This vegan Tikka Masala Pot Pie is stuffed with tofu, mushrooms, carrots, bell peppers and more, all of it in a delicious tikka masala sauce. The crust is wholegrain and low-fat. 
Elegant yet quirky, my Tikka Masala Pot Pie is perfect eats to warm up your tummy on a frigid Fall evening. And I can’t think of a better dish to inject more fun into Thanksgiving dinner.
I love pot pies– what’s not to love about bubbling veggies and a creamy filling encased in crisp, flaky pastry– but sometimes vegan pot pies tend to lack that bit of oomph, that surprisingly great flavor you hope to find once you’ve dug your fork into the pastry. A Tikka Masala, full-bodied and flavorful, takes care of that problem.
For those who don’t know, a Tikka Masala is not actually an Indian creation. This dish, usually made with chicken, was improvised by Indian chefs in Britain and is so popular in that country that a few years back then British foreign secretary Robin Cook called it a “true British national dish.” Pot Pies, which originated as meat pies, are British in origin also which, I guess, makes my seemingly fusion dish truly British too. Who would have thought?
You could make one big pot pie with this recipe for my Tikka Masala Pot Pie, like I did, or divvy it up into eight individual pies before baking. I used a part whole-wheat crust because I wanted to make this healthy enough for everyday eats. For the filling, instead of cream, I used cashew cream, a ton of veggies, and some creamy tofu that I marinated and then crisped to perfection on a skillet.
Here’s the recipe for Tikka Masala Pot Pie. Enjoy!
- FOR THE PASTRY CRUST:
- 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 tbsp vegan "butter" like Earth Balance or transfat-free shortening
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- Ice-cold water
- FOR THE TIKKA MASALA:
- 1 large onion
- 2 medium carrots, finely diced
- 8 ounces of cremini mushrooms (you can use white button or even portobello mushrooms here), finely diced
- 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 large tomato, cubed and pureed
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 3 tsp vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup cashew nuts, soaked in 1 cup of water for about 30 minutes, then blended into a smooth paste
- 1/4 cup chopped coriander
- 1 16- ounce package of extra-firm tofu, swaddled in towels and placed in a colander with a heavy weight, like a pan, on top. Set aside for about 30 minutes until most of the water has been expressed. Then cut the tofu into 6 slices.
- FOR THE TOFU MARINADE:
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne (use paprika for less heat)
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- Juice of half a lemon or lime
- 1 tsp garlic paste
- 1 tsp ginger paste
- Salt to taste
- Place the flours in a bowl and using a fork or a pastry cutter, cut the cold "butter" or shortening into the flour until no large lumps remain.
- Drizzle the ice-cold water into the flour, a little at a time, stirring with the fork until the dough comes together in a ball.
- Divide the dough into two. Using plastic cling wrap, flatten each ball into a disc and wrap tightly. Place in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Mix all the marinade ingredients. Dredge the pieces of tofu in the marinade and set aside for about 15-30 minutes.
- Heat 2 tsp of vegetable oil in a skillet. Place the marinaded tofu slices in a single layer without overcrowding and cook on both sides until the outside is crisp and golden. Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch cubes and set aside.
- You should have some marinade remaining after you have dredged the tofu. Mix in the diced carrots, mushrooms and bell pepper and set aside.
- To make the sauce, heat the remaining teaspoon of vegetable oil in a saucepan.
- Add the onions and saute until golden-brown. Lower the flame, then add the cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and a tablespoon of water. Cook, stirring, for about a minute.
- Add the tomato puree and cook, stirring, until the water has evaporated. Add the marinated vegetables and stir well to coat with all the spices. Add salt to taste, cover, and cook over medium-low flame for about 10 minutes or until the carrots are quite tender.
- Add the tofu and the cashew paste and stir. You want a slightly runny but still thick sauce, the kind you'd need for a chicken pot pie filling. If the mixture is too dry, add some water.
- Check salt and turn off heat. Let the Tofu Tikka Masala stand to cool down.
- To assemble the pot pie, roll out one of the pieces of dough into a round with a diameter that's wide enough to fit into the pie plate with an overlap of about an inch.
- Pour the cooked tikka masala filling into the shell. Roll the remaining piece of dough wide enough to fit over the top of your pie plate with an inch of overhang. Brush the edges of the upper and lower crusts with water and press them together. Tuck the edges underneath and crimp the edge with a fork, if you wish, for a decorative look.
- Make two cuts, about two inches each, in the shape of an X in the center of the top crust.
- Bake the pot pie in a preheated oven set at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 60-70 minutes or until the top is lightly golden brown and the juices bubble through the cuts in the top crust.
- Cool the pot pie on a rack for at least 20 minutes before cutting and serving.
**
More savory vegan pies:
Indian-style vegan meat pies (keema samosa)
Gosh- this is truly a showstopper!
Thanks, Nupur!
Looks wonderful!
Thanks, Ellen!
Oh wow! Desi-videsi… what a wonderful filling.
I always thought that we had to bake the crust and then fill and bake again. maybe that is just for sweet pies.
Manasi, depends on the kind of pie. Some pies– sweet and savory– require the crust to be prebaked if the filling doesn’t need or can’t stand too much time in the oven.
why would you say that Tikka masala is not an Indian dish? It is a Mughlai dish definitely not created by British.
Anon, most theories point to the fact that Chicken Tikka Masala was created by Indian chefs in Great Britain. And yes, it has close links to other Indian chicken dishes, like chicken makhani or butter chicken. Regardless of who created it, the fun is in the fact that it is a delicious dish that anyone can cook and eat just about anywhere in the world.
G’day! Love your recipe, photo, true!
It looks so delicious, I could go for a slice of this right now and is on my list to do! Thank you!
Cheers! Joanne
Vaishali, If I want to replace tofu with additional veggies say peas, do I still need the same quantity of marinade that you have mentioned?
Hi Anon, you want to ensure you have enough filling to fill the pie crust. You can definitely substitute with more veggies– potatoes or sweet potatoes would be great, for instance– and peas are fine too. I would advise using the same amount of marinade because you want all that yummy flavor in your pot pie.
Thats a super indian take… will surely give it a shot.
Brilliant Dish i must say. Funny how you fused Tikka Masala and the Pot pie for a British legacy!! 🙂
Oooh, looks good, I’ll have to try this on the weekend.
Certainly will be a hit this side of the pond- tikka masala was once voted the UK’s favourite takeaway… and thanks for the pastry recipe, too 🙂
Thanks, Sarojini!
Congrats! This recipe has been nominated to win my Inspired Recipe of the Year Award and the prize is quite a treat! The shortlist will be announced on 12/30/2013. Let me know if you have any questions.
Hi, Vaishali,
No such thing as a stupid question, right? Here goes: My Mac seems unable to show the directions beyond step 11, when the filling is cooling. Any suggestions on how I read about assembling and baking?
Best wishes for wonderful cooking, baking, and enjoying in 2014!
And many thanks for the whole blog!
Hi Patsy, It’s I who did the stupid thing– while converting the recipe to the Easyrecipe format I must have dropped the instructions for assembling the pie. Sorry about that, and I have added them back. You should be able to see them now, but if for any reason you don’t, let me know. Thanks for pointing out, and a very happy new year to you!
I’m trying this out tonight. Just popped it in the oven, so fingers crossed! There’s no cilantro/coriander leaves in mine because the recipe never mentions when to add them in the instructions, so I completely forgot it until the lid was on the pie. I’m sure it’ll still be yummy. We may sprinkle some on top of each piece instead.