This Tempeh Tikka Masala is vegan, has kale, and packs a complex flavor. Tempeh is cooked with Indian spices, then toasted to make tikka then added to Tikka Masala sauce Jump to Recipe
This creamy masala curry, is a perfect addition to a cozy dinner, served hot with Indian Naan Bread or Basmati Rice. Depending on your spice preference, reduce the heat (cayenne, hot green chile) and serve it with Naan bread or Rice or over cooked Quinoa. Tikka Masala, butter masala , Makhani are curries often used interchangeably in restaurants. These are not totally authentic to Indian cuisine. The origins of the tikka masala stem from butter masala/makhani versions from Punjab, North India and Pakistan. Meat Tikka masalas or Paneer(cottage Cheese) Tikka masala are a staple in most restaurants now.
The base curry is very similar. Makhani or butter masala. is usually the creamier version with more butter and fresh cream or cashew paste.
Tikka Masala. is the tangyier version with more tomatoes/tomato paste. The curry is glutenfree. To make soy free, use seitan or cubed soy free patties or chunky veggies.
There is no standard recipe for the Tikka Masala. Many restaurants have their own versions. This is the way I usually make it. This one is adapted from my Mom’s version, my own taste preferences and a few elements incorporated from other chef’s versions seen over the years. Kale or your choice of greens add some more nutritional punch to this curry. This is one of the longer recipes, but that flavor play with each bite is worth the effort! You can change it up for several variations.
Add whole roasted cashews an raisins with veggies to make Korma.
Add some mango puree to the curry for a sweet and spicy mango curry.
Variations: Make this tikka masala sauce and add whatever veggies or beans or chickpeas when you add non dairy yogurt, and simmer until the veggies are tender. You can also freeze the sauce. Make the sauce, add non dairy yogurt at step 6 (dont add the non dairy milk) and simmer for a few minutes to thicken. cool and freeze. Thaw, add non dairy milk as needed and simmer with the veggies, tofu, chickpeas, beans, lentils etc or whatever you want to make the tikka masala of.
Get this popular recipe also in my cookbook! Available Internationally May 19, 2015!
Tempeh Tikka Masala with Kale. Vegan Glutenfree
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
1 hr
This Tempeh Tikka Masala is vegan, has kale, and packs a complex flavor. Tempeh is cooked with Indian spices, then toasted to make tikka then added to Tikka Masala sauce
Course: Main
Cuisine: Indian, Vegan
Keyword: vegan tikka masala, vegan tikka masala sauce
Servings: 2
Calories: 226 kcal
Ingredients
Tempeh Tikka marinade:
- 4 oz Tempeh cut into small cubes about 3/4 cup (ensure tempeh is gluten-free if necessary)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder or cayenne
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tsp nondairy yogurt
Tikka Masala Sauce:
- 2 teaspoons organic canola oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika or Kashmiri mirch
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- a generous pinch of asafoetida hing - optional - omit to make gf
- 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves methi
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 medium onion chopped small 1/2 cup
- 1/2 cup packed finely chopped Kale leaves or greens of choice
- 3 medium tomatoes chopped
- 1 inch ginger
- 5-6 cloves of garlic
- 1 green chili or to taste
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 teaspoon raw sugar
- 3 tbsp plain unsweetened non dairy yogurt
- 1/4 cup or more nondairy milk such as almond milk
Instructions
Tempeh Tikka:
- Mix all the ingredients of the marinade and add Tempeh. Let sit for 5 mins (optional)
- Transfer to a pan and cook the mixture over low-medium heat, partially covered for 15 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed by the tempeh.
- Once the tempeh is dry, add a teaspoon of oil and toss on medium for 2-3 minutes, until the edges of the tempeh become golden. Take off heat and keep aside.
Tikka Masala Sauce:
- Meanwhile, in a deep medium pan, add 2 teaspoons oil and heat over medium.
- Add the onion and cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally till it becomes translucent and golden.
- Blend the tomatoes, ginger, garlic and chili into a smooth puree and set aside.
- Add the spices (turmeric, coriander powder, hing, garam masala, paprika and fenugreek leaves) to the onions, and mix well. Add Kale, mix and cook for another minute.
- Add the tomato puree to the onion mixture and cook over low-medium heat for 15-20 minutes stirring occasionally, until the mix thickens, comes together and leaves oil on the sides.
- Add the crisp tempeh, and non dairy yogurt, salt and sugar and mix well.Taste and adjust spices, salt.
