Vegetarian tikka masala is a scrumptious rich bowl of curry with veggies, spices and a rich tikka masala. This vegetarian variation of chicken tikka masala is an absolute delight for vegetarians. You will absolutely love this warm bowl of curry on a weeknight with naan, kulcha or jeera rice. Here is how to make vegetarian tikka masala recipe for you all!
Vegetarian tikka masala is our absolute favorite curry to pair with jeera rice or peas pulao. Though a bit consuming, this curry is worth every minute of yours spent making this. But you can make most prep work ahead and whip up the curry in just 30 minutes!
I love recreating restaurant curries at home. This vegetarian tikka masala, we tasted in a dhaba many years back. The flavor and texture was so good.
It was nothing like the vegetarian tikka masala you get in restaurants with oil oozing all around. This one was loaded with veggies, the sauce was thick and we could get the taste of yogurt and all spices. I got the glimpse of recipe from the chef who was generous to share. Since then I have been making both panner and vegetarian tikka masala with the same base.
This veg curry has been a hit with everyone I served it to. Be it with rice or flatbread this is such a satiating curry. I usually make it moderately spiced and my kid loves it too.
This Vegetarian Tikka Masala Is
Gluten free & you can make it vegan by using dairy free yogurt.
So delicious, flavorful and authentic
Easy to make recipe with simple ingredients
Delight even for meat eaters.
Kid friendly moderately spiced
To make vegetarian tikka masala you start by making a marinade of curd with spiced powders. I usually use homemade hung curd. You can also use Greek yogurt.
How to make hung curd at home for tikka masala?
You can easily make hung curd for veg tikka masala at home. Place a big sieve over a bowl. Over the sieve place a fine cheese cloth. Pour thick curd and let it sit for few minutes for most of the whey to release. Now bring the edges of te cloth together and make a tight knot. You can hand this somewhere or place a heavy object over it for all the whey to drip.
Open the knot and collect the hung curd and use as required. Use hung curd to make tikka masala, paneer tikka, curd sandwich, shrinkand recipes.
What Veggies suit for this tikka masala?
You can add potatoes, carrot, onions, bell peppers, baby corn, cauliflower. You can also throw in paneer, mushrooms or tofu cubes.
Here I have used halved baby potatoes, carrots, onions, peppers and baby corns.
What spice powders do I need for this recipe?
For making any tikka masala you will need Indian spice powders like garam masala powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, ground coriander, amchur or dried mango.
The marinade is also flavored with freshly minced ginger garlic. A bit of gram flour or chickpea flour is added to old up the marinade to the vegetables.
Though the ingredients list looks long, this is a pretty simple recipe and here is a step by step pictorial for you!
How To Make Vegetarian Tikka Masala?
Making the marination
First we will prep the veggies required for tikka masala. Rinse, peel and chop the carrots into batons. Chop peppers, onions and baby corns into cubes.
Rinse and scrub the baby potatoes thoroughly.
Take 4 tablespoons yogurt (vegans use cashew curd) in a bowl. To that add 1/2 teaspoon each garam masala powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder and 2 tablespoons chickpea flour. Also add required salt, 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger-garlic.
Mix very well and add the prepared vegetables. Refrigerate the veggies in marination for 2 hours minimum. You can let it sit overnight.
While making the tikka masla curry
Preheat your oven to the highest temperature (250 C/ 450 F) .
Skewer the marinated vegetables in bamboo or steel skewers. Place them on a baking tray lined with foil and grill in hot oven for 18-22 minutes. The time varies depending on the behavior of your oven. Go by flavor and charred marks on the veggies.
Reserve the remaining marination if any.
While the veggies are getting done, bring a big pot of water to rolling boil.
Add 4 large tomatoes and 15 cashews. Blanch for 3-4 minutes. Drain and peel the tomatoes.
Take the blanched ingredients in a mixer jar. Blend into a very smooth paste.
Next heat 2 tablespoons oil or butter in a pan. Add 1 bay leaf, 2 cloves and 1/2 teaspoon cumin. Saute very well.
Add cubed onions and saute till they turn a bit soft. Add 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger-garlic or ginger garlic paste. Saute very well.
