Tofu Tikka Masala No Butter No Cream

More Indian Gravy Recipes

If you love tikka masala recipes, you must try my Indian-Italian Tikka Masala Pasta which has rave reviews. And for all you fish lovers, you must try my dairy-free Salmon Tikka Masala which is incredibly delicious with Jeera Rice. For a fun Indo-Mex twist, try these Paneer Tikka Quesadillas which are amazing with a side of taco sauce. When summer hits, you gotta grill up some paneer, try this flavorful Hariyali Paneer Tikka. The tofu is first marinated and grilled before being added to a creamy tomato-based sauce. For this recipe, I did not blend the gravy as a tikka masala sauce is supposed to be slightly chunky. Give it a try! You won’t regret it.

Rinse the soaked cashews and transfer to a blender with 1/4 cup of water. Add a little more water if needed. (Image 1)
& 3. Blend the cashews and water. I used the Beast Blender which I love. (Images 2 & 3)
Your cashew paste is ready. (Image 4)
Cube the block of tofu into 1-inch cubes. (Image 2)
Marinate Tofu – In a wide dish, prepare the tofu marinade with yogurt, salt, oil, lemon juice, Kashmiri chili powder, dry fenugreek leaves, gram flour (besan), and ginger & garlic paste. (Image 3)
Stir well. Your marinade is ready. (Image 4)
Add cubes of tofu to the marinade. (Image 5)
Gently coat the tofu with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or longer. (Image 6) TIP: I use the Cuisinart Toaster & Airfryer in One. If you have a very powerful air fryer, you may air-fry the tofu at 375 degrees instead of 400 degrees.
You’ll have leftover marinade – SAVE IT! We will add this to the masala later on. (Image 8)
Airfried tofu is ready. (Image 9)
Transfer the tofu to a plate. (Image 10)
Add onions and salt. Saute for 5-7 minutes until browned. (Image 2)
This is what you should have. (Image 3)
Add 1 tablespoon of water to help deglaze the pot. Saute for a minute. (Image 4)
Add slit green chilies and ginger & garlic paste. Saute for a minute. (Image 5) TIP: Use a microblade grater to grate the items for the ginger and garlic paste. This helps create a smooth paste.
Add the ground spices – Kashmiri chili powder (paprika), red chili powder (cayenne), coriander powder, and turmeric powder. Saute for a minute. (Image 6)
This is what you should have. (Image 7)
Immediately add the pureed tomatoes and tomato paste. Season with salt and stir. (Image 8)
Stir well. (Image 10)
Reduce to low heat. Cover and cook the masala for 5 minutes until you have a more paste-like consistency. (Image 11)
This is what you should have. (Image 12)
Add the airfried tofu tikka. Gently stir. (Image 13)
Add the cashew paste. Also, add half a cup of water to your blender to dislodge all the cashew paste. Now add this cashew water to the gravy as well. Gently stir. (Image 14)
Finish with garam masala and dry fenugreek leaves (Kasoori methi). Gently stir. Turn off the stove. (Image 15)
Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves. (Image 16) ✓ Tofu – Use firm tofu and press the tofu to remove the excess water. I highly recommend using a tofu press or wrapping the tofu in a paper towel and placing it between 2 heavy cast iron skillets. ✓ Air-Frying – When air-frying, line the marinated tofu on parchment paper. ✓ Prevent Sticking – If the onion-tomato masala mixture is sticking to your pot at any time, simply add 1 tablespoon of water to deglaze the pot. Do this as needed. ✓ Leftover Marinade – Do not throw out the extra marinade. The marinade will be added to the hot masala mixture slowly to avoid curdling. ✓ Leftover Cashew Paste – To dislodge the leftover cashew paste in the blender, add 1/2 cup of water and swirl the water around. Pour this leftover cashew water over the tofu tikka masala gravy. ✓ Vegan Tofu Tikka Masala – Use nondairy plain yogurt instead of regular yogurt. → Kathi Rolls – Similar to my Paneer Kathi Roll, add tofu tikka masala to roti or paratha along with bell peppers, green chutney, tamarind chutney, and chat masala. → Wraps – Grab a whole-wheat tortilla wrap and add lettuce, tofu tikka masala, your favorite veggies, and chutneys.