Busy seasons of life call for extra easy, nourishing dinners. Don’t you think? It finally feels like fall here in Chicago and with back-to-back cookbook photoshoots, I’ve been craving all of the warming recipes.
This easy vegan tikka masala recipe is one that Abra and I perfected 5 years ago now and scarfed down pretty much right after it came out of the slow cooker. It’s DANG good. Sweet, savory, full of texture (thanks to all the veggies), and incredibly cozy for a cold night.
And here’s more good news: there are plenty of cold-fighting ingredients involved (garlic, ginger, turmeric), making it a great recipe to make when you’re feeling under the weather.
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What is tikka masala?
Tikka Masala is a popular Indian dish made up of chicken in a curry-spiced tomato-based sauce that’s typically infused with heavy cream and/or butter. In this vegan tikka masala recipe, we’re swapping the chicken for tofu and using creamy coconut milk instead of any dairy!
If you’re not vegan or vegetarian, feel free to try my amazing Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala.
Ingredients in this vegan tikka masala
Oh baby, this tofu tikka masala is packed with amazing flavor, veggies, and protein. It’s a little sweet, a little spicy and so delicious that you won’t be able to stop eating it. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Tofu: I like to use the extra-firm tofu in this recipe so that it doesn’t fall apart in the slow cooker. See below for tips on prepping the tofu! You could also add chickpeas for an additional boost of protein.
- Veggies: YESS. This recipe involves a hearty dose of veggies including carrots, potatoes (or sweet potatoes), cauliflower, red bell pepper, and onion. I also like to stir in peas! It’s good for ya so eat it up.
- For the sauce: the flavorful tikka masala sauce includes tomato sauce, coconut milk, fresh ginger, garlic, a touch of maple syrup, and spices.
- For the spices: The spices are a mixture of garam masala (a spice blend available at most grocery stores), cumin, coriander, turmeric, paprika, and cayenne pepper. I’m very into it.
Don’t forget to prep your tofu
I like to use the extra-firm tofu in this recipe so that it doesn’t fall apart in the slow cooker. To prep it before adding it to your slow cooker:
- Wrap your extra firm tofu block with a dish towel and place it on a plate
- Place a wooden cutting board on top
- Put something heavy on top of the cutting board like a pot of water, books, etc. so that the water begins to squeeze out into the towel. Press for at least 10 minutes. Then cube the tofu and use it as written in the recipe!
Alternatively, you can also use a tofu press specifically designed for squeezing out tofu!
How to make vegan tikka masala in the slow cooker
This slow cooker tofu tikka masala recipe couldn’t be easier to make. It’s literally three steps! Here’s how to make it:
- Mix the sauce & veggies. Add all of your veggies, sauce ingredients, and spices to your slow cooker and give it all a stir.
- Add the tofu. Carefully fold in the tofu chunks, then cook the tikka masala on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours.
- Finish & serve. If you’d like stir in the frozen peas about 5-10 minutes before you’re ready to eat. Then serve the tikka masala with your fav sides!
Our fav ways to serve tikka masala
This tofu tikka masala is delicious on its own, but we love it on top of:
- Brown rice
- My famous coconut rice
- Fluffy quinoa
- Cauliflower rice for a low carb option
- Or toasty pita bread or naan to soak up the creamy sauce!
Storing & freezing tips
Store this vegan slow cooker tikka masala in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
- To freeze: Let the tofu tikka masala cool completely before transferring to a freezer-safe container or bag. Freeze for up to 2 months. I would not recommend freezing the tikka masala with rice.
- To reheat: thaw the tikka masala in the refrigerator. While the curry is thawing, feel free to make rice, cauliflower rice or quinoa to serve with it. Reheat on the stovetop by bringing it to a simmer or in the microwave for 2 minutes until heated through.
Overall, this is a really delicious, easy plant-based recipe to get more veggies in. I suggest serving it on game days, at parties, or just prepping for your weekly lunches/dinners. Oh and don’t forget to serve this with a little naan on the side, because you know the saying — when I dip, you dip, we dip!
