This homemade tikka masala sauce is perfect for meal prep and it's so much better than store-bought! Set aside just 30 minutes to make a batch with tomatoes, onions and a few simple spices, then enjoy a restaurant-style tikka masala dish whenever the craving strikes.
A full-flavored tikka masala sauce for meal prep
I love it when I have a jar of this easy tikka masala sauce in my fridge for rushed weeknights. Set aside a few minutes to make it over the weekend, refrigerate or freeze for long-term storage, and you will never have to break a sweat on a rushed night. All you have to do is warm the sauce with your vegetable or protein of choice and dinner is served!
The sauce is full of flavor: it's deliciously complex but mildly spicy and so smooth and creamy. You can use it to make amazing dishes like tofu tikka masala and chickpea tikka masala, or add to it your favorite beans, veggies or seitan.
Indian dishes can be intimidating for a new cook, but this tikka masala sauce is so easy to make, you will amaze yourself! Plus there are so many healthy ingredients in this sauce, including tomatoes, onions, ginger, garlic, cumin and dried fenugreek leaves.
I like adding some dried mushrooms to the sauce because they pack in so much umami and make the sauce even more flavorful, but you can skip them if you want to. The sauce is soy-free and gluten-free. You can substitute pumpkin seeds or melon seeds for the cashews.
Recipe FAQs
Use a high-powered blender to blend up the tikka masala sauce to ensure the whole spices are thoroughly blended. This will give you a very smooth sauce. If you don't have a high-powered blender, blend the sauce as best as you can, then put it through a fine mesh strainer before using.
Warm up half the sauce with any protein of your choice, including tofu, tempeh, beans and lentils. The sauce is already cooked so just warm through before serving. You can thin out the sauce with some stock or water if needed.
A tikka masala is identified with British Indian cuisine, while a makhani, a sauce used in recipes like vegan butter chicken and tofu makhani, is a stalwart of north Indian cuisine. Both tikka masala and makhani have a vibrant, orange sauce and both usually include a protein like chicken, paneer or, in our vegan kitchens, tofu. But a tikka masala sauce would likely include yogurt while a makhani would include butter and cream. A tikka masala sauce usually also has more texture because you don't blend all the onions and tomatoes (although we will blend it all up in our storable, jarred version here).
No. Coconut milk is simply not a good replacement for cashew cream in a tikka masala because its flavor overrides the delicate flavors of this dish. And no, the spices do not mask it. If you can't eat cashews, use pumpkin seeds instead for an authentic flavored tikka masala sauce. To find out more on why coconut milk is not an appropriate replacement for cashew milk in north Indian recipes, please read my post on how to veganize Indian recipes.
Store the tikka masala sauce in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to two weeks. Freeze for up to four months.
Recipe card
Tikka Masala Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 cloves
- 10 green cardamom pods
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 dried red chili peppers
- 1-inch stick cinnamon (broken into smaller pieces)
- 4 tablespoons coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 medium red onions (chopped)
- 1 heaping tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 4 medium tomatoes (diced)
- 2 heaping tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon paprika (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ cup dried mushrooms (optional)
- 2 tablespoon kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
- ¼ cup cashews (soaked for 30 minutes. To make this nut-free, use ¼ cup canned coconut milk, the thick part)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and red chilli peppers. Fry the spices until a couple of shades darker and very aromatic.
- Add the onions to the saucepan and saute until they begin to brown. Stir in the ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute.
- Add the tomatoes to the pot along with tomato paste, turmeric and paprika. Mix well. Cover and cook five minutes over medium heat until the tomatoes are very soft.
- Stir in the optional dried mushrooms at this point, if using. Add a cup of water, bring the sauce to a boil, cover and cook five more minutes.
- Stir in the cashews followed by the kasoori methi and sugar. Add salt to taste. Bring to a boil, simmer for five minutes, then turn off heat. Let the sauce cool.
- Place the sauce in a blender and add a cup of water. Blend into a very smooth paste. Your tikka masala sauce is ready!
Nutrition Information
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Karen Heggs says
Love your recipes Vaishali! Thanks for sharing.
Karen
Fran says
delicious tasty but not too hot
jules v says
yummyyyy recipe, your site is a godsend!