- Add almond milk to get the curry consistency you like. Mix well and bring to a boil on low medium heat.
- Take off heat, serve hot topped with fresh chopped cilantro, with Indian flat breads (Roti/Naan) or Basmati rice.
Recipe Notes
Make this tikka masala sauce and add whatever veggies or beans or chickpeas when you add non dairy yogurt, and simmer until the veggies are tender.
You can also freeze the sauce. Make the sauce, add non dairy yogurt at step 6 (dont add the non dairy milk) and simmer for a few minutes to thicken. cool and freeze. Thaw, add non dairy milk as needed and simmer with the veggies, tofu, chickpeas, beans, lentils etc or whatever you want to make the tikka masala of.
Nutritional values based on one serving
Nutrition Facts
Tempeh Tikka Masala with Kale. Vegan Glutenfree
Amount Per Serving
Calories 226 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 15%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Sodium 440mg 18%
Potassium 764mg 22%
Total Carbohydrates 24g 8%
Dietary Fiber 4g 16%
Sugars 9g
Protein 12g 24%
Vitamin A 73.1%
Vitamin C 67.9%
Calcium 18.4%
Iron 12.4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Wow. It looks so creamy and delicious! I have to make this recipe…looks divine !
Thanks Lysa! Let me know when you do!
this is so mouthwatering dish. lovely
Thank you!:)
looks tempting..
another amazing curry recipe from my dear richa. it looks saucy and comforting, and i’m sure those spices work perfectly together. i could go for a big bowl of this right now 🙂
ps- i’m gonna vote now 😉
Thank you Caitlin!:) Those spices do work the magic. I need those votes for sure!:)) xoxo
mmmmmmmmm it’s been so long since I’ve had tempeh! Even though I had curry last night, this recipe is totally tempting me for more 🙂
Thanks Char! You should give this one a try! this is one fantastic tikka masala:)
that looks so delicious! i love curries!! and your photography is fantastic! thanks for the yummy recipe! can’t wait to try!
This looks so comforting and delicious. I love tikka masala and have yet to try it vegan…will have to do soon!
the curry base is similar for so many dishes. You can try this and then change it up a bit for lots of variations:)
Oh wow, this looks absolutely breathtaking. I always wanted to try tempeh in an Indian dish. I am so making this and let you know how it turned out.
Thanks Mihl, Do let me know for sure. Please do adjust the spice to your preference:)
We made this and it was really, really delicious! So fresh. Definitely going to make it again.
Awesome!! Thanks for trying it out and liking it Mihl! hope it wasnt too spicy for you:) send me some pictures next time you make some:))
yum, looks so nice and creamy
Thanks Deeps. It is! without any cream;)
Mmm I tried my hand at tikka masala for Mother’s day and was pretty happy with the results. I think I just used too much fennel and cardamom so I’ll have to give it another shot. I love that you used tempeh, I totally should have done that.
Nice! i love tempeh in the Curries, since it appeals to the meal eaters as well as the paneer eaters:) I usually use my mum’s Garam masala(which reminds me i should out that recipe up) and that has just a little bit of cardamom and fennel. Those are really bold flavors and overshadow everything else really easily.
Wow this looks delicious!
Thanks!
OMG that video of the little corgi was hilarious – totally made my day.
mmmm I am in need of a good curry fix – can you fly over to my house and whip this up for me? 6pm would be good, see you then!
i know. that cute little tapper!:) i bet he is getting fat with all the requests for more tapping videos:)
i think i should start shipping frozen curries;)
This dish positively makes my mouth water! I love the actual serving vessel, too. Those things are so hard to find around here… I’ve still been voting for only your recipes, every single day, by the way!
Thank you so much for the votes Hannah! You are the sweetest! Tight hugs!:)
You can find these in an indian store or costplus world market if there is one near you.
Looks delicious, thanks and good luck with the votes.
You are welcome to join in my monthly food blogger event THE SOUP KITCHEN, here offering a new theme each month. All bloggers are welcome, hope to see you participate soon.
Thanks Debs. I will drop by to participate!
You have been torturing me ALL week with this picture–FINALLY!! The recipe, I can hardly contain myself. I already pinned this bad boy and he will be on the dinner list this coming week. I cannot wait!!! xo
girl, the recipe was already on the so delicious page 😛
let me know when you do make it and try not to eat the plate and spoo n;)
This looks absolutely superb! I’m going to make it and will report back. Thank you!
