My tofu tikka masala will knock your socks off! This luscious curry is made with marinated and baked tofu in a spiced, rich and creamy tomato sauce. It's incredibly comforting and loaded with flavor.
I've always loved a good creamy Indian curry, and I have no shortage of recipes for them...all made without dairy! So far I've shared vegan butter chicken, vegan butter tofu and lentils, vegan korma, vegan matar paneer, and cauliflower chickpea tikka masala on this site. This tofu tikka masala is probably the most luscious and decadent, though!
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This one is a bit more involved than the other creamy curries I've made, but it's worth it! Just like with traditional chicken tikka masala, the tofu in this recipe is marinated in a mix of spices, aromatics, and yogurt. It's then baked to perfection and added to a creamy spiced tomato sauce. This meal is pure decadence, and you'd never guess it was dairy-free!
Ingredients You'll Need
Below you'll find a list of ingredients in this recipe, with notes and substitutions. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe, including the amount of each ingredient.
- Non-dairy milk. Whatever variety of non-dairy milk you normally like to drink or cook with will work. Soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, and cashew milk are all good options. Read my guide to dairy-free milk if you need help choosing one.
- Vegan yogurt. Use plain yogurt that's unsweetened and unflavored. It can be made from any type of non-dairy milk.
- Garlic.
- Ginger.
- Serrano pepper. This is optional, and will add some heat to the dish if you use it.
- Spices. You'll need a lot of spices, but it's worth it! Make sure you have garam masala, turmeric, ground cumin, coriander, paprika, fenugreek, and black pepper. Most of these spices are available at just about any supermarket. Ground fenugreek is the only one you might need to take a trip to the Indian market for, or you can order it online.
- Salt.
- Extra-firm tofu. I like extra-firm tofu best for this recipe because it has a nice balance of texture and ability so soak up marinade. Firm tofu will also work, as will super-firm tofu, although it won't hold as much marinade.
- Raw cashews. These need to be raw. If you use roasted cashews the flavor of your sauce will be all wrong.
- Water.
- Vegan butter. You should be able to get this near the regular butter at just about any supermarket.
- Onion.
- Crushed fire roasted tomatoes. Using crushed fire roasted tomatoes will give your sauce a zesty, smoky flavor. If you can't find them, you can either substitute regular old crushed tomatoes, or grab a can of diced fire roasted tomatoes and crush them yourself by briefly blending them in a blender.
- Sugar. Make sure your sugar is organic. Conventional granulated sugar is often processed using animal bone char.
- Salt.
- Fresh cilantro.
- Basmati rice.
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Make the Baked Tofu
Step 1: Marinate the tofu. Combine yogurt, milk, garlic, ginger, garam masala, turmeric, and salt in a dish, then add diced tofu. Let the tofu soak for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Preheat your oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 3: Place your marinated tofu cubes on your prepared baking sheet and pop it into the oven.
Step 4: Bake the tofu for about thirty minutes, flipping the pieces about halfway through. They're done when the marinade has dried and the pieces have shrunk a bit.
Make the Tikka Masala
Step 1: Place raw, soaked cashews into a blender and add water. Blend until the mixture is smooth and looks like milk.
Step 2: Melt the vegan butter in a medium skillet, then add diced onion. Cook the onion slowly, stirring frequently, for about ten minutes. Let it just start to brown.
Step 3: Add garlic, ginger, and all of your spices to the skillet. Cook everything briefly, stirring constantly. Don't let anything burn!
Step 4: Add your crushed fire roasted tomatoes to the skillet. Stir everything up, bring the sauce to a simmer, and let it cook for about ten minutes.
Step 5: Stir in the blended cashew mixture, along with some sugar and salt. The sauce will become thick and creamy!
Steps 6 & 7: Stir in the baked tofu, then remove the skillet from heat and stir in the cilantro. Give the curry at taste-test and adjust any seasonings to your liking.
