I would love to sit here and give you the history of Tikka Masala, but I honestly don’t know much of it. Being transparent, I just love it so much and knew that I had to learn as much as I could about Indian Cuisine and try to create my versions of my favorite dishes.
Surprising no one, the first Indian dish I ever consumed was Chicken Tikka Masala. It was love at first taste! The explosion of flavor dancing with the rich sauce and tender chicken was everything I didn’t know I needed in my life. I leapt into the deep end of the Indian Cuisine pool and never looked back.
While I cannot promise you that this recipe is traditional or authentic, especially when it features a vegan protein, it is close in my eyes and tastes absolutely amazing.
Here we go!
Tikka Masala is all about the sauce. As with any sauce, this is about building layers of flavor and bringing out the best of every ingredient. The basics for this sauce include aromatic vegetables, tomatoes, cream, and Garam Masala. Do yourself a favor and find a quality Garam Masala for this recipe. It truly makes all the difference in the final product. Keep your eyes open for Bearded Foodie’s Kitchen Garam Masala to be available for purchase and take your Tikka game to a whole new level!
Begin by heating your ghee over medium high heat. Once melted and hot, add minced onion and sautee for about 1 minute until the onion begins to soften. Add your remaining aromatics (ginger, garlic, and chili) sauteing for an additional minute.
Add your garam masala and tomato paste stirring continuously to combine and prevent scorching but allowing the spices and tomato paste to heat up and bring out their best flavor. Pour in crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. After adding a pinch of sugar, cook for 5 minutes to let the flavors combine. Add heavy cream, stir to combine and do everything in your power to be patient and let the sauce continue to cook.
Cube your tempeh into 1 inch cubes and add them to the sauce, using the remaining cooking time to heat the tempeh through. After 10-15 minutes your Tikka Masala will be ready to go!
Serve and garnish as desired. Have fun with this!
Equipment
- 12 in. High Wall Skillet/Frying Pan
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Microplane
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
Ingredients
Vegetarian Tikka Masala
- 2 heaping tbsp Garam Masala
- 2 inch Bulb of Ginger peeled, grated
- 3 cloves Garlic grated
- 1 Small Yellow/Sweet Onion finely minced
- 1 small Chili Pepper finely minced
- 1/4 cup Ghee
- 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 28 oz Crushed Tomatoes
- Pinch of White Sugar
- 3/4 cup Heavy Cream
- 16 oz Tempeh 1 inch cubes
To Serve
- Basmati Rice
For Garnish
- Lime Wedges
- Chopped Cashews
- Chopped Cilantro
Instructions
- If you are going to serve your Tikka Masala with Basmati Rice, begin by preparing 1 cup of uncooked Basmati Rice according to package directions.
- To make the Tikka Masala sauce: Heat ghee in a large skillet/pan over medium high heat. Once the ghee has melted, add finely minced onion and saute for 1 minute. Next add garlic, ginger, and chili pepper sauteeing for an additional minute. Add garam masala and tomato paste, stirring continuously for 30 seconds. Stir in 28 oz crushed tomatoes and add a pinch of white sugar. Stir to combine and allow to cook for 5 minutes. Add heavy cream and stir to combine.
- At this point, the base of your sauce is complete and just a little additional cooking time is needed. Add 16 oz of tempeh cut into approximately 1 inch cubes. Continue cooking until the tempeh has heated through, approximately 10-15 minutes. If you are concerned about your sauce becoming too thick, simply add a little extra heavy cream before serving.
- To serve: Place 1/2 to 1 cup of cooked basmati rice in the center of the plate. Ladle tempeh tikka masala on top of the rice. This preparation should prepare approximately 4 portions dependent upon portion size. As desired, top with crushed cashews, chopped cilantro, and a wedge of lime.
