven and turn the oven to high broil and broil the tofu for about 10-15 minutes, or until the tofu starts to get crispy and golden brown on top. After 10 minutes, check the tofu every five minutes to make sure it’s not burning.

4. Put it all together

• After the sauce has finished simmering, add the dairy free yogurt, maple syrup and garam masala. Once tofu is done broiling, let it sit for about 5 minutes, then add it to the sauce. Let it all heat up together for another 5-10 minutes on a low simmer. Serve with rice or vegan naan.

Make sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full ingredients list and instructions!

❄️ Storing tips

This recipe tastes best as left overs, once all the flavors have had a chance to sit and meld together. This will last about a week in the fridge.

This also freezes well. Just thaw it out before heating it back up on the stove or in the microwave.

🥄 How to cook this in an instant pot

This vegan masala with tofu works amazingly well in a pressure cooker. Follow the directions as is, and when it comes time to simmer the masala sauce, close and seal the lid and cook on high pressure for about 10 minutes. After that, add the broiled tofu, dairy free yogurt, maple syrup and garam masala.

♨️ Serving suggestions

Vegan tikka masala tastes best served with basmati rice or vegan naan, or any other Indian bread like chapati or roti. Top with fresh cilantro as well.

❓ FAQ’s

🍛 Similar recipes

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