TOFU TIKKA MASALA curry (Vegan/Pressure Cooker/Stove Top methods, with step-wise instructions) - a flavorful and creamy curry with marinated tofu and veggie chunks tossed in a creamy onion-tomato gravy!

This delicious vegan curry is a perfect vessel to dip your favorite breads be it rotis, naan, parathas or even pita bread as also a wonderful side with hot steamed Basmati rice or any favorite rice you like too.

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Although it is super creamy, there is no “cream” in here; just a dash of coconut milk and some cashews to add richness and creaminess/silkiness to the curry!

Totally vegan and made super easy in an Instant Pot/Pressure Cooker or even on a stove top, this dish has become our go to vegan curry with tofu!

The flavors in that gravy as well as the tikka marinade have permeated each pore of those tofu chunks, that my son was like; "cannot believe tofu can be so tasty"!!!

If you do not like or have tofu, you can use paneer (Indian cottage cheese) instead. But then, it does not become vegan.

Normally, most of my culinary dishes end up on the blog a few days or weeks after they are made, but this one is coming to the blog within 2 days on the insistence of my son who has been raving about this tofu curry and nudging me to put it up on the blog ASAP! “The best tofu curry you have made Mom” were his words.

So, here we go foodies…

HOW TO MAKE VEGAN TOFU TIKKA MASALA IN A PRESSURE COOKER:

Traditionally, any tikka masala curry is and can be made on a stove top (and this can be too).

Chunks of vegetables/paneer/chicken/seafood are marinated in a yogurt based spice mix, roasted or shallow fried and then simmered in a smooth, yogurt or cream based onion-tomato-cashew gravy.

To make it quicker, easier and totally vegan, I marinated the tikka ingredients (using tofu here instead of paneer/meat); in a mix of spice powders and lemon juice for an hour before stir frying it in some oil to give it a browned effect!

I then removed and simmered this in a delicious creamy gravy of some aromatics, cashews and spices along with tomatoes made in the same pressure pan (stove top/Instant Pot). A totally one-pot/pan deal going on here!

To add creaminess without using cream, I stirred in a dash of coconut milk. You can omit the coconut milk and it still tastes delicious! Coconut milk adds a mild sweetness to any curry and we love that.

Overall, it turned out amazing and as I mentioned earlier, my son was totally addicted to this curry with the almost bland tofu chunks soaking up all the flavors and becoming super soft and delicious!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE VEGAN PRESSURE COOKER/STOVE TOP TOFU TIKKA MASALA CURRY:

TOFU: To veganize the curry, I used chunks of firm tofu instead of paneer (Indian milk based cottage cheese); the protein element in the curry. I have tried with paneer too and it tastes equally amazing; leaving image below.

VEGETABLES: As tofu and of course the gravy is the star, I have used only chunks of green bell pepper and some cubes of onions in the tikka ingredients to add texture to the smooth, creamy gravy.

FOR THE GRAVY:

Basic aromatics like onions, ginger, garlic along with a dash of green chilies/Serrano pepper to make it more spicy.

Spices: You need some basic spice powders almost everyone has in their pantry; turmeric powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder and Kashmiri red chili powder which actually adds more of a color than heat. I have added a dash of that tangy Indian spice powder called "chaat masala powder" too to give it that oomph taste which we love. But you could use a splash of lemon/lime juice too instead to add that tangy twist to the curry

Tomatoes and lemon juice: the acidity elements in the gravy.

Cashew nuts: sautéed and pureed, this nutritious nut lends itself to the richness and creaminess of the gravy. You can substitute with almonds too.

Optional ingredients are: freshly chopped cilantro and some dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi), some herbs I love to add to my curries which take them to a different level altogether.

WHAT IF I DO NOT HAVE A PRESSURE PAN?

This delicious curry can be made easily on a stove top saucepan too. Just sauté the tikka ingredients in the pan first and set aside.

Then make the gravy in the same pan, add the sautéed tofu/veggies along with coconut milk and simmer away roasted tikka mixture in the gravy. Easy peasy!

CAN I MAKE IT WITH REGULAR CREAM INSTEAD OF COCONUT MILK?

Of course! If you are not vegan, it is best to stir in some thick, heavy cream to the gravy (as much or as little as you need) or totally omit the cream.