More slow cooker recipes to try
- Healing Curry Butternut Squash Lentil Soup
- Slow Cooker Taco Lentil Soup
- Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Slow Cooker Black Bean Pumpkin Turkey Chili
- Healing Lemongrass Chickpea Thai Green Curry with Toasted Coconut Brown Rice
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If you make this vegan tikka masala be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Vegan Slow Cooker Tofu Tikka Masala
Ingredients
- 1 (16 ounce) package extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and cut into ½ inch cubes
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
- 2 medium carrots, sliced
- 1 ½ cups diced gold potatoes* (from about 2-3 medium gold potatoes)
- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 (15 ounce) can lite coconut milk (can also use full fat coconut milk)
- ½ tablespoon pure maple syrup
- ½ tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more if you like things a little spicier
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup frozen peas
- Fresh chopped cilantro, for garnishing
Instructions
- In a large slow cooker, add garlic, diced onion, bell pepper, sliced carrots, cauliflower florets, diced potatoes, tomato sauce, coconut milk, maple syrup, fresh ginger, garam masala, cumin, coriander, turmeric, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper. Stir to combine. Add in tofu cubes, and give a gentle stir. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-7 hours.
- Before you are ready to serve, stir in the frozen peas and allow to cook uncovered for 5-10 more minutes. Serve with as is with a side of naan bread, or with brown rice or quinoa. If you are not vegan, I suggest serving with yogurt! Garnish with cilantro before serving. Serves 4-6.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on November 5th, 2018, and republished with new photos on October 9th, 2023.
At 7:30pm I realized that this was a slow cooker recipe 😵💫 Decided to give it a go in my Dutch over and just throw all the ingredients in the pot and let it cook for awhile and YUM!! Probably not the deepest flavor profile due to my very fast cooking method but still very yummy and loved all the veggies. Topped it with cilantro and Greek yogurt!
I’m glad that still worked out well! Let me know if you give the slow cooker version a try next time 🙂
So delicious!! This dish delivers loads of flavor with a ton of vegetables and healthy protein. Even better the next day.
Absolutely! Glad you enjoyed!
This was delicious! I served with naan bread. 5🌟
So glad you enjoyed!
Thanks for the recipe. I have it prepped in the crock and in the fridge. It will go into the slow cooker base tomorrow. Nine hours on low. To compensate for the longer ramp up time due to the cold.
Just letting you know that you have two typos at Step 1 of the Instructions. “In a large slower, ” should be “In a large slow cooker, “. And you didn’t mention to add the red bell pepper along side the other ingredients.
Perfect! Thank you for the catch – updated 🙂
Visually appealing and good texture but very bland. So disappointing
So strange! There are tons of spices in here (including a whole tablespoon of garam masala), so I’m not sure how it could turn out bland. You could try adding more salt next time to bring out the rest of the flavors more!
I wonder if i needed more liquid – the carrots and some of the sweet potato were still crunchy – i did on high for 4 hours. The flavor is good. the tofu held up and takes on some of the flavor of the broth … also when you say tomato sauce, is that canned tomatoes or pasta sauce?
So strange! They should be perfectly soft after simmering for 4 hours. Did the liquid cover everything? Tomato sauce should be canned tomatoes (but not whole, diced, etc. it will say “sauce” on the can).
This was such a tasty meal! Served over basmati rice with garlic flatbread on the side. So decadent without being a lot of work. My crockpot was too small for the addition of potatoes and tofu, so I roasted those separately and added it all together at the end. YUM. Yum yum yum.
Delicious! Glad you enjoyed!
I made this exactly as written, and it is excellent! I also LOVE that this is a slow cooker recipe. I am dairy free and didn’t have any DF yogurt in the house, so I topped it with cilantro and a dab of coconut cream, and it was perfect! Thanks for this delicious recipe!
Sounds amazing! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
I typically love all AK recipes but this was one missing something. I think to make it better it needs some sort of creaminess – perhaps cream cheese? There is the coconut milk but I don’t think it “stuck” in this one.
