Vegan Tikka Masala

Vegan tikka masala, deliciously flavorful and perfectly spiced. It is warming, filling, and comforting, my favorite Indian dish.

I can’t stress enough how much I adore Indian cuisine. Oh, the flavors! I try to make at least one Indian recipe every week, and this vegan tikka masala is definitely my favorite.

I love how comforting and filling it is, I promise it’ll warm you up during the cold winter days! Besides, it is also very nutritious and packed with good-quality vegan protein. I hope you like it as much as I do!

How to make vegan tikka masala

• Preheat the oven to 400ºF or 200ºC.
• Press the tofu while the oven is preheating.
• Add all the marinade ingredients to a large mixing bowl (except the tofu cubes) and mix until well combined.
• Then add the tofu cubes and mix again. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes, ideally for at least 1 hour, and even better if you let it marinate overnight.
• Drain the tofu and place it onto a lined baking sheet. Bake the tofu cubes for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.
• In the meantime, cook the sauce. In a large skillet, add the oil, and when it’s hot, add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook over medium-high heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally.
• Then add the spices, stir, and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add the tomato puree, coconut milk, water, and brown sugar, and stir. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Finally, add the tofu, stir, and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 more minutes.
• Serve your vegan tikka masala immediately.

Ingredients and tips

• Firm tofu: use firm or extra firm tofu to make this vegan tikka masala recipe. Silken tofu will fall apart.
• Unsweetened plant-based yogurt: I used soy yogurt, but any other type of vegan yogurt will do, such as coconut yogurt (homemade or store-bought).
• Garlic.
• Onion.
• Fresh ginger.
• Lemon juice.
• Garam masala: use store-bought garam masala or make it at home using our recipe!
• Paprika.
• Ground cumin.
• Ground coriander.
• Turmeric powder.
• Salt: I used ionized salt, but any salt will do.
• Cayenne pepper.
• Ground black pepper: fresh ground black pepper tastes amazing. However, I find the store-bought one to be more convenient and also easier to measure with a teaspoon.
• Oil: I used extra virgin olive oil, but this vegan tikka masala recipe will work with any type of oil will work. You could also use vegan butter instead.
• Tomato puree: feel free to use tomato sauce or even chopped tomatoes.
• Full-fat coconut milk: you can replace it with any other kind of unsweetened plant-milk, but coconut milk is the best choice.
• Water.
• Brown sugar: you can omit this ingredient or use any other sweetener you like instead.

What is tikka masala?

Tikka masala is a traditional Indian dish originally made with marinated chicken served with a special sauce. However, this vegan tikka masala recipe is 100% plant-based, cruelty-free, and packed with lots of protein. Delicious!

Looking for more Indian recipes?

• Chana Masala
• Lentil Curry
• Vegetable Curry
• Chickpea Curry
• Vegan Curry

Did you make this vegan tikka masala?

Please leave a comment below, share it, or rate it. You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST. I’d love to see what you cook!

Vegan Tikka Masala

• Author: Iosune
• Prep: 15 mins
• Cook: 35 mins
• Total: 50 mins
• 4-6 1x
• Main Dish
• Indian
• Vegan

★★★★★ 5 from 2 reviews

Servings 4-6 1x

Scale 1x2x3x Tap or hover over number to scale servings

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Vegan tikka masala, deliciously flavorful and perfectly spiced. It is warming, filling, and comforting, my favorite Indian dish.

Ingredients

For the marinade:

• 28 oz firm tofu (800 g), cubed
• 1 cup unsweetened plant-based yogurt (240 ml), I used soy yogurt
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper 
• ½ tsp ground black pepper

For the sauce:

• 2 tbsp oil, I used extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• 14 oz tomato puree (400 g)
• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk (240 ml)
• ¼ cup water (60 ml)
• 2 tsp brown sugar

 

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF or 200ºC. If you don’t have an oven or don’t want to use it, omit this step.
2. Press the tofu while the oven is preheating (just wrap the tofu in a clean towel and apply a steady weight to squeeze out moisture). This step is optional, but your tofu will be tastier if you do.
3. Add all the marinade ingredients to a large mixing bowl (except the tofu cubes) and mix until well combined.
4. Then add the tofu cubes and mix again. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes, ideally for at least 1 hour, and even better if you let it marinate overnight.
5. Drain the tofu and place it onto a lined baking sheet. Bake the tofu cubes for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. You could also sautée the tofu cubes in a skillet with some oil until golden brown, but I think baking them is the best choice.
6. In the meantime, cook the sauce. In a large skillet, add the oil, and when it’s hot, add the onion, garlic, and ginger, and cook over medium-high heat until golden brown, stirring occasionally.
7. Then add the spices (garam masala, cumin, paprika, coriander, turmeric, salt, and pepper), stir, and cook for 1 to 2 more minutes, stirring frequently.
8. Add the tomato puree, coconut milk, water, and brown sugar, and stir. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
9. Finally, add the tofu, stir, and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 more minutes.
10. Serve your vegan tikka masala immediately.
11. Keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Notes

• Use firm or extra-firm tofu to make this vegan tikka masala recipe. Silken tofu will fall apart.
• Although to make this dish I used soy yogurt, any type of vegan yogurt will do, such as coconut yogurt.
• Use store-bought garam masala or make it at home using our recipe!
• I used extra virgin olive oil, but feel free to use your favorite type of oil. You could also use vegan butter instead.
• Tomato puree can be replaced with tomato sauce or even chopped tomatoes.
• You can replace the full-fat coconut milk with any other unsweetened plant milk such as soy milk, but coconut milk is the best choice.
• Feel free to omit the brown sugar or use any other sweetener you like instead.
• If you can’t find any spice, just omit it.
• Customize your vegan tikka masala with any veggies you want.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1/8 of the recipe
• Calories: 228
• Sugar: 5.8 g
• Sodium: 621 mg
• Fat: 16.2 g
• Saturated Fat: 8 g
• Carbohydrates: 13.4 g
• Fiber: 3.7 g
• Protein: 11.7 g