Add the prepared tomato puree and mix well. Saute well till the tomatoes get cooked and fat releases from the sides. Takes around 6-7 minutes in medium flame.
Next add the remaining marination if available. Else just add 1 cup water. Mix well.
Add required salt, 1/2 teaspoon sugar and a pinch of garam masala powder. There is salt already in marination, so add cautiously.
Mix very well and let the tikka sauce simmer for 6-7 minutes or until it thickens.
Once the sauce is thick, add the grilled veggies and toss quickly. Simmer for 2 minutes.
Add kasuri methi and mix well.
Finally add lemon juice and mix well.
Serve vegetarian tikka masala warm with rice or roti.
How to grill the veggies on stove top?
If you don’t want to use oven you can use a cast iron pan and grill the veggies on stove top. Just place the skewers on hot cast iron pan and cook in medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Keep rotating the skewers frequently.
How to make vegan tikka masala?
Just replace curd with any non dairy yogurt to make this recipe vegan.
What To Serve Tikka Masala With?
This delicious veg curries goes wonderfully well with
- butter naan, tandoori roti, paratha
- Peas pulao, corn pulao, jeera rice
- Steamed plain basmati rice.
This curry freezes very well. You can just reheat and serve as required.
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I hope you will try this vegetarian tikka masala recipe and enjoy as much as we did. P
Veg Tikka Masala Recipe
Vegetarian Tikka Masala Recipe
1 CUP = 250 ml
Ingredients
For marinating veggies
- 2 medium carrots peeled and chopped into batons
- 1 bell pepper cubed, any color
- 6 baby corns peeled and chopped
- 15 baby potatoes
- 1 big onion cubed
- 4 tablespoons Fresh thick yogurt Cashew yogurt for vegans
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1/2 teaspoon roasted cumin powder
- 2 tablespoons besan or chickpea flour gram flour
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 2 teaspoons oil
- salt to taste
For making tikka masala
- 4 large tomatoes
- 15 cashews
- 2 tablespoons oil or butter
- 1 big onion cubed
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kasuri methi
Instructions
Making the marination
- Let us prep the veggies required for tikka masala. Rinse, peel , chop the carrots into batons. Cube the peppers, onions and baby corns.
- Rinse and scrub the baby potatoes well.
- Take 4 tablespoons yogurt in a bowl. To that add 1/2 teaspoon each red chili powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder and 2 tablespoons gram flour. Also add 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger-garlic and required salt,
- Mix very well. Add the prepared vegetables. Refrigerate the veggies in marination for 2 hours. You can also leave it overnight in the refrigerator.
While making the tikka masla
- Preheat your oven to the highest temperature (250 C/ 450 F) .
- Skewer the marinated vegetables in bamboo or steel skewers. Place them on a baking tray lined with foil and grill in hot oven for 18-22 minutes. The time varies depending on the behavior of your oven. Go by flavor and charred marks on the veggies.
- Reserve the remaining marination if any.
- While the veggies are getting done, bring a big pot of water to rolling boil.
- Add 4 large tomatoes and 15 cashews. Blanch for 3-4 minutes. Drain and peel the tomatoes.
- Take the blanched ingredients in a mixer jar. Blend into a very smooth paste.
- Next heat 2 tablespoons oil or butter in a pan. Add 1 bay leaf, 2 cloves and 1/2 teaspoon cumin. Saute very well.
- Add cubed onions and saute till they turn a bit soft. Add 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger-garlic or ginger garlic paste. Saute very well.
- Add the prepared tomato puree and mix well. Saute well till the tomatoes get cooked and fat releases from the sides. Takes around 6-7 minutes in medium flame.
- Next add the remaining marination if available. Else just add 1 cup water. Mix well.
- Add required salt, 1/2 teaspoon sugar and a pinch of garam masala powder. There is salt already in marination, so add cautiously.
- Mix very well and let the tikka sauce simmer for 6-7 minutes or until it thickens.
- Once the sauce is thick, add the grilled veggies and toss quickly. Simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add kasuri methi and mix well.
- Finally add lemon juice and mix well.
- Serve warm with rice or roti.
Notes
- Use very thick curd else the spices will not coat the veggies
- You can increase or decrease the amount of spice powders as per taste.
- The recipe can be doubled
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