Everyone's favorite Tikka Masala Sauce / Tikka Masala Curry in 30 minutes. Meal prep idea for the week. Throw in some veggies or protein of your choice, yummiest meal is ready. Can be made Vegan. Video recipe.
Tikka Masala Sauce or Tikka Masala Curry is one gravy that almost everyone loves. It's popular across the globe because it's love at first bite. The thick creamy texture, wonderful aroma and flavors from the spices are sure to tantalize your taste buds.
It's been a crazy busy week for me. I leave for Everything Food Conference mid-week and I need to make sure I have some food sorted for Little A and Dr.Mystery. Writing down meals and schedules for Dr.Mystery and meal prepping myself. Although Dr.Mystery is an amazing cook himself, it's going to be a rough week for all of us. So Curry to the rescue, atleast for a couple meals. Curry is a staple for us, be it the 30 minute Indian Masala Curry which is made with cashews or everyones favorite Tikka Masala Sauce / Tikka Masala Curry. This time it was turn for the Tikka Masala (video recipe below).
Remember I mentioned about Soniya and her family visiting NC last weekend. We were trying out Instant Pot recipes and after trying the Instant Pot Vegan Arrabiatta Pasta and Instant Pot Vegetable Quinoa Soup, we made a big batch of Tikka Masala Sauce / Tikka Masala Curry. One because how could we not have a Tikka Masala Sauce / Tikka Masala Curry recipe on the blog and second I am leaving for Everything Food Conference, so it would definitely come handy to Dr.Mystery and Little A.
A perfect curry or sauce to meal prep. A large batch is ready in just 30 minutes. We made this Tikka Masala Sauce in the Instant Pot, but you can make it in a pressure cooker or a saucepan too. Store them in airtight glass containers or zip locks and your done. For lunch/dinner, thaw it and warm it up in a skillet or a grill pan. Toss in your favorite vegetables and grilled protein and Tikka Masala is ready. The grilled veggies and protein is what set this curry apart. You can add more flavors while grilling. Our Tofu Tikkas would be an awesome addition to this curry. Pair it with Rotis/ Parathas (Indian Flatbreads) or Rice and you won't be disappointed at all.
We wanted to test the recipe before it was published on TBRTM and trust me the whole process turned out to be simple and easy. Didn't take up a lot of time also. Since the curry which takes up the majority of the time to cook was already ready, we just grilled some peppers and Tofu and that's it. Our delicious restaurant style homemade Tikka Masala was ready. No added color or preservative, it's made with fresh ingredients. Yum yum!!!
Tikka Masala Sauce / Tikka Masala Curry
Tikka Masala Sauce recipe is a super delicious creamy base for almost anything. Dump in any type of vegetables, paneer, or protein. Make restaurant Style tikka masala Make restaurant-quality tikka masala right at home in the Instant Pot or on the Stove!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 2 onions, chopped
- 1 teaspoon chilly powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder
- 5 tomatoes
- 1/2 cup yogurt / vegan yogurt / coconut milk
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Heat Instant Pot to “Saute.” Add oil, onions. Cook until onions are translucent.
- Add in the spices at this point, chilly powder, cumin powder,coriander powder, kashmiri mirch powder & salt. Cook for another 5 minutes while stirring occasionally.
- Add in the chopped tomatoes and mix well.
- Add in yogurt and cilantro and mix well again. If you don't mix the yogurt instantly, you will see a white granular layer of the yogurt.
- Set Instant Pot to “Pressure” for 10 minutes. Turn valve to Seal. When the timer goes off, turn valve to Vent to Quick release the pressure.
- Keep Instant Pot on Warm Let wilt for 2-3 minutes, stirring as needed to help it along.
- You can either enjoy the thick curry as is or blend it to a smooth consistency in a blender.
- Freezer Meal
- To make ahead or turn into a freezer meal: Make as directed and then pour into a glass jar or glass container. Freeze or refrigerate until ready to eat.
- Thaw it if frozen or warm it up in a sauce pan or grill pan. Toss in veggies and protein (Tofu Tikkas) for your choice.
- Garnish with Cilantro and dig in.
Recommended Products
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Rani Kashmiri Chilli Powder -
Rani Coriander Ground Powder (Indian Dhania) Spice 2.5oz (70g) PET Jar ~ All Natural, Salt-Free | Vegan | No Colors | Gluten Free Ingredients | NON-GMO | Indian Origin
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McCormick Ground Cumin, 14 oz
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Mealthy MultiPot 9-in-1 Programmable Slow and Pressure Cooker
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Instant Pot Ultra 6 Qt 10-in-1
Kara says
Hello, the recipe still states to add it before pressure cooking, so not sure what is correct, I've left it out and just got the burn message, followed the recipe exactly so not sure why this is!
