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    Oh My Veggies » Vegetarian Recipes » Vegetarian Main Dishes

    Tikka Masala Tofu and Vegetables By Oh My Veggies.com

    Published: Jul 20, 2017 · by Joanne · Updated: Feb 15, 2021 · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Tikka Masala Vegetables

    I always describe tikka masala as the gateway drug of Indian food. It's rich, creamy, generally not super spicy, and tastes like something you could put over pasta, so people are generally more accepting of it than if you put a bowl of dal in front of them and told them to dig in. If you've never had some of the spices commonly used in Indian food before, they can definitely be overwhelming the first time, but tikka masala does a good job of subduing them and making them palatable to all.

    Tikka Masala Vegetables

    Traditional tikka masalas are made with a spiced tomato-based sauce and some kind of meat that has been marinated in a yogurt sauce overnight. And cream. SO MUCH CREAM. Because of this, it's more of a special occasion food than an everyday one, which is such a bummer when it tastes so good that you crave it all the time!

    Tikka Masala Vegetables

    Good news! This version of tikka masala is heavy on the veggies and light on the cream, with all the same rich flavors of its high-fat counterpart. It's made with crispy baked tofu instead of paneer or meat and is full of zucchini, bell pepper and spinach—so you're sure to get something nutritious in every bite. The heavy cream is cut in half and replaced with plain yogurt, so it still tastes thick, creamy, and indulgent. Be sure not to substitute Greek yogurt instead, though, because it will curdle in the tomato sauce while regular yogurt will not. You could still eat it, but it sure won't look pretty!

    Tikka Masala Vegetables

    Tikka Masala Tofu and Vegetables

    Make a lighter version of an Indian-restaurant favorite with this creamy, tomato-y veggie-and-tofu tikka masala.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Email Recipe
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American, Indian
    Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
    Keyword: Tikka Masala, Tikka Masala recipe, Tikka Masala Tofu and Vegetables
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 339kcal
    Author: Oh My Veggies

    Ingredients

    • 14 ounces extra firm tofu patted dry and cut into ½-inch cubes
    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • 6 garlic cloves minced
    • 1 onion diced
    • ¼ cup tomato paste
    • 6 cardamom pods crushed
    • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
    • 2 zucchini diced
    • 1 red bell pepper seeded and diced
    • 2 teaspoons minced ginger
    • 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
    • 1 teaspoon garam masala
    • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 28 ounces can whole peeled tomatoes
    • 5 ounces baby spinach
    • Salt to taste
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • 1 cup plain yogurt not Greek
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Heat oven to 425°F. Spread the tofu on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 25 minutes or until crispy on the outside and slightly browned. Set aside.
    • Meanwhile, in a large heavy pot over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the garlic, onion, tomato paste, cardamom pods and pepper flakes to the pot. Cook, stirring often, until the tomato paste has darkened and the onion has softened, about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and bell pepper to the pot and saute until starting to soften, about 5-6 minutes. Add the spices to the pot and cook, stirring constantly, until the bottom of the pot begins to brown, about 4 minutes.
    • Add the tomatoes with their juices, crushing the tomatoes with your hands as you add them. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer, stirring frequently and scraping up any brown bits. Cook until sauce thickens, about 8 minutes. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 2-3 minutes.
    • Add in the cream, yogurt, and tofu. Season to taste with salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 15-20 minutes. Serve with rice, barley or quinoa.

    Notes

    Make sure to use regular plain yogurt instead of Greek yogurt, as Greek yogurt will curdle when you add it to the tomatoes and regular plain yogurt will not.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 339kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 11gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 381mgPotassium: 993mgFiber: 5gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 3966IUVitamin C: 62mgCalcium: 201mgIron: 4mg
    Craving more veg-friendly recipes? Shop our collection of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, including our new Vegan Thanksgiving and Vegan Christmas cookbooks!
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    Vegetarian Meal Plan | Corn and Zucchini Galette, Stuffed Miso Eggplant & Skillet Lasagna »

    Vegetarian Main Dishes, Vegetarian Recipes dinner, indian, tofu

    Joanne Bruno from Eats Well With Others

    About Joanne

    Joanne Bruno is the blogger, recipe developer, and photographer behind the mostly ridiculous and always delicious vegetarian food blog Eats Well With Others. She likes her vegetables with a side of cupcakes and takes a highly hyperbolic approach to most things in life.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Vanessa D. says

      July 13, 2015 at 9:04 pm

      I made this for dinner tonight and loved it. It even got a thumbs up from one of my boys who normally prefers meat. (My younger son had already fallen asleep before dinner was ready) It was my first time using cardamom and even just buying it, the package smelled so lovely. This dish has just become a staple in my meal rotation.

