Make your own homemade tikka masala paste and take your favourite curry to the next level. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten free.
When I first wanted to make my own tikka paste I had a look through some recipes online. And they were all really different!
Not sure where to start I then had a look at the ingredients on a jar of ready made tikka masala paste on a supermarket website.
This recipe is what I came up with. It’s fairly flexible and if you’re struggling to get any of the ingredients - for example the tamarind purée - you can leave it out.
What is tikka paste?
Tikka paste is a blend of spices, tomato purée and oil that's usually used to marinate ingredients before cooking.
In the Indian subcontinent a tikka is usually made from chicken or paneer, which has been marinated in spices, and then cooked in a tandoor.
A tikka paste is often red in colour. I have included an option below to include fresh coriander. If you add this your paste will taste even better - but will be a browner colour.
Leave out the fresh coriander if you want a really red paste.
Is that the same thing as tikka masala?
Not quite. A traditional tikka dish is drier whereas a tikka masala is in a sauce. The origins of tikka masala are unclear but it’s likely that it’s a British Indian creation, with the tikka chicken (or other ingredients) added to a sauce. Some attribute its origins to an Indian restaurant in Glasgow.
Either way it’s one of Britain’s favourite Indian dishes.
It’s pretty easy to buy a jar of ready made curry paste in the supermarket if you want to make your own tikka masala curry. But it always tastes way better to make your own.
What to serve with this curry paste
My favourite vegan tikka masala recipe is cauliflower tikka masala.
To keep it really simple all you need to do is:
- Preheat the oven
- Break your cauliflower into florets and place in a roasting dish
- Add 2 tbsp tikka paste and mix well.
- Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, stir and roast for a further 30 minutes.
If you want to make it into more of a masala dish you can add some tomato sauce and dairy free cream or yoghurt to make it more saucy.
Other delicious vegan tikka masala dishes could be made from:
- chickpeas
- tofu
- aubergine
- potato
Do you need any special equipment for this recipe?
You will need a food processor* or high powered blender* to make this. I find it works best in my blender. If you're going to use a food processor one with a small jug will work best.
If you only have a hand held blender* you can use that but your purée won't be so smooth.
More recipes you might like
- Sri Lankan curry powder
- Fresh tomato curry
- Sweet potato beetroot curry
- Tandoori cauliflower
- One pot potato and chickpea curry
Pin homemade tikka masala paste for later
How to make homemade tikka paste
If you have made this recipe and loved it please consider leaving a comment and rating below.
Homemade tikka paste
Ingredients
- 1 tsp cumin seeds toasted
- 1 tsp coriander seeds toasted
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 inch piece ginger crushed
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or less if preferred
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds or ground fenugreek
- 1 tbsp tamarind puree
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tbsp paprika
- Small bunch fresh coriander* roughly chopped, optional
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- First toast your cumin and coriander seeds. Heat a small frying pan over a medium heat and toast the seeds until starting to smell fragrant. Stir occasionally to stop them from burning.
- Place the toasted seeds with all the ingredients into a blender or food processor with a small jug and process until smooth.
- You will probably need to stop and scrape the sides down at least once.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of weeks or freeze in small portions to use at a later date.
Notes
Nutrition
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