Garam masala substitute’s favorite takeout dish has always been chicken tikka masala. So, I finally developed a killer plant-based version of this recipe to please his insatiable appetite for Indian takeout.
The result is this tofu tikka masala, and I’m not joking when I say it’s almost too good to be true. Gourmet restaurant-quality: If you’ve ever cooked Indian food at home and felt disappointed that it didn’t taste as good as the restaurant stuff, this recipe will deliver that experience. Perfectly balanced: This tofu tikka masala is a party in your mouth but there’s no single flavor that stands out. Instead, it’s a pure harmony of flavors: tangy, spicy, slightly smoky, citrusy, and buttery. Indian dish, the cooking techniques and flavor layering here give this dish authentic Indian flavors, the kind you’d expect from a really good Indian restaurant or an Indian auntie’s house. For starters, it’s an invented hybrid recipe that’s a plant-based spin on Chicken Tikka Masala. While you might not find chicken tikka masala in India, it’s extremely popular in the West.
I do want to mention that my recipe is not a weeknight, Westernized version of an Indian recipe. That’s because traditional Indian recipes are not quick. They layer so many different spices and flavors, and cooking them together takes time to meld into a harmonious dish that will delight your tastebuds. It’s not as amazing but still pretty dang tasty. How to make tofu tikka masala Make the tofu tikka. Press the tofu for 20ish minutes to drain excess water. How to press tofu: If you have a tofu press, use that.
If not, wrap the tofu in a thin dish towel and weigh it down with a heavy book or a plate weighted down by several cans. Remove the towel after 10 minutes, replace it with a fresh one, and repeat. Make the tofu tikka marinade while the tofu is pressing. Add your whole spices to a warm skillet over medium heat.