Soniya Saluja says
Hi Kara, if you plan to freeze the sauce you should add the yogurt after. Too bad that you got the burn notice. Did you add enough tomatoes ?
Mon says
I love your recipes. it's so easy to make it. my daughter is in college and being in health care program doesn't get much time. so got her a Instant pot and gave her all you recipes. while she was home for a winter break, showed her how to use it and she got so happy. specially your 5 minute Spanish rice, Baked Ziti and now this Tikka Masala. she is going to love it. i was wondering if you want to convert onions and tomatoes in cup how much would that be? because of the different size of onions and tomatoes?
Also, near future if you can come up with quick and easy healthy vegetarian recipes for college student, that would help our next generation a lot. That way they can learn more about Indian cooking.
Thank You for all your hard work!
Soniya Saluja says
Thank you for the feedback Mon. Appreciate it. We have a lot of easy recipes for beginners that you daughter can refer too under the menu. Look for instant Pot recipes for beginners. As a beginner soups and rice are also very easy to make. Sure we would love to consider your suggestion.
With regards to the sauce you could do with 1 cup chopped onions and 2 cups of chopped tomatoes . Have fun cooking.
See you around
Hilda says
Can I use canned chopped tomatoes and if I can how many cups of them?
Soniya Saluja says
I’d say 2 cups Hilda.
Brenda white says
Could you seal the jars and can them?
Soniya Saluja says
Yes you can. Make sure you don’t add the dairy when canning.
T says
Hello, the tikka masala looks delicious. In the video you add the yogurt after you pressure cook the tomatoes but in your write up you pressure cook the yogurt. Which one is the correct way. I assume the correct way is to add the yogurt after pressure cooking. Let me know, thanks!
Anvita says
Add it after the pressure cooking. I will fix the typo. Thanks
Albert Bevia - Spain on a Fork says
Nothing better than a good tikka masala and this one sound delicious! have fun at the Everything Food Conference
alexei says
Anvita, thanks for the article post.Really thank you! Great.
-Joan Cajic says
I have this on my menu this week and I am going to give it a try looks very delicious.
Anvita says
Joan, did you get around trying it? We love how easy this recipe is and since we make it in a big batch, we can give it minor tweaks and enjoy it several times.
Jennifer Maune (@jennifer_maune) says
This looks so delicious! I am definitely going to have to try this soon!
-Jennifer
https://maunelegacy.com
Anvita says
Thanks Jennifer, there is a reason this is popular across the glob, because it really is delicious.
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife says
This sounds delicious! I love trying out new curry recipes!
Anvita says
Curries are a staple here. Can't imagine a week where we have no curry. Typically it's made in a wok or sauce pan however this version is made in the Instant Pot
Jennifer Penas says
This looks sooo delicious! Thanks for the recipe! I'm going to try it!
Soniya Saluja says
Thnaks Jennifer, do share your experience with us after you give it a try :)
So, I'm a Mom Now... says
I love this recipe! My husband and I both love tikka masala but it is so hard to find a good home recipe. I pinned this to make it for dinner next week.
Soniya Saluja says
Great, you will love this easy recipe !! Just add in your favorite veggies or protein and you are all set!
Crysta Parkinson says
Yum! I definitely need to make this, it will go over really well at my house!
Anvita says
Go for it Crysta. you won't be disappointed at all. One can't go wrong with this. It's easy peasy
Lauren says
Love tofu and Indian sauces! So yummy.
Anvita says
I used to love Paneer, then I figured that my body functions better without the lactose so Tofu it has been.
Alayna says
One of my favorite Indian dishes, but for some reason I have never made it at home. Maybe it's time to give it a try!
Anvita says
Alayna, it's so much better when it's homemade as it's free of colors and preservatives. It's an easy recipe that can be made either in the Instant Pot or Stove Top, you won't be disappointed at all.
cassiect says
I have had tikka masala and my family loves it. I'm excited about the idea of making a big batch, freezing it and having it ready for future meals. Thanks for the recipe!
Anvita says
Thanks Cassie. We love this curry too. Making it in big batches is definitely helpful, specially during weeknights when after swimming classes you want a quick meal. This comes together so easily when you toss in your favorite vegetables and protein.