Sorry to hear that it wasn’t a hit! I might suggest trying full fat coconut milk if you’re looking for a creamier texture.
The weather finally turned chilly and this was the perfect recipe to warm us up! Made it for meal prep this week and will definitely make it again! Followed the recipe as directed.
Ahhh delish! Glad this one turned out great for you and you’re loving it ❤️
I made this tonight and it’s absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe exactly, but used stove top instead of slow cooker. It’s so good I wouldn’t change a thing! Thanks!
Yay!! Glad you enjoyed it and that it worked well on the stove top!
Lots of prep work with veggie chopping but then all hands-off. Flavor was just ok and I’m wondering whether it would be a better with roasting the veggies (and baking the tofu) the day before. Perfectly acceptable as written, however. Makes tons!
Thanks so much for sharing – glad you’re enjoying this recipe!
Hello
Can I make this in a Insta Pot?
Thank you
Hi Belinda – I don’t have an Instant Pot so I am not sure. But if you give it a try, let me know how it turns out!
Hello can I make this in a Insta pot?
Thank you
Is it possible to make this recipe without the tomato sauce? My daughter is tomato averse…
Hi, Rachel! I’d recommend trying this recipe instead. You can swap out the chickpeas for tofu if you’d like!
Everyone loved it. Really easy and yummy.
I am so glad to hear this!
This was the first recipe I ever made from Ambitious Kitchen (a couple of years ago) and it still remains one of our favorites. It is on par with Tikka Masala from any Indian restaurant. Nice levels of flavors which seem to be even better the following day.
This means so much to me, Shannon! I am happy to hear that you found this recipe and it is a staple for you and your family. Thanks so much for sharing your comment, I really appreciate it ❤️
This was good. It made a lot and was easy. I cooked it on high for 3 hours. I added 2 or 3 cups of broth to the finished product in order to loosen it up. I also increased all of the herbs and spices and the salt except the garam masala, cayenne, and black pepper. I used 1 T of dried cilantro instead of fresh, which I added with all the other herbs/spices. I used a bag of frozen cauli that had been in the freezer for some time and needed to be used, which I added when I added the peas. When I heated up some at work, my boss wanted to know what it was because he said it smelled so good.
I love this so much, thank you for sharing your recipe adjustments, glad it is a hit!
The flavor of this was awesome! I ended up finishing it in a pot instead of my slow cooker that was too small for this recipe. I also added some vegetable broth at the start to create a little more liquid for the veggies to cook in. I agree with others who said they would sauté the onions first. My onions never did get soft, but maybe they are supposed to be like that in a tikka. Thank you, this was a revelation! And I learned that I can make garam masala spice myself. I feel silly now having avoided recipes with that spice in it my whole life because I didn’t know what it was! Thank you. I can’t wait to make this again. Took it to a church potluck and every bite got eaten.
I’ve made this recipe countless times and it’s seriously one of my favorite things to eat! Full of flavor.
So happy to hear that. Glad you found this recipe 🙂
I’m not a huge fan of cauliflower but I really want to make this recipe. Any ideas what I could use instead?
You could just omit the cauliflower and add in some peas! Hope you enjoy!
This is a flavorful and tasty dish. My whole family loved it. Thank you!
This was SO SO GOOD! Used more cayenne pepper, YES!
YAY! Happy you loved it!!
Have you ever made this using a pressure cooker? I’m wondering how well it would turn out.
I haven’t! Let me know if you try it 🙂
This was super easy to make and tasty. A dollop of sour cream on top was pure perfection. My adverse son to veggie dishes ate most of his. Naan on the side is essential for dipping in the sauce.
YUM! This was a delicious dinner that even my hesitant teen enjoyed enough to have seconds! We served it on spinach and basmati rice. We will definitely be making this again. Kudos on another great recipe!
This soup is perfection! It’s our go to easy button and we tend to serve it over rice. A wonderful weeknite meal or I make a big crockpot of it to bring for lunches. I find that it’s best to use cooked potatoes, so par boil or roast them before. I also only use the liquid from the can of coconut milk and not the fat. It doesn’t need the saturated fat. This soup tastes delicious!
