Anything But Ordinary Tikka Masala Sauce
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 2 cups masala 1x
Ingredients
Scale
- FOR THE TIKKA MASALA PASTE:
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 3 tbsp garam masaala (recipe follows)
- 3” knob ginger, peeled and sliced
- 2 onions, peeled and quartered (I used one red and one white)
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- 1 cup, roughly chopped cilantro
- 1/2 cup mint, roughly chopped
- juice of 1 lemon and zest
- 1/2 cup unsalted almonds
- 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 3 tsp salt
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- FOR THE MASALA SAUCE:
- 2/3 to 1 cup tikka masala paste (less paste to keep it more mild)
- 3 cups milk
- 1/2 cup cream (to make vegan/whole30/paleo compliant, use coconut milk and water to equal 3/12 cups of liquid)
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- 2 tbsp cooking fat such as coconut oil/ghee/vegetable oil
- FOR GARAM MASALA:
- 2 tbsp coriander
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 tsp allspice berries
- 2 tsp whole cloves
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 2 tsp green cardamom pods
- 2-3 black cardamom pods
Instructions
- MAKE THE GARAM MASALA. In a dry pan, over high heat, toast all the spices for the garam masala until fragrant, 2-3 minutes tossing occasionally to prevent burning. Please in a spice grinder or coffee grinder and grind into a fine powder. Store tightly covered at room temperature for up to 1 year.
- TOAST THE ALMONDS AND COCONUT. In the same dry pan, toast the almonds and coconut until the coconut becomes golden brown and releases a nutty fragrance. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
- PUREE ALL TIKKA MASALA INGREDIENTS. Place the toasted almonds, coconut, and all remaining ingredients into a food processor and pulse until you have a mostly smooth paste. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to three weeks and in the freezer for up to six months.
- MAKE THE MASALA SAUCE: Heat cooking fat in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once fat is heated, add 2/3 to a full cup of the tikka masala paste, depending on your spice preference. Saute until the paste is fully cooked and begins to separate from the fat, about 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and let cook for 1-2 minutes. Add milk and cream, or coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add grilled chicken/tofu/paneer if desired*.
- Serve with white rice and/or naan.
Notes
*if adding chicken, marinate cubed chicken in 1/3 cup tikka masala paste for at least 1/2 hour and grill or cook stovetop until chicken is thoroughly cooked.
Find it online: https://mannaandspice.com/bomb-tikka-masala-sauce/