Thanks Celyn. I would love to hear how it turned out!
this sounds amazing! I love tempeh and anything Indian – it’s the perfect combo. Can’t wait to try this out!
Thanks Laura! you wont be disappointed!
Richa this looks just to die for! How do you even come up wit these recipes…..I would give anything to have this served to me. Indian is our favorite in this house…wow!
Thanks Shira! i dont hink i have to say that india is a staple in our houese.. including restaurant style stuff once in a while!
this sounds incredible, Richa! bookmarked for sure, I’ll be making this!
thank you again for hosting such a wonderful event. congrats on raising a good amount for a good cause. every time I see that cow photo, it tugs at my heart. XXO
Thanks Kristina! It wouldnt have been possible without the support of you all. That calf is now all grown up and super happy! VSPCA now has a bigger farm to accomodate more cows and calfs, it feels good to see these calm and sweet creatures happy out there.
This looks SO good!! Such a pretty dish, and all of those flavors sound amazing! I’ve never cooked tempeh before, something new for me to try!
You can add Tofu or veggies too to the curry. The curry is very versatile!
I love that dancing Corgi video- it gets me everytime. I’ve been voting for this dish on So Delicious, but I haven’t checked out the actual post until now! This looks so incredible- you are such a talented lady, Richa!
i know.. he is like one happy tappy corgi. Than you for the votes Kristy!xoxo 🙂 We make this often, its just plated and pictures well this time 😉
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This looks great! Thanks for sharing!
if only i could get tempeh here. the tofu is so bad here. so i have no vegan alternatives and the hubby likes this with paneer.
Dassana, you can make small cubes cutlets with other beans an try 🙂
I googled tempeh and kale and came upon this recipe. I cannot tell you how delicious this is! Even my husband – a true meatatarian – went back for seconds. And my oldest daughter who hates all veggies – loved it. Everyone said that this had to stay in the rotation. So glad I found your blog – eager to try many other recipes!
Thank you so much for the comment Meg:) It definitely makes my day when someone tries and loves a recipe! That is awesome that it got a thumbs up from the meatatarian too!:) Do keep dropping by and let me know about anything you try!
i’m gonna make this sometime in the next few days, but i have a few questions first:
– do you pre-boil your tempeh to get rid of the bitterness? or are the flavours of the sauce strong enough to cancel it out? (although i guess some people like the bitterness)
– i couldn’t find asafoetida – my regular grocery store is normally pretty good for spices/herbs i’ve never encountered, but not this one. i looked up subs – is an equivalent amount of garlic and onion powders a suitable replacement?
– i only have fenugreek seeds and ground fenugreek, couldn’t find the leaves, will either of these do?
thanks!
Hi!
– the tempeh doesnt taste bitter when cooked in the broth with the spices. if you are worried about it still being bitter, you can steam it for 10 minutes and then cook in the spices and water broth.
– you can skip asafoetida altogether, there is already enough onion and garlic taste going on. 🙂
– you can use the seed powder, but use very little, probably just about 1/8 teaspoon.
So let me know how it turns out!:)
this was delicious!! you were right that the bitterness gets simmered out with the broth. the only thing i did differently was make greens the center of the recipe – i used a big bunch of swiss chard instead of just the 1/2 c of kale, it was really hearty and tasty. good standby recipe for the coming winter months!
(why does vegan yoghurt always smell so gross?? it’s a great addition to this recipe, and luckily you can’t smell it in the sauce, but i seriously feel nauseous when i first get a whiff of it!)
yay! awesome that you liked it! i dont know about all yogurts:) the coconut milk one smells decent to me 🙂 you can replace it with more cashew cream and some vinegar or some vegenaise.
Hi!
– the tempeh doesnt taste bitter when cooked in the broth with the spices. if you are worried about it still being bitter, you can steam it for 10 minutes and then cook in the spices and water broth.
– you can skip asafoetida altogether, there is already enough onion and garlic taste going on. 🙂
– you can use the seed powder, but use very little, probably just about 1/8 teaspoon.
So let me know how it turns out!:)
I’ve made this several times and every time its so delicious! I use gardein chick’n strips instead of tempeh:) sooo good
Aloha Richa! Is this recipe no longer available? It seems to point out that it’s only in the book? Thank you!
yes, it is publisher requirement unfortunately. The recipe will be back in a month. The digital version of my book is on sale right now for just 5.99 , for 150 recipes! thats a deal I say 🙂 http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Richas-Indian-Kitchen-Traditional/dp/1941252095/
Is there a way to substitute yogurt in this recipe? I can’t have dairy or coconut and all other yogurts are too hard to find!
how about almond yogurt. Maybe make some at home? There is a recipe to make almond milk, soy milk or cashew milk yogurt in my cookbook. Anything else doesnt taste the same. you can try it with cashew cream.
