Tofu Tikka Masala with Coconut-Lime Basmati Rice and Homemade Naan is an amazing dish that my son absolutely loves.
My son is vegetarian, and I often want to find things to cook for him that aren’t just pre-packaged foods or simple salads. So I started looking at my recipes and thinking about what could translate most easily from carnivore to vegetarian. I began with my chicken tikka masala recipe. I theorized that replacing the chicken 1:1 with chunks of tofu would turn out perfectly, and to my surprise it did! The texture and flavor of the tofu is wonderful. The spice profile of the tikka masala dish remains excellent.
A few tips that will give you outstanding results:
- Marinating this overnight will help those beautiful flavors really penetrate the tofu.
- Don’t skip the garlic cilantro butter! Your naan will thank you.
- When browning the tofu, be sure not to crowd the pan. Do it in as many batches as you need to ensure you get a good sear on your tofu. Too many pieces will mean too much liquid in the pan and they’ll end up boiling instead.
Ingredients
To marinate the tofu:
- •237 ml (1 cup) plain Greek yogurt
- •Juice of 1 lemon
- •6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- •30 ml (2 tablespoons) freshly grated ginger
- •10 ml (2 teaspoons) garam masala
- •2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) hot curry powder, or to taste
- •2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) sea salt, or to taste
- •454 grams (1 pound) extra-firm tofu
For the garlic-cilantro butter:
- •113 grams (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
- •8 cloves of garlic, minced
- •60 ml (1/4 cup) finely chopped cilantro
- •Salt and pepper, to taste
For the naan:
- •118 ml (1/2 cup) plain Greek yogurt
- •60 ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
- •1 large egg
- •30 ml (2 tablespoons) white sugar
- •15 ml (1 tablespoon) dry yeast
- •360 grams (3 cups) all-purpose flour
- •5 ml (1 teaspoon) salt
- •2.5 ml (1/2 teaspoon) baking powder
For the sauce:
- •30 ml (2 tablespoons) ghee or unsalted butter
- •60 ml (1/4 cup) semi-dry or dry white wine
- •2 red onions, finely diced
- •6 cloves garlic, grated or minced
- •30 ml (2 tablespoons) freshly grated ginger
- •5 ml (1 teaspoon) turmeric
- •5 ml (1 teaspoon) ground coriander
- •7.5 ml (1 1/2 teaspoons) ground cumin
- •7.5 ml (1 1/2 teaspoons) garam masala
- •5 ml (1 teaspoon) chipotle chili powder, or to taste
- •473 ml (2 cups) tomato sauce
- •237 ml (1 cup) heavy cream
- •Hot curry powder, to taste
- •Sea salt, to taste
- •Cracked black pepper, to taste
- •Cilantro leaves, for garnish
For the coconut-lime basmati rice:
- •473 ml (2 cups) basmati rice, rinsed
- •177 ml (12 ounce) can coconut milk
- •Juice of 2 limes
- •5 ml (1 teaspoon) white sugar
- •5 ml (1 teaspoon) hot curry, or to taste
- •Sea salt, as needed
- •30 ml (2 tablespoons) finely chopped cilantro leaves
Preparation
- To marinate the tofu: In a large mixing bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients except the tofu; stir well. Slice the tofu into even-sized slabs and layer between paper towels. Squeeze or apply pressure to extract moisture. Cut the tofu into 1.3 cm (1/2 inch) chunks and add to the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or up to overnight.
For the garlic-cilantro butter: In a small mixing bowl, combine the butter, garlic, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Mix together until well-combined. Transfer to a small covered container, and refrigerate until needed.
For the naan: In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, olive oil, egg, sugar, and 118 ml (1/2 cup) warm water. Add the yeast and set aside to proof for about 5 minutes. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, salt, and baking powder. Once the wet mixture is proofed, combine it with the flour mixture and mix just until combined into a dough; it should be tacky but not sticky. Do not knead it.
Coat the inside of a large bowl with a light bit of olive oil or olive oil spray. Place the dough inside, cover with a damp towel, and let it rise until doubled, about 90 minutes.
Tip the dough out onto a floured work surface. Shape it into a long rectangle around 61 cm (24 inches) long, 8-10 cm (3- 4 inches) wide and between .6-1 cm (¼-½ inch) thick. Using a knife or pastry cutter, cut the rectangle in half lengthwise, then cut each half into six equal portions. Coat the dough chunks in a light coating of flour to prevent sticking.
Place a large cast iron or nonstick skillet over mid-high heat until it gets very hot. Roll out the dough chunks to about .3 cm (1/8 inch) thickness. Pass it back and forth in your hands to knock off any excess flour. Place into the skillet and cook for 60-90 seconds per side or until it has browned and blistered. Once off the heat, immediately brush it with garlic cilantro butter. Keep them in the oven at 93°C (200°F) to keep them warm until ready to eat.
For the sauce: Transfer the tofu from the marinade to a baking tray or platter lined with paper towels. Pat dry to remove excess marinade. Bring a large skillet to mid-high heat and add ghee or butter. Once it has melted, add tofu in batches being sure not to crowd the pan. Cook until nicely browned, 2-3 minutes per side, and transfer to a plate or bowl.
Add white wine to pan and reduce heat. Deglaze the pan, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan well. Add onions and some hot curry sea salt, stirring the onions are translucent and soft, 5-7 minutes. Make a clearing in the middle of the skillet and add ginger and garlic. Saute for 30 seconds. Make another clearing and add turmeric, coriander, cumin, and garam masala. Saute another 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce, chili powder, salt, and cracked black pepper. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the tomato sauce thickens and begins turning a deep reddish brown, 15-20 minutes. Add the tofu and heavy cream and stir to combine. Cook for another 10 minutes until mixture is a burnt orange color and the sauce has thickened.
To make the rice, combine all ingredients in a large pot with 414 ml (1-3/4 cup) water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until the liquid is absorbed, 12-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Remove the cover and fluff with a fork.
To serve, on each plate, mound rice and top with tofu and sauce. Garnish with cilantro. Spread naan with garlic-cilantro butter and add a piece to the plate.