Ettie says
Hi Vaishali,
I love your recipes and have had great successes ....until this one. I know it's my fault. What did I do wrong? I spent an hour trying to pick black bits of cinnamon off chickpeas until I gave up and binned the pot. Maybe I shouldn't have blitzed the cinnamon stick, I'm not sure. As you can see, I'm a novice cook. I'd like to try it again though. I'm usually pretty forgiving with my own cooking but not even I could manage to eat this. What did I miss?
Vaishali says
Hi Ettie, you need to ensure that the paste becomes very smooth and the cinnamon is thoroughly blended into the rest of the ingredients. Use a high powered blender if possible and if the blades are not moving add more water. Also when roasting the ingredients don't let them turn black--when you fry spices they should usually be roasted only to the point where they are a couple of shades darker, if that. Finally, if you still see bits of spices, strain the sauce.
Ettie says
Thank you! I'll give it another spin. Love your site. ❤️
Anonymous says
Regarding Opie your lovely dog. I also am a dog lover. I am also a believer in the Near Death Experiencers. I have come to the conclusion that all living things have souls, but of varying degrees of levels of responsibility. Animals and plants are "hard wired". We are part divine because we are the image and likeness of God. Therefore, we can choose to obey God's laws or not; knowing good from evil. Since all living things have souls, then the bodies die, the souls obviously goes back to God. The Near Death Experiencers state that in heaven all things glow and are beautiful. Those are the souls God put into all those animals and plants. We on the other hand can choose, so we are given your loveliness by our wanting and willingness to love God unconditionally. Therefore, when we leave our bodies and go to God, we will meet all of our family, friends, and animals and plants that we came to know and love. So, since Opie is suffering from arthritis and Opie is suffering from heart disease, I know it will break your heart, I believe it is much kinder to let Opie go to God. You will eventually meet Opie in heaven when you leave this earth. Souls are what causes us to become attached to our loved ones of both animal and human species. That is why we don't love our cars or vacuum cleaners the same way as we love our animal friends, as well as human relatives and friends. The heart can hold many souls and you will make some loving animal from the pound a happier life if you would take on another loved one animal. With God's love and prayers, I hope you will find this helpful. With love, I am Mary C. White (708) 679-0794, marywhite3379@yahoo.com
Mary says
I am so sorry about the loss of your beloved Opie. It looks like he may have suffered from hemangiosarcoma of the heart back in 2015. I lost two dogs to hemangiosarcoma--an insidious form of cancer that mostly goes undetected until it is too late. The first pup I lost within two days of the diagnosis. The cancer had spread everywhere and there was no hope for attempting chemo, surgery or integrated medicine. That said, I learned a lot about hemangiosarcoma so when another pup was diagnosed with it after he collapsed due to a small tumor filling his periocardium with blood. We didn't think he would pull through, but he his spirit was strong and he wasn't ready to go so in addition to chemo, we immediately (he was still in icu) started him on two supplements that I had researched AND the oncology department at Tufts University (and UPENN) highly recommend in conjunction with western modalities. Both are mushroom based...
1) Yunnan Baiyao (which a lot of bigger veterinary hospitals will have on hand, but it is way cheaper to buy it on-line) and 2) I'm Yunity--a supplement researched at UPENN--It is the big gun that helps slow down the cancer's spread. It is expensive, but my pup, who no one thought would live beyond a few days to a week or so, lived another 4 plus months before the cancer overcame him.
Those 4 months were priceless, and he was happy and enjoyed most of that time. (the chemo protocol was very aggressive and he was very sensitive to it so we had to stop the chemo to ensure he had a good quality of life--but a majority of dogs handle chemo with little to no side effects so I always think it is worth pursuing at first.)
Anyway, I'm posting this in 2020, in case you or anyone who happens upon this particular post finds themselves in a similar situation.
Vaishali says
Hi Mary, thanks for your message and for thinking about other pet owners. I miss Opie every day and my heart gets heavy just thinking of him.
Opie did, in fact, take Yunnan Baiyao--he was seeing an acupuncturist for arthritis who recommended it. He was probably quite advanced by the time the vets discovered his problem, and he deteriorated rapidly once they did, but hopefully the supplement gave him some comfort.