OK will look that up. Thank you. I guess it’s time I find a way to replace yogurt!
there are several brands like so delicious, kite hill, almond dream that have almond milk based yogurts that taste so much like regular yogurt. or once you start making some at home, its just like making dairy yogurt with a few tricks, then you can have fresh yogurt supply everyday to serve however, as is, as raita or use in recipes.
Hi! I made this today and its so delicious! I am having problems getting my tempeh crispy, it tends to just fall apart and get mushy. What am I doing wrong? I love you cookbook!!
Awesome! Its probably the brand or this particular batch of tempeh. 3 grain tempeh can sometimes become crumbly on cooking for a long time, while just soy tempeh is generally sturdy. Try a different brand/type and chop into larger pieces. Once steamed, you can crisp it in a bit of oil before adding to the sauce.
Hi, this recipe looks fab. Howeverm I cannot find tempeh where I live the UK. Can you suggest any meat type texture subtitution or is tempeh something I can make myself?
Also, I am considering purchasing your new cookbook. I avoid coconut oil/milk and cream. Does the book contain a lot of coconut? Finally, in the recipes that do contain coconut do you give alternative substitutions that work and have been tried and tested?
Best of luck with your new book, it looks amazing.
Thanks.
How about soy curls or seitan?
No the book doesnt use too much coconut. Often the coconut milk can be subbed by any other non dairy milk. In Some of the recipes that use shredded coconut, you can omit it or use sesame seeds. Subs will depend on each recipe.
Hi, thanks for your reply.
Unfortunately, I have never seen soy curls or seitan in the UK. Is seitan something I can make myself? Soy curls sound like a ready made soy product that has not hit the UK supermarket/health food shop shelves yet! I’m not sure if London has this kind of sub in the shops or not. I live in North Yorkshire quite a long way from London.
It is a problem sometimes with cookbooks that are not published with the UK market in mind and it is hard to sometimes find substitutions for recipes.
I am however grateful for your suggestions and appreciate you replying to my comment, but obviously this will put me off possibly purchasing your book in the future.
I am glad to hear that the coconut milk can be subbed for other milks. . I do make my own nut milks using my Vitamix blender, but sometimes the recipes can vary with the success…….when substituting them for coconut milk.
You mentioned using sesame seeds are you able to give me any idea how much and when and how to substitute them in your recipes?
Thanks in advance.
For the sesame seeds sub, it really depends on the recipe. 3 or 4 recipes use coconut as a garnish, so use the same amount. I think there are 2 or 3 recipes that have coconut in the sauce, that you can omit or use the same amount of sesame seeds.
Seitan can be made at home. Its just wheat gluten -> http://www.theppk.com/2009/11/homemade-seitan/
I have seen tempeh in UK based books as well. Someone mentioned https://www.goodnessdirect.co.uk/cgi-local/frameset/brand/IMPU.html.
But you dont have to use any of these.
In my book, there are about 20 recipes that use tofu or tempeh or seitan. Out of 150 recipes. so 130 recipes do Not use any meaty things. You can use chickpeas or veggies or chickpea flour-tofu(recipe in the book) in any of the recipes. There are examples of using chickpeas and veggies in other recipes in the same chapter so you can mix and match those steps. Make chickpea tikka masala or tofu tikka masala. Many recipes mention in the notes how to as well.
Hope this helps! Also look at the Look inside feature on amazon. The entire 150 recipe recipe list is in the first few pages. You can read through it to see. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vegan-Richas-Indian-Kitchen-Traditional/dp/1941252095
Indian food is a lot of veggies, lentils, chickpeas. one chapter in the book has the restaurant style curries which generally favor meat, and hence the meat subs. But everyday home cooked Indian food is actually meat-free and hence doesnt need any meat subs. Also see the blog index for an idea of the recipes. You will find very few recipes that use meat subs. http://www.veganricha.com/category/indian-vegan-recipes
Thank you for all the information and links that you have kindly forwarded. I will take a look and I will be buying your book having looked at it in more detail on Amazon UK.
Thanks again.
