Tandoori Tofu Tikka Masala

Tandoori Tofu Tikka Masala is my ultimate guilty pleasure dish. Juicy chunks of puffy tofu, a smoky tandoori marinade and creamy vegan curry sauce.

It carries the flavour of an excellent Makhani sauce, with extra tandoori tofu. Indeed, it’s a vegan take on Britain’s favourite curry.

In my book, anything served on a stick is a winner. It seals the deal if what’s on the stick is smothered in a charred tandoori paste, restaurant style.

Here’s my take on a British-‘Indian’ dish. It’s loaded with homemade tandoori spices, garlic, lemon, ground almonds and coconut cream. The best thing about it is that it’s 100% vegan.

How to make Tandoori Tofu Tikka Masala

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know it’s not an “authentic Indian recipe” and have heard far too many times, “Ask any Indian what tikka masala is and they won’t know.”. Wrong. It’s delicious and you must try it.

What type of tofu is best for Tandoori Tofu Tikka Masala?

I’ve been obsessed with tofu puffs for as long as I can remember. I like to think of them as sailboats for any sauce or spice you add. They soak in flavours like there’s no tomorrow and you don’t have to marinate them for hours.

Tofu puffs are pre-fried tofu cubes you can find in your local Chinese supermarket. If you can’t get these, substitute them for firm tofu. Drain it and pan fry it until golden.

How to cook with tofu puffs

A lot of the time, we make our weeknight stir fries in a matter of minutes and thanks to these spongy little fellas, they’re filling and seriously flavoursome.

In this recipe, tofu puffs the perfect carriers for my homemade tandoori paste and creamy vegan tikka masala sauce.

If you like a mild curry that still packs a punch in terms of being aromatic, this one’s for you.

How to make Tofu Tikka Masala

As compromised as I feel for not owning my own tandoor (I keep telling myself it will happen one day), this works just as well in the oven. Whack the temperature up as high as it goes and cook your skewers for about 8-10 minutes or until slightly they carry a slight char.

It’s also worth noting that while it’s not exactly traditional to add tomato puree to a tandoori masala paste, I do. However, if you don’t like tomatoes, go ahead and add some red food colouring. This is your dish.

What if I don’t have tofu?

If you can’t get tofu puffs (I get mine from our local Chinese supermarket), try this with regular firm tofu, cauliflower florets, baby potatoes, paneer, mushrooms, idli pieces or anything else that will hold its own on a skewer.

If you still want to use tofu but can’t get the puffed kind, try using firm tofu, weighted and pressed for a few hours to remove excess water, cubed and lightly pan-fried. I’m afraid that medium or silken tofu won’t cut it on the kebab skewer for this recipe.

What kind of skewers should I use?

I use flat metal kebab skewers. They get really hot so be careful if you’re using them too. If you only have bamboo skewers, soak them in cold water for an hour to ensure they don’t burn in the oven.

How to serve Tandoori Tofu Tikka Masala

Finally, serve with flaky paratha, rice and lime wedges. It’s also delicious with garlic and coriander naan.

Tofu Tikka Masala recipe

Tandoori Tofu Tikka Masala (Vegan)

In my book, anything served on a stick is a winner. It seals the deal if what’s on the stick is smothered in a charred tandoori paste, restaurant style. Here’s my take on a British-‘Indian’ dish. It’s loaded with homemade tandoori spices, garlic, lemon, ground almonds and coconut cream. The best thing about it is that it’s 100% vegan. That’s got to get me extra brownie points, right?

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Prep Time: 35 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: curry, north indian, tandoori, tofu, vegan

Servings: 4

Author: Sanjana

Ingredients

• 300 g tofu puffs (I get mine from my local Chinese supermarket)
• Fresh coriander chopped, to garnish
• Lime or lemon wedges to garnish
• Paratha or naan to serve
• Basmati rice to serve

For the homemade tandoori paste:

• 1 tsp whole coriander seeds
• 6 black peppercorns
• 2 dried red chillies or fresh if you like
• 2 inch stick cinnamon
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 star anise
• 4 cloves
• Seeds of 4 green cardamom pods
• 1 black cardamom optional
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tbsp concentrated tomato puree
• 2 tbsp coconut cream
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

For the sauce:

• 1 tbsp oil
• 4 cloves fresh garlic chopped
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 3 red chillies chopped (or to taste)
• 1 tbsp concentrated tomato puree
• 400 g passata
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tbsp ground almonds
• 2 tsp ground green cardamom seeds
• 2 tsp ground fennel seeds
• 400 ml coconut milk
• 1 tsp kasoori methi optional
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• Salt to taste

Instructions

• To make the tandoori paste, heat a dry frying pan until hot. Add all the spices apart from the coconut cream, lemon juice, salt and concentrated tomato puree. Toast until aromatic, a couple of minutes but don’t leave it unattended because it can burn very easily.
• Place all the spices in a high-powered blender or coffee grinder. I use my NutriBullet. Once ground to a fine powder, stir in the lemon juice, coconut cream, tomato puree and salt.
• Add the tofu puffs to the paste and give them a good mix, taking care not to break the tofu pieces up. Set aside while you make the vegan tikka masala sauce.
• Pre-heat the oven to 200°C.
• To make the vegan tikka masala sauce, heat the oil in a medium, non-stick pan. Add the garlic, ginger and chillies. Sauté for a few moments before adding the concentrated tomato puree. Cook for 5 minutes on a medium heat, stirring all the time. Add the passata, followed by the rest of the ingredients. Give it a good whisk, cover and cook on a low heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring often.
• Lightly grease a non-stick oven tray. Skewer the tofu pieces onto your kebab sticks. Arrange on the baking tray and pop into the oven for 8-10 minutes, turning them halfway to ensure even browning. Remove from the oven.
• Serve immediately, bringing the kebabs and sauce to the table, letting everyone mix their own sauce and tofu pieces for a bit of fun and drama. Garnish with chopped coriander, lime or lemon wedges and extra coconut cream. Serve with jalebi paratha or garlic and coriander naan and rice.

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If you like this, you’ll love my recipe for Kadai Tofu & Vegetables

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