Cara says
I also am coming late to this post, but we also had that happen with our dog over 10 years ago. After the initial emergency room visit we were told much the same thing - he probably had a tumor and the build up of blood causes cardiac tamponade. They told us a permanent port of some kind could be inserted in the heart sac to drain the fluid periodically. Our dog was 13 at the time and of course it was expensive, and with risks, and no guarantees of additional time. We chose to just watch him daily and let him enjoy the time he had left as we know our beloved pets are with us for a short time always. I hope time brings you some healing and comfort like it has ours.....
Jeanette says
Hi can you please tell me how much paste to use per 500gm meat or veg. It sounds delicious
Brad H says
Dear Vaishali,
I’m so sorry to hear about the loss of your Opie.
We just lost our beloved Dave, a seven year old Golden Retriever, to liver cancer.
He had a profound impact on our family, especially the Grandkids.
He was a kind, fun, and generous soul....not a mean bone in his body. Loved everyone and was patient with the kids to a fault. We know how hard it can be to lose such a close family member...our pets after all do become family.
I have saved your recipe and plan on making it soon. It sounds delicious ?....can’t wait.
Thank you for your generous time and for sharing such intimate stories of you and your sweet
They do help console us when we too go through such tough times.
Sincere Regards
Brad H.
Vaishali says
Hi Brad, Dave sounds like a very special dog. I truly believe it's hardest to deal with a pet's loss, because they give us the unconditional love that no human can. I do hope that you'll take some comfort in the fact that he had a happy life with you.
jill says
I'm very sorry to hear about Opie. We had a 14 year old German Shepherd, Jazer, who got bone cancer. He also was a one of a kind dog.. very smart indeed... could open doors, even twist handle ones, Understood everything that was going on around him.. if we were going on a holiday and got the caravan out, he would lay next to it, not leaving it, to make sure he wouldn't be left behind. Once he hopped into our bus, hoping to come with us somewhere and I told him, he had better hide if he wanted to come. He immediately squeezed in between the seats out of sight! No lies! He could track me anywhere and I would delight in winding a trail and hiding to watch him follow it right to me. I thought the cancer would just build around the bone, but it ate through it and one day what was left of the bone snapped and left his leg hanging.. he still tried to walk.. it was very distressing indeed. It was a front leg and his hips were already weak, so we had no choice but to put him down. Heart breaking, but we treat our dogs very well indeed.. they have good lives, so we take comfort in knowing that, because of us, he had a full and wonderful life and that's got to be a good thing to know. There are so many dogs that suffer with bad owners. We have a new dog now. A very lovely Staffy X. He is happy and healthy, because we give him a good and happy home. The changes I have made are to cut out all 'dog food' I now feed only real meat, with a portion of organ meat and real bones... none of those manufactured 'treats'. I think the food industry wrecks our health and also our pet's health. I felt that bad food choices might have contributed to Jazer's cancer and want to make sure I do everything in my power to avoid my new dog, Bud, suffering the same fate. Chin up. Sadly they all have to go one day and when that day comes, take comfort in having given him a happy life. I like making my own food from scratch too, so thanks for the recipe... just omitting the sugar, I'm on a ketogenic lifestyle diet... not sure about the tomato paste?.. I'll look into that a bit more.
Vaishali says
Hi Jill, thanks for your message. Opie passed away -- almost three years ago exactly -- but I still think of him every day and miss him terribly. He truly was a one of a kind dog, like your Jazer, and he will forever live in my heart. Your new dog sounds lovely. We have two dogs now, Leo and Lily, both amazing creatures. Good idea to make your own food-- I do that on the weekends and whenever possible. It does give my heart some ease to know they are eating stuff that's actually food as against whatever it is they put in that mystery food we buy off the shelf.
Claude says
Looks good. Possible substitutions would be nice.
Tonya says
Should i use whole cloves and how many?
Vaishali says
Three cloves. Thanks!
d says
The instructions indicate cloves but they are absent from the list of ingredients. What quantity is needed?
Vaishali says
Three cloves!
Carolina says
Vaishali, my best thoughts are sent your way. I have lost beloved animals - and last May, I lost my only child to breast cancer. I can say for sure that while my heart is broken, our love counts and fills me with the knowledge that during her life, she knew she was loved.