Love that! And I’m glad that worked out well 🙂
Do you recommend pressing, freezing, or baking the tofu beforehand or can we add the cubes straight out of the package?
Yes I recommend squeezing out the excess moisture with paper towel or regular towel before cutting into cubes 🙂 enjoy!
Such exciting receipes!
Just finished cooking this recipe and it was a huge hit with the whole family! I omitted the cayenne and had the family add to their individual dishes. Topped with a little sour cream and it was just divine. After tasting I added a little bit more of every spice, maple syrup and ginger. Delish!
Amazing! So happy everyone loved it 🙂
How long does it take without a slow cooker?
Thank you!
Great question: If you make on the stovetop, this will likely take around 30-45 minutes of simmering or until the veggies are tender.
So easy to put together and absolutely delicious – we make curries often but the seasoning for this one made it one of the absolute best. Only thing I will say is that you need to make the carrot discs quite thin as they were the only veg that was a little too al dente.
So glad you enjoyed! And good tip with the carrot 🙂
The flavor was delicious! Perfect for meal prep- I made a double batch and froze a bunch of portions for weeknights when I don’t feel like cooking. My only issue was that it came out a bit soupier than I would like. So, I added a couple tablespoons of cornstarch (not sure exactly, but it was about that) near the end of cooking. I also use crushed tomatoes instead of tomato sauce because that’s what I had on hand, and doubled the cayenne 🙂
Great idea to freeze this for later! Traditional tikka masala has chicken, which tends to “absorb” the tomato sauce a bit more than tofu does. I’m glad the cornstarch worked out well!
This recipe is amazing! I am always blown away by Monique’s perfect spice ratios, and this one was no exception. If you are a tikka masala fan or just looking to try something new, definitely recommend! Easy, healthy, and made in the slow cooker. Adding this to our normal rotation.
So happy you loved this! And yes, the flavors in here are some of my favorites 🙂
This was the worst experience. It took me 45 minutes to do all the prep work (chopping) and then it was NO where near done after 4 hours in the slow cooker. I ended up putting it in my instant pot and pressure cooking it just to get it done. It tastes ok but took WAY too long to prep and cook. Sheesh.
So sorry to hear that, Amy! This should cook completely on high in 3-4 hours. I might suggest chopping your veggies a bit smaller next time in case that was the issue? I’m glad it worked out in your Instant Pot!
I was a bit disappointed because after 3hrs at high in my crockpot, the veggies were still hard as it wasnt cooked. I don’t know how much time it needed to cook more as I just placed it on a low 4hrs mode and went to sleep. I tasted it real quick this morning and again, a bit disappointed because the taste wasnt as intense as I thought it would be with all those spices but still, overall it is good.
How old is your slow cooker? A slow cooker put on high is essentially simmering veggies, so after 3 hours they should be more than done! Strange to hear about the spices, too – I’ve found this recipe to be perfectly flavorful. Feel free to add a bit more next time to meet your taste preferences!
Sounds delicious! Could I make this the same way with chicken thighs/breasts?
Here’s the perfect recipe for you! https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/healthy-slow-cooker-chicken-tikka-masala/
Hi! Could you please clarify if both Cumin and Coriander are supposed to be grounded or not? I have them both in 2 variations – whole and grounded.
Yes, ground!
does this freeze as i normally make double for meal planning.
Yes this should freeze well!
I love this recipe! It was one of my go-tos before my slow cooker broke. I attempted it on the stovetop tonight, and it came out really great, so I wanted to share how I did it for other people to see =) and also for me to remember too lolol
I kept all the ingredients and volumes the same, but I didn’t use the cauliflower (just didn’t have any on hand). I stirred everything together in a giant pot except the peas and tofu. I started at high heat, and when it had been boiling for a full two minutes, I turned it down to low, where I kept it for 30 minutes. With 15 minutes left, I added