Tikka Masala is Butter Masala’s slightly spicer, tomatoeyer cousin. It’s a creamy, comforting dish with a blend of spices served with rice, roti or naan. I’ve been recipe testing to create the perfect vegan tikka masala that feels sinfully delicious, but that you can feel good about and I think I’ve found it! This roasted cauliflower and tofu tikka masala has got it all!
The cauliflower and tofu are roasted in the oven to perfection. Meanwhile, you make a BOMB simmer sauce. You saute spices with onion, garlic ginger and green chilies. Add tomato sauce and simmer until the spices mellow. Then you hit it with what makes the dish most delicious – cashew cream.
The Key to Vegan Tikka Masala
Cashew Cream
While many recipes call for coconut milk, cashew cream in my opinion gives the best texture while not compromising the flavor of the dish. It is a cholesterol-free dairy alternative that transforms this dish into a decadent treat.
Kasuri Methi
This dish will just not taste like tikka masala without the addition of kasuri methi. Kasuri methi, or dried fenugreek leaves can be found in any Indian store or specialty international store, but can also be found here. It really adds a wonderful flavor and aroma to the dish.
Tomato Sauce
While testing this dish, I experimented with crushed tomatoes, fresh tomatoes and tomato sauce. Tomato sauce gave the richest, creamiest restaurant-style result. Canned tomatoes like tomato sauce are slightly more acidic, so I would complement it by adding 1-2 tsp of maple syrup or a sweetener of choice.
Switch it up!
I absolutely adore this dish with both cauliflower and tofu. It packs in nutrition and protein and has a wonderful texture combination. However, feel free to experiment with whatever protein or veggie you have on hand. Chickpeas or mushrooms would also taste great!
This recipe draws some inspiration from the talented Vegan Richa and Cook with Manali.
Roasted Cauliflower and Tofu Tikka Masala
Ingredients
- 1 block extra firm tofu drained, pressed to release some of the water for 10 minutes
- 1 small cauliflower cut into bite sized pieces and rinsed
- 1 can tomato sauce or tomato puree
- 1/2 med onion
- 2-3 green chilies
- 1/2 inch nub ginger 1 tbsp grated
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup raw cashews soaked
- 1 tbsp vegan butter optional
- 2 tsp maple syrup or sweetener of choice
Spices
- 3-4 cardamom pods
- 3-4 whole peppercorns
- 1 small piece cinnamon bark outer bark preferred
- 3-4 cloves
- 1/2-1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp kasuri methi or Fenugreek Leaves
- 1-2 tsp paprika or kashmiri red chili powder for color
- 1 tsp red chili powder or cayenne as desired
Instructions
Roast the Cauliflower and Tofu
- Set oven to 400° and lay cauliflower and tofu on a lined baking sheet.
- Drizzle cauliflower and tofu with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The tofu may need to be flipped half-way.
- Check tofu for desired consistency. If you prefer it more firm, you may bake for another 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a bullet blender, blend 1/2 cup cashews with 1/2 cup water. You can pre-soak the cashews, but it is not necessary. Set this aside.
Prepare the Tikka Masala Sauce
- In a blender or bullet blender, combine the onion, ginger, garlic and green chilies. Blend until it is a smooth puree.
- In a deep skillet or pot, add 1 tbsp butter (or more!) and 1-2 tbsp of a mild flavored oil such as sunflower.
- Add the whole spices to the oil: cardamom, clove, cinnamon, peppercorn. Turn the flame to high. The oil will become fragrant as it heats up.
- Once the oil is hot, add the onion, ginger-garlic mixture to the pot. Reduce the heat to med-high. Saute until the onion smell begins to go away.
- Add tomato puree, reduce to medium. (Note: Be very careful as this tends to sputter as it heats up. )
- Add 1 tsp red chili powder (optional for heat), and 1 tsp paprika or kashmiri chili powder (for color), 1/2 tsp garam masala, and 2 tsp maple syrup or a sweetener of choice.
- Cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes to reduce the tomato sauce and mellow its strong tomato flavor. Add water as needed so the dish does not burn on the bottom.
- Once the flavors come together and the pungent aroma mellows, reduce the flame and mix in the cashew cream. Feel free to reserve some for garnish.
- Fold in the tofu and cauliflower and sprinkle some kasuri methi on top.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve!
Notes
- If desired, you may skip adding the whole spices to the oil and 1 tsp garam masala instead of 1/2 tsp. The whole spices does add extra flavor, however.
- Be very careful when cooking down the tomato mixture as it tends to sputter on high heat. Make sure it is cooked down on medium.
What’s the Difference Between Tikka Masala and Butter Masala?
One last thing, because I really have searched high and low for the answer to this. The truth is, they are very similar! The only main difference is that a butter masala dish will have a less strong tomato flavor. It may be a bit less spicy and it will definitely have more BUTTER. The main reason for this is because in the olden days the classic dish “Murgh makhani” was used to preserve chicken for longer periods of time. Since this dish is vegan, it really doesn’t need to utilize that much butter. But a tablespoon of vegan butter will help give it that buttery taste. Hope that helps!
IF YOU LIKED THIS RECIPE, PLEASE BE SURE TO TAKE A PICTURE OF YOUR CREATIONS AND TAG @IAMSTUFFT ON INSTAGRAM!
