It’s not your usual tikka Masala – and it’s ready in 45 minutes

With his rich, tangy and luscious tomato sauce, Tikka Masala is a beloved classic of Indian take-out menus, instantly evoking nostalgia for anyone who grew up eating the dish. Although it is most often done with charred chicken or marinated shutter cubes, my recently preferred protein was tofu. Like chicken and paneer, tofu is versatile and easily associates sauces and spices (with the additional advantage of being based on plants), making it an ideal candidate for Tikka Masala treatment. This vegan tofu Tikka Masala is just as rich and tangy as its chicken or paneer counterparts and meets in less than 45 minutes, which makes it as fast – if not faster – as the catches.

The best tofu to use

The extra -fested tofu – in a hurry to expel most of its water content – is my choice here. Just as you charge chicken or shutter for Tikka Masala, I brace of firm tofu and grill it until it is golden brown. With its cream texture, the silk tofu is too delicate to withstand asymmetry and grill without separating. The medium hand tofu, on the other hand, retains a little too much humidity and does not have the creaky chewing that the extra -fond tofu develops when grilled – a texture surprisingly similar to that of Fresh Paneer.

Many tofu recipes call to press the tofu, especially when the objective is a fried and crisp tofu or marks of pronounced grill. Here, however, pressure is not necessary. Like the author of Cooking Books and Expert in Tofu Andrea Nguyen recently explained in a round table with the best food blog, there are many ways to expel the humidity of the tofu. “Just cut the block into pieces, place them on clean dishes and, because you cut the curd, the water will flow from itself in 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the size of the rooms,” she said.

In my recipe, it happens while the marine tofu, so it is not necessary to press it. (The amount of water that the tofu releases in the marinade here is negligible and has no impact on the flavor and texture of the final dish.)

Spice

Just as important as the choice of tofu is to obtain spices and aromatics, because they form the foundation of the dish. To make the base of the sauce, I start by blowing up the onions and the tomato paste until the tomato turns red in brick. Then I add the remaining aromatics: garlic, ginger, chili powder and cumin. While spices flourish in hot oil, they release flavored compounds soluble in fat that infuse curry with earthy and smoked flavor. The delicate ground coriander and the Garam Masala are added last, so that they can flavor the sauce without the risk of cooking and losing their aromas.

Reach coconut milk

Although Tikka Masala traditionally understands dairy products – the protein is often marinated in yogurt and finished sauce with a touch of coconut with thick fat is an excellent creamy stand -in for both. While other options without dairy products, such as oat or almond milk, do not have the projection necessary to balance the acidity of a tomato sauce, coconut milk has the body and the belt of the mouth that makes it ideal for work. Just be sure not to simmer the finished sauce too long after adding the milk, because it can separate and go up to the top.

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