Nupur says
I am so sorry about Opie, Vaishali. You all are in my thoughts. One of the best books I read recently is Atul Gawande's Being Mortal, a meditation on medical intervention at the end of life. For an elderly pet suffering, I would be in favor of offering palliative care only. But you will know in your heart what is best for your Opie and I wish you the best.
Ruth Eisenbud says
At risk of wearing out my presence on this blog, I would like to add one more comment... about a good death...
Trouble, named for her ability to get her way, was my 20 year old cat who developed lymphoma... I watched her grow weaker and smaller for months, never knowing if I would find her alive when I returned home from work... I gave her the best of care... lots of kind words and petting, the softest beds and even baby food, which she seemed to be able to eat. It never occurred to me to have her euthanized or to undertake extreme measures to save her. That turned out to be fortunate. One evening when I returned from work... I could not believe my eyes... she was standing right at the front door waiting for me. I picked her up... she meowed and died in my arms. I allowed her the dignity of picking the time of her death... I will never understand how she summoned the strength to make it to the door. She died on her own terms... after she had a chance to say good-bye.
I cried a lot.... but to this day I am grateful for that one last good-bye.
Christa says
XOXOXO
NancyAnnK says
I'm so very sorry to hear about Opie. We lost 2 of our dogs this year; one to old age (severe and crippling arthritis) and one to post-surgical complications. My heart goes out to you.
Ruth Eisenbud says
There is such a dichotomy between how we treat our family pets and shelter dogs/cats...If only we had as much compassion for the 4-5 million often young and healthy dogs killed in shelters every year... at the behest of all the major animal organizations such as HSUS, PETA and ASPCA, who all approve of 'euthanasia' for homeless domestic animals.
Whatever happens to Opie... and I hope it is an outcome that brings you peace.... I would recommend a donation in his honor.. to The No Kill Advocacy Center founded by Nathan Winograd, a Stanford University trained Lawyer, who has devoted his life to saving shelter animals from the policies of the mainstream organizations and the kill shelters of America.
"In the final analysis, animals in shelter are not being killed because there are too many of the, because there are too few homes, or because the public is irresponsible. Animals in shelters are dying for primarily one reason - because people in shelters are killing them..." Nathan Winograd
By the way, the killing of healthy or treatable dogs is against the law in India, where the very compassionate ethic of ahimsa has had some influence on laws to protect animals. It is a terrible reality that a street dog in India has a better chance for rehabilitation and survival than a shelter dog in the USA.
V says
I am so sorry to hear about Opie's health problems. I recently had a sick companion animal as well. I sent you an email with some of the resources I found during our journey.
Berrie says
Vaishali, I am deeply saddened for you and Opie - I know from experience what a horrible choice you face. Personally, I would do anything - spend anything - to save the life of my fur-person (and did!) but at the end of the day, you have to ask yourself whether your loved boy will suffer. Will he be in pain, what will his quality of life be? The answers will tell you what to do, as will your heart. I wish you both love and absent healing.
Richa says
I am so sorry about Opie Vaishali. I don't know what I would do. Sending him and you lots of love and prayers to be able to deal with whatever you both choose.
Ruth Eisenbud says
Why is it that the mischievous ones are the ones we love the most?
A number of years ago on the way into work on a Sunday... I saw a beautiful yellow labrador retriever get escorted out of a dunking donuts... undaunted he crossed the street and went into a pizza bar... again he was escorted out... I called to him... and he came, so I took him into work and called animal control.... I was told that if no one claimed him I could keep him...and I did. The years spent with him were a delight... One day he ran off during a snow storm in a local arboretum... I searched for him for 45 minutes, convinced he was lost... when I spotted him running up and down a hill with children on their sleds... He loved everyone... and became an ambassador of good will in my neighborhood and around town...
I was heartbroken when he was diagnosed with lymphoma... I wish I had let him die naturally... instead I was talked into chemo... which was so toxic.... it was the chemo that killed him. When he died I received flowers, books, donations were made in his name... and some of my neighbors were so distraught they just burst into tears when the tried to say his name - HOMER.
Now I remember all the wonderful and mischievous adventures he took me on... with happiness and can laugh at all the trouble he got me into... He knew what was right, and when he was about to disobey he would turn to me and say sorry... To the day he died he loved donuts and pizza.