And if you do not like or have tofu, cubes of paneer or even chicken or fish can be used to the tikka ingredients.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

Any Indian bread will go wonderfully with this delicious Tofu Tikka Masala Curry, be it naan, rotis, parathas, puris (deep fried whole wheat bread) or even soft pita bread too! Why, you can even enjoy with fresh or toasted slices of plain bread too.

Out of bread? Then serve it with some plain rice or even any pulao or biryani you like.

We enjoyed it the second time with Aloo Parathas (potato stuffed parathas), Aloo Gobi and Smashed Cucumber Schezwan Salad!

This delicious curry can be made ahead, refrigerated for 3-4 days, heated up and served.

It freezes well too.

I hope you make this in your home soon as I am going to soon too! It is that easy to make and super delicious!

Now again, why should you make it? Because.....it is:

Creamy
Delicious
Vegan
Easy to make
Delicious; yes again!
Satisfying
Sumptuous
Can be enjoyed with Indian breads and/or rice

MADE AGAIN USING PANEER (Indian cottage cheese); PANEER TIKKA MASALA:

I substituted the tofu with paneer and added cream at the end. Equally delicious that my family demanded an encore of the dish; with either paneer or tofu!

Enjoy Foodies and Happy Cooking!

Want more vegan Indian inspired pressure cooker curries? Here you go:

If you try this recipe, do let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag your food photo #curryandvanilla16 or tag me @curryandvanilla16 on Instagram.

Tofu Tikka Masala Curry (Vegan/Instant Pot/Stove Top)

A flavorful and creamy, pressure cooked vegan curry with marinated tofu and veggie chunks tossed in a creamy onion-tomato gravy! Goes great with any Indian bread and/or rice!

Course Brunch, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Indian, North Indian

Keyword tikka, tofu, Vegan

Author Vanitha

Ingredients

1 packet (14 oz/396gm) Firm Tofu
1 cup cubed onions
1 cup cubed green bell peppers

FOR THE TOFU TIKKA MARINADE:

1 tbsp ginger
1 tbsp garlic
½ tsp haldi/turmeric powder
½ tsp black pepper powder
2 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder it is mild; or use 1 tsp cayenne pepper powder
1 tsp garam masala powder I used MDH brand Kitchen King Masala; you can use your own favorite
2 tbsp lemon/lime juice
½ tsp salt or more if needed

FOR THE SAUCE:

3 tbsp neutral oil
1 cup chopped onions
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp grated garlic
½ Serrano pepper/green chilis sliced (optional)
2 cups chopped tomatoes
12 to 15 cashews
½ tsp haldi/ground turmeric powder
¼ tsp black pepper powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
Salt to taste
¼ cup coconut milk
½ cup water or as needed
1/2 tsp chaat masala powder (optional)
1 tbsp crushed kasoori methi/dried fenugreek leaves (optional)

FOR GARNISH:

Freshly chopped cilantro/coriander leaves

Instructions

PREPARING THE TOFU TIKKA MIXTURE:

Drain the tofu from its package, blot excess moisture with a paper towel and cube tofu into large chunks or cubes.
To marinate tofu tikka mixture, firstly, in a small mixing bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients and mix well.
To this, add the cubed tofu, onions and bell peppers.
Toss gently, cover and set aside for a minimum of 30 to 40 minutes or even overnight for the tofu to drink in all the flavors of the spices!
Meanwhile, prep the other ingredients: chop onions and tomatoes; grate ginger and garlic.

TO MAKE THE TOFU TIKKA MASALA:

