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Healthier Tofu Tikka Masala

July 25, 2022
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All the good flavors of your classic Indian Tikka Masala lightened up and packed with vegetarian protein: this Healthier Tofu Tikka Masala is the perfect meatless meal!

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Indian food is the epitome of comfort food — at least to me. It’s just always so cozy, saucy, and full of warming spices. Plus, there is nothing more home-y than a side of homemade naan, right?? And, while I typically associate my other fav comfort foods with a cold winter’s day, I could seriously eat Indian food all year around (even in the current heat wave of 100 degree temps everyday…). So, to bring some cozy fun flavors into my summer, I decided it was about time I whipped up another Indian dish. This time, however, I skipped my usual chicken or lentils for crumbled up crispy tofu. When mixed up with a healthified version of a tikka masala sauce (very similar to a butter chicken sauce, just a bit more spice heavy), the result is  truly sinful. You have to try this one!

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The breakdown…

This Healthier Tofu Tikka Masala is seriously one of the easiest recipes on my website. I mean, aside from the pressing of the tofu, the making of the rice, and the optional addition of some roasted mushrooms, the entire dish can come together in one skillet. To start things off, I follow my favorite crispy crumbled tofu method. This is very similar to the tofu recipe in my Saucy Cuban Picadillo Tofu and Cauliflower Tacos. Begin with a simple pressing of the tofu. This releases most of the moisture from tofu, and allows it to get more crispy than soggy (there’s a time and place for more silken tofu, but this is not it!). Really, you want to get your tofu to a point in which it can resemble ground meat. You can definitely do this step ahead of time and then pop your pressed tofu into the fridge until you are ready to use it… just don’t skip this step!

heat up that skillet!

With that tofu all pressed and ready to go, the next step is to crumble it up and throw it into some super hot oil. Get your skillet as hot as possible (cast iron skillets are best for this), then evenly divide the bite sized tofu around the bottom of the pan. Leave the tofu there for a few minutes before mixing. With both ground meat and crumbled tofu, one of the most common mistakes I see is that people chop things up too finely and then mix too often. You want to let the tofu get crispy on the stove, so let it work its magic! Then, after a few minutes of allowing things to sear up on each side, go ahead and toss in your onion and some more oil. From here on out, it’s really a simple sauté of veggies and spices.

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Speaking of which, the spices are arguably the most important part of this Healthier Tofu Tikka Masala recipe (and most Indian recipes, for that matter). So, while the amount of ingredients may seem daunting, I promise it’s worth it in the end. Plus, including spices like garam masala, cumin, turmeric, chili powder, and salt, this recipe is pretty much just full of pantry staples. Oh, and definitely throw in lots of fresh garlic and ginger. This is not a place to substitute all that flavor with ground ginger or garlic powder… they are just not nearly flavorful enough for a dish like this. Mix all that up with a bit of brown sugar to balance out all the spice and some tomato paste to contribute for some acid. Nothing crazy, yet so good.

the creaminess…

Toast up all those flavors then go in with all the creamy components. I like to use coconut cream as my main “thickener.” This is just the solidified part of the coconut milk that comes on the top of the cans. It’s definitely full of all those creamy fats, but super healthy. You could also use heavy cream or evaporated milk, though. With that, go ahead and mix in some almond milk to thin things out. After just a few minutes of simmering… voila! Your Healthier Tofu Tikka Masala is just about done!

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how to serve it up…

I love to serve this Healthier Tofu Tikka Masala up for your classic weeknight cozy dinner. That being said, it makes for a great meal for entertaining — especially with plant based guests! I mean, this entire dish is vegan (which I can’t say about many of my recipes). Plus, it’s super customizable. You could top things off with some toasted mushrooms, as I write out in the Notes section, just as you could throw in any other veggies that you would like. Peas, snap peas, spinach, chard, kale, carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, eggplant, and/or cauliflower would all be delicious. Oh, and the possibilities are endless as to what to serve this over, too. Instead of basmati rice, you could also do jasmine rice, brown rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice, Palmini rice, or any other grain/grain alternative. With all this, though, you have got to throw in some warm homemade naan. It’s the best!

I hope you love this Healthier Tofu Tikka Masala as much as I do! Let me know what you think in the comments below:))

Healthier Tofu Tikka Masala
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Healthier Tofu Tikka Masala

Recipe by Annie PatrickCourse: Main CourseCuisine: Indian, FusionDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

19

minutes
Total time

30

minutes

All the good flavors of your classic Indian Tikka Masala lightened up and packed with vegetarian protein: this Healthier Tofu Tikka Masala is the perfect meatless meal!

Ingredients

  • 20 oz extra firm tofu, pressed

  • 2 tbsp neutral oil, such as avocado or vegetable oil (or coconut oil for more flavor!)

  • 1 small sweet onion, finely diced

  • 2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely minced

  • 5 cloves garlic, finely minced

  • 2 tsp garam masala

  • 1 tsp ground cumin

  • 1 tsp turmeric

  • 1-2 tsp chili powder, depending on spice preference

  • 1 tsp brown sugar

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 4 oz tomato paste

  • ¼ cup coconut cream (the thick part

  • 1 ½ cup almond milk (can sub regular milk, coconut milk, or heavy cream)

  • Optional: oven roasted mushrooms, to garnish*

  • Fresh cilantro, to garnish*

  • Basmati rice, to serve*

Instructions

  • HOW TO PRESS TOFU: Remove the tofu from its package and drain all liquids. Place two paper towels on a plate and place the blocks of tofu on top. Top the tofu with two more paper towels then put a heavy item on top. (Not too heavy that the tofu is crushed, just heavy enough to release the liquids — a cast iron skillet works well). Leave the tofu under the heavy object for 30 minutes, switching out the paper towels half way through. (Note: this can be done ahead of time)
  • After 30 minutes, remove the heavy object and crumble the tofu into bite size pieces. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp of the oil over high heat. Once hot, add the tofu and sauté for about 6 minutes. Only stir/flip the tofu crumbles once halfway through to ensure the tofu gets a nice crisp. Then, mix in the additional 1 tbsp oil and the onion and ginger and sauté for an additional 3-4 minutes.
  • Mix the garlic, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, chili powder, brown sugar, salt, and tomato paste in with the tofu. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the spices are fragrant. Then, stir in the coconut cream and almond milk. Bring the liquids to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until the liquids have slightly cooked down.
  • Serve the saucy tikka masala over a bed of rice. Garnish with cilantro and crispy mushrooms, if desired (instructions in notes).

Notes

  • To make the oven roasted mushrooms, start by preheating the oven to 450 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss whole mushrooms with olive oil, salt, and garlic powder, to coat. Spread them out on the baking sheet. Roast the mushrooms in the oven for about 30 minutes, flipping at the halfway point. Once they are crisp and golden, remove them from the oven and serve with your tikka masala. 
  • Peas, snap peas, spinach, chard, kale, carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, eggplant, and/or cauliflower would all be delicious thrown into the mix. Simply sauté everything up with the onions then follow the recipe as written. 
  • Instead of basmati rice, you could also do jasmine rice, brown rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice, Palmini rice, or any other grain/grain alternative. 
  • You could also garnish your tofu tikka masala with toasted slivered almonds, red pepper flakes, pickled red onions, queso fresco, and/or fresh chives. A side of naan or roti would also be delicious!
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