Remembering him will always bring joy to my heart...
amarthya says
I'm going to venture into a personal experience about my beloved Leela kitty, also a favorite, favorite -- of everyone! "This Cat!" my vet would say every time we came and the staff would come pet her and say "hi". I could take her places on a leash, strangers would smile and pet her. She was an angel cat born to love. Right in her kitty prime she developed a fibrosarcoma, which was aggressive and had a high morbidity rate. Leela was a special cat so I decided we were going to fight it. We went through cancer treatment and in the process she lived another year and a few months, with 3 surgeries, monthly vet visits, needles and chemo. Maybe it did extend her life, who knows, but the chemo that killed the cancer destroyed her kidneys. After which I had to give her food via a syringe and liquids via I.V. for a month before she died. Up to the point where her kidneys failed, I was positive that i was doing the best thing and happy to do anything I needed to do for my Leela, to help keep her alive... but everything looked very different in hind sight. We probably would have had the same outcome without enduring the whole medical experience (and expense). Not to mention that i struggled with feelings of 'what if' I had made things worse. I also had the persistent feeling that, during it all, Leela did not understand or like what was being done to her. Anything I think about her experience would naturally be a projection of my human mind (and wow, does mankind screw up nature sometimes) but I still wonder what she would wish for herself. Looking forward, if it happened all over, with the prognosis of the disease, I would not go the medical route again. Whatever you decide will be right choice. I would consider medical intervention for my elderly pets solely to alleviate their suffering, nothing more. I think now is the time for super love, exceptional treats and warm fluffy pet beds. May you all find blessings and comfort. May all beings in all the worlds be peaceful and happy.
geetha says
Vaishali,This is very painful.I feel that however awful one feels,one does not want to drag out one's baby's pain and discomfort.You must be very brave and let him go.:(((
Laura says
Please find a homeopathic vet and take Opie to her/him! Homeopathy can work wonders for practically any condition. I wish you all well!
Macrojane says
Vaishali.....this is an incredibly hard decision. We know that to have our animal companions we most likely will outlive them. I had an older dog that I loved and was in a similar situation....older, physical challenges.
Frankly, it was a very difficult decision, but I decided not to,proceed with the invasive surgery and to offer a compassionate solution. The recovery will be extremely difficult whether or not there is a tumor and Opie may suffer further.
joan says
Vaishali, so sorry you are going through this. They are loved so much and are here for such a short time. I have a question for you that may help you make your decision- what will Opie's quality of life be if he does go through the operation and can be repaired? Will what he has to go through be worth it for him?
JN says
Gosh, I can feel the anguish. Have been that road. It is so hard. My advise to you (as he is only 13) is try the Holistic solution. Go to this website. You can call them, email them, they will call you back, email you back with solutions. I know they have helped so many furry babies. I am one of their customers. Please give them a try for Opie's sake.
Thanks for the recipe but I cannot focus as Opie is all I am thinking.
Leslie Grabowski says
Vaishali, my heart aches for you now. Making difficult decisions for our furry family members is always gut-wrenching. In 2013, two of our three dogs died of different cancers. One went through chemo, did well, and then came out of remission. The other one was not a candidate for chemo, which made me feel so powerless.
If it were me, I would make the decision for surgery. And I would do everything possible to help his recovery, which for me means holistic care. Acupuncture, a raw diet, herbs and supplements (coconut oil is fabulous!) all aid in healing and recovery. Acupuncture can also greatly help the arthritis.
I can recommend a great pet acupuncturist who works up in your area. And I'm happy to tell you what I know about supplements and raw diets.
Whatever you decide, please know that we are thinking of you, and of Opie.
ann says
I don't have any wise words or advice to offer you, but I just wanted to say I'm sorry you're going through this with Opie...he sounds like a truly amazing pet, and quite lucky to have you for a family.
Ambika Devi says
Vaishali, I send you love and compassion as you experience this with Opie. We must realize the flesh robe is a borrowed experience and honor the fleeting moments of life as cherished gifts. My prayers are with you. Be grateful for the good and loving energy.
Thank you for all you give to the world.
Love, Ambika Devi. #YoginiYoda