      Reply
      • Joanne Bruno says

        July 14, 2015 at 12:00 pm

        Yay! I'm so glad you and your family enjoyed it!!

        Reply
    2. Jennifer @ Delicious says

      July 13, 2015 at 9:41 pm

      I will definitely try this recipe, I love Indian food! I love how the spices turn vegetarian food into a delicious addicting and aromatic dishes. There is no bland or boring vegetarian food when it comes to Indian cooking, that's for sure!

      Reply
      • Joanne Bruno says

        July 14, 2015 at 12:01 pm

        So true. I've never met an Indian vegetarian dish that I didn't love!

        Reply
    3. Anna says

      July 14, 2015 at 7:03 am

      yumm sounds super tasty!!!

      https://aspoonfulofnature.wordpress.com/

      Reply
      • Joanne Bruno says

        July 14, 2015 at 12:01 pm

        Thanks Anna!

        Reply
    4. Emily says

      July 14, 2015 at 9:51 am

      Would this be possible with a non dairy milk?

      Reply
      • Joanne Bruno says

        July 14, 2015 at 12:03 pm

        I would use full fat coconut milk in place of the heavy cream if you want to go the non-dairy route, this way it will still be rich, but also dairy free!

        Reply
        • Emily says

          July 14, 2015 at 1:03 pm

          Thanks so much! Love your blog 🙂

          Reply
    5. Marcia says

      July 14, 2015 at 9:04 pm

      Oh my...this looks and sounds YUMMY, thank you! My question is regarding the cup of heavy cream. Is this cows milk as is the yogurt? What would you suggest for someone who follows a plant-based diet? Would coconut cream/milk be an okay substitute or would it over power the dish? I've got some plain, unsweetened coconut yogurt I can swap out for the cow's milk yogurt so I'm not really worried about that, just the heavy cream.

      Thanks for you assistance. I don't want to ruin the dish by adding the wrong ingredient. I can hardly wait to try it!

      Reply
      • Joanne Bruno says

        July 15, 2015 at 8:35 am

        I did use cow's milk heavy cream, but you can definitely substitute full fat coconut milk for it!

        Reply
        • Marcia says

          July 15, 2015 at 12:25 pm

          Perfect! Thanks so much!!

          Reply
    6. Anastasia says

      July 27, 2015 at 2:35 pm

      This looks amazing! It's definitely going on the meal plan next week and I can't wait :]

      Reply
      • Joanne Bruno says

        August 10, 2015 at 8:21 pm

        Thanks Anastasia! I hope you enjoyed it!

        Reply
    7. shannon says

      August 11, 2015 at 7:08 pm

      Looks tasty! Do you think you could use frozen spinach instead of fresh?

      Reply
      • Joanne Bruno says

        August 14, 2015 at 6:51 am

        I only tried it with fresh spinach, but I don't see why not!

        Reply
    8. Margot says

      August 26, 2016 at 5:23 pm

      Do the whole tomatoes break down or do you need a hand blender?

      Reply
      • Kayla says

        November 23, 2016 at 9:26 am

        I used diced tomatoes from a can and it worked perfectly.

        Reply
    9. Kayla says

      November 23, 2016 at 9:25 am

      Loved it! So far this has been my favorite recipe for using tofu. The only changes i made were to use already diced tomatoes and I added some cauliflower.

      Reply
    10. Verda says

      April 19, 2017 at 8:10 pm

      I just made is tonight and it's so tasty. I was looking for a big pot of something easy but delicious to make ahead to bring to work and this is it. Thank you!

      Reply
    11. phong kham thai ha says

      July 25, 2017 at 10:08 pm

      Woww look delicious. I will definitely eat it. Thank you for sharing!!!

      Reply
    12. Nevena says

      August 01, 2017 at 9:35 am

      Omg, that is amazing! I will try it tonight !

      Reply
    13. Nicole says

      September 26, 2017 at 12:15 am

      This looks great! I think I will add cauliflower too.

      Reply
    14. Cathleen says

      December 24, 2017 at 8:47 pm

      Love it!! I made it tonight for my husband and I. Instead of yogurt I used TJ coconut milk. I also used TJs coconut cream. It was delicious!! Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
      • Katie Trant says

        January 17, 2018 at 8:17 am

        Yum! Thanks for sharing those modifications 🙂

        Reply
    15. Cathleen says

      December 24, 2017 at 8:50 pm

      I forgot to mention I used plain tempeh instead of tofu and roasted it on parchment paper on a baking pan in the oven on 400 for 25 min. It was tasty!!! Thank you so much.

      Reply

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    Nicole is a life long vegetarian and the author of the popular vegan cookbook, Weeknight One Pot Vegan Cooking. She loves sharing her recipes and showing the world just how easy and delicious meatless meals can be!
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