Press the sauté button on the Instant Pot.
Once “hot”, add 2 tbsp oil; stir in the marinated tofu tikka mixture.
Gently sauté and brown lightly, tossing often, making sure to remove any browned ingredients sticking to bottom of pan in between. Be gentle so as to not break the tofu cubes apart.
When the veggies and tofu are slightly roasted, remove using a slotted spoon onto a plate. Set aside.
Add 1 more tablespoon of oil to the pan.
Stir in chopped onions, chopped serrano and grated ginger and garlic.
Sauté for a couple of minutes until the onions turn soft, making sure to deglaze the pan by rubbing it with the spatula to remove any browned mixture sticking to bottom of pan.
Tip in the chopped tomatoes, a dash of salt and all the spices under sauce ingredients.
You can add cashews too at this stage. I have added whole, but you could add chopped too.
Sauté until the tomatoes turn soft and almost cooked.
Stir in ½ cup water and mix well.
Close the Instant Pot. Cancel sauté button and pressure cook on high for 4 minutes.
Now, either puree this cooked tomato-onion mixture in the pot itself using an immersion blender (if it is powerful enough) or remove and make a fine puree in a blender jar, taking care to cool a bit.
Once blended until smooth, return to the inner pot of Instant Pot.
Press the sauté button again and add ½ cup water, tofu tikka mixture, ¼ cup coconut milk and salt to taste.
Mix well and bring to a boil and then simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
If making on stove top, sauté the tofu mixture, remove and set aside.
Then make the masala in the same pan, puree and then return the puree to the same pan.
Add some water along with the tofu tikka mixture. Gently mix so as not to break the tofu chunks.
Add coconut milk (or cream), bring to a gentle simmer.
Once the mixture comes to a simmer, add ½ tsp of chaat masala (or you could use amchur powder/dry mango powder) for added oomph in gravy as we love the flavor of this tangy Indian spice powder.
Adding a splash of lemon juice would do too instead.
I have stirred in some dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) too. This is again optional.
Mix well and adjust consistency of gravy according to your preference.
Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with your bread of choice like naan, rotis, parathas or even fresh pita bread too!
We enjoyed this delicious Vegan Tofu Tikka Masala Curry with wedges of soft pita bread and a quick Pressure Cooker Vegetable Pulao I had made.
Enjoy Foodies and Happy Cooking/Eating!

Recipe Notes

Adjust the amount of spices according to personal preference.
Same recipe can be made using paneer and substituting cream for coconut milk.
To avoid the tofu mixture from sticking to pan in Instant Pot, you can do the sautéing of tofu mixture in a separate pan on stove top.
Instead of fresh tomatoes, you can use canned diced tomatoes too.
I have used a 6qt Instant Pot Duo60 pressure cooker.

Step-wise Instructions to make Vegan Tofu Tikka Masala Curry in Pressure Cooker:

PREPARING THE TOFU TIKKA MIXTURE:

Drain the tofu from its package, blot excess moisture with a paper towel and cube tofu into large chunks or cubes.

To marinate tofu tikka mixture, firstly, in a small mixing bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients and mix well.

To this, add the cubed tofu, onions and bell peppers.

Toss gently, cover and set aside for 30 to 40 minutes. You can even marinate overnight! The longer it marinates, the better it tastes.

Meanwhile, prep the other ingredients: chop onions and tomatoes; grate ginger and garlic.

TO MAKE THE TOFU TIKKAS:

Press the sauté button on the Instant Pot.

Once it shows “hot”, add 2 tbsp. oil and when hot, stir in the marinated tofu tikka mixture.

Gently sauté and brown lightly, tossing often, making sure to remove any browned ingredients sticking to bottom of pan in between. Be gentle so as to not break the tofu cubes apart.

This step can be done on a stove top if needed.

When the veggies and tofu are slightly roasted, remove using a slotted spoon onto a plate.

Add 1 more tablespoon of oil to the pan.

Stir in chopped onions, chopped Serrano/green chili and grated ginger and garlic.

Sauté for a couple of minutes until the onions turn soft, making sure to deglaze the pan by rubbing it with the spatula to remove any browned mixture sticking to bottom of pan.

Tip in the chopped tomatoes, a dash of salt and all the spices under sauce ingredients.

Saute until the tomatoes turn soft and almost cooked.

You can add cashews too at this stage. I have added whole, but you could add chopped too.

Stir in ½ cup water and mix well.

Close the Instant Pot. Cancel sauté button and pressure cook on high for 4 minutes.

After 4 minutes, manually release pressure and then open the pot.

Now, either puree this cooked tomato-onion mixture in the pot itself using an immersion blender (if it is powerful enough) or remove and make a fine puree in a blender jar, taking care to cool a bit.

Once blended until smooth, return to the inner pot of Instant Pot.

Press the saute button again and add ½ cup water, tofu tikka mixture, ¼ cup coconut milk and salt to taste.

Mix well and bring to a boil and then simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.

I have added ½ tsp of chaat masala (or you could use amchur powder/dry mango powder) for added oomph in gravy as we love the flavor of this tangy Indian spice powder. Adding a splash of lemon juice would do too instead.

I have stirred in some dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) too. This is again optional.