Step 8: Your tofu tikka masala is ready! Serve it over rice and enjoy! It's also great with some homemade vegan naan and vegan samosas.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover tofu tikka masala will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about three days. You can reheat it in the microwave, or in a skillet or saucepan on the stove. Add a splash of water if the sauce has gotten too thick during storage.
Variations
- Add veggies. This dish includes a lot of sauce, so there's plenty of room to add your favorite vegetables. Try cauliflower, spinach, kale, peas, or green beans.
- Add beans. In lieu of veggies, you could throw in a can of chickpeas or your favorite type of bean.
- Quick and easy variation. For an easier version of this dish, feel free to swap out the baked tofu with simple pan-fried tofu or crispy fried tofu. Alternatively, if your grocery store carries precooked fried tofu or baked tofu in a flavor that you think would work with the sauce, give that a try.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, it is!
You could try skipping the cashews and water, and instead using 1 ¼ cups of vegan heavy cream alternative. Full-fat coconut milk should also work, but the sauce will have a slightly different flavor and consistency.
It will have a bit of heat if you use the serrano pepper. Feel free to skip it if you'd like to keep the dish mild.
Absolutely! The sauce will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for about thee days, or in the freezer for up to three months.
More Vegan Indian Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Tofu Tikka Masala
Ingredients
For the Baked Tofu
- ¼ cup unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk
- ¼ cup plain vegan yogurt
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 (14 ounce/396 gram) package extra-firm tofu, drained, pressed, and cut into ½ inch cubes
For the Tikka Masala
- ½ cup raw cashews, soaked in water 4 to 8 hours, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 serrano pepper, seeded and finely minced, optional
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground corainder
- 1 teaspoon paprika (sweet, not smoked)
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground fenugreek
- ½ tesapoon black pepper
- 1 (14.5 ounce/411 gram) can crushed fire roasted tomatoes (Note 1)
- 2 teaspoons organic granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for serving, if desired
- Cooked basmati rice, for serving
Instructions
Make the Baked Tofu
- Stir the milk, yogurt, garlic, ginger, garam masala, turmeric, and salt together in a shallow dish. Add the tofu cubes and gently stir to coat them in the sauce. Let the tofu marinate for 30 minutes (Note 2).
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Arrange the tofu cubes in an even layer on the baking sheet. Drizzle any excess marinade over them.
- Place the baking sheet into the oven and bake the tofu for about 30 minutes, flipping them halfway through, until the pieces are dry and have shrunken slightly.
Make the Tikka Masala
- Place the cashews and water into a blender. Blend until the mixture becomes a smooth, milky liquid.
- Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion. Cook the onion for about ten minutes, stirring frequently, until it softens and just begins to brown.
- Stir in the garlic, ginger, serrano pepper (if using), garam masala, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, fenugreek, and black pepper. Cook the mixture for about one minute, stirring constantly, until it becomes very fragrant.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a simmer, lower the heat and let it cook for about 10 minutes. You can add a splash of water if it dries up too much or begins sputtering excessively. Just be careful not to thin the sauce too much.
- Stir in the cashew mixture, sugar, and salt. Bring the sauce back up to a simmer.
- Stir in the baked tofu, then remove the skillet from heat.
- Stir in the cilantro and season the curry with additional salt to taste, if desired. Adjust any other seasonings to your liking.
- Serve over rice, optionally with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro on top.
Notes
- If you can't find crushed fire roasted tomatoes, you can either substitute regular crushed tomatoes, or briefly blitz a can of diced fire roasted tomatoes in the blender.
- You can skip the step of marinating if you're short on time. Alternatively, you can let the tofu marinate for up to 24 hours. Make sure to cover the dish and place it in the fridge at or before the 2 hour mark.
- Nutrition information does not include rice.
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As a student of Indian cuisine I recommend toasting the cumin either powder or seeds in the oil before dropping the onions. It’s more authentic that way.
This recipe was delicious! Totally worth all the work. I followed exactly, plus I doubled the sauce. I’m glad I did. Thank you for this great recipe!
I am soaking the cashews in a jar. Should this be refrigerated? Thank you!
I found out I could do it either way.