This was DELICIOUS! I used unsweetened coconut yogurt and loved it. As a vegan with Caribbean parents living in Canada, I’ve found it very difficult to find flavourful vegan recipes that remind me of my parents’ cooking. Thank you so much, Richa!
So incredibly delicious—as good as what restaurants make, not that any use tempeh (a few will sub tofu). I steamed the tempeh first—just used to doing that. Didn’t brown it per se—trying to avoid oil except where absolutely necessary. Didn’t have yogurt—subbed cashew cream. Yum yum yum! Served with your corn dish…
Hi – can I use canned tomatoes (fresh are flavorless right now) in this recipe? Looks awesome and I want to make sauce in bulk to freeze! Thanks!
sure. and yes the sauce is freezer friendly.
I made it this past weekend and it was so good! I’ve made tempeh before but I guess I didn’t steam it long enough before because it came out very bitter. This time I steamed it for 25 minutes (for good measure) and followed the recipe. You honestly can’t event tell it’s tempeh, tastes like chicken to me (or maybe that’s because it’s been a long time since I’ve had chicken, ha!). Great recipe!. And I got my tikka fix too 🙂
Doh! I forgot to mention…I baked my tempeh cubes (15-20min @ 425F) in the marinade instead of frying as I’m trying to reduce the oil intake. It probably wasn’t as crispy as frying in a pan but the texture was fine to me.
Thats awesome! Yes steam it for longer then marinate for longer if using marinade style tempeh. these steps usually help with the bitterness.
Richa,
I have only very recently stumbled across your blog, and I cannot tell you how excited I am to start trying to replicate some of your dishes. An avid fan of Indian cuisine in my pre-vegan days, I have searched high and low in the previous few months to try to find vegan, healthy, tasty alternatives to what used to be my favourite dishes, and I now kinda feel like I’ve hit the jackpot! I have bookmarked a plethora of your gorgeous-looking recipes, and I am very much looking forward to trying this masala out as my first attempt within the next few days. As it’s rather difficult for me to access tempeh, I am going to try giving chickpeas and veg a whirl.
I’ll report back! Many thanks!
Thats amazing!I am so glad you found me 🙂 There are a bunch of Indian recipes on the blog ranging from easy to a bit more steps/ingredients .. http://veganricha.com/category/indian-vegan-recipes
And my first book is all Indian vegan recipes with all thepopular recipes as well as regional everyday Indian food. https://veganricha.com/vrikamzn
Hi, again, Richa!
I made this last night and it was beautiful! I was concerned because sometimes I expect way too much out of dishes, but it turns out that I didn’t expect enough from this one! I used spring greens instead of kale and added some steamed broccoli in at the end, and the taste of the spices was sublime. I’m definitely going to making this again, and I am looking forward to trying out many different recipes on your site. I actually want to cook this again in the next week or so for some friends, and I was hoping you could give me some tips on how to double up on this recipe. Is it as easy as simply doubling up on all of the ingredients? I don’t want to presume so as I love the balance of the spices in the dish and understand how easy it could be for one of them to overpower the rest. Any advice you have would be greatly appreciated!
As for your first cookbook, I do have my eye on it (and your second, to be honest). I looked through the recipe index on Amazon and the vindaloo is crying out to me, along with pretty much every dish I saw listed! I can assure you that as soon as I have the disposable funds I will be making a purchase.
Thank you so much. I hope you have a wonderful day!
Hi Richa, I just made the Tikka Masala sauce from your first book and noticed that vinegar is added there, but not in the recipe you posted here. Is there a reason for that? I didn’t have cider vinegar and used red wine vinegar instead. Maybe I didn’t cook the sauce long enough after adding the vinegar (the chickpea tofu I added was rapidly disintegrating), but I can still taste the vinegar in the sauce. Is the vinegar necessary? The sauce was still awesome though. I used coconut yogurt for the first time and am amazed at how “yogurty” that tastes….
Thanks as always for all your great recipes!
You can omit the vinegar. You can also add it earlier so that it cooks out. Vinegar and wine are things that should cook long enough to cook out the initial strong flavor and mellow into the dish. You can reheat it with a bit of cashew cream. In my second book, i use tomato paste for the additional tang. Recipes evolve over time, and also change a bit based on when and where they appear. The second book is about easy recipes with everyday ingredients while the first was a combination of authentic and easy.
So so so good! Cannot stress enough! I was astounded that I was able to produce something this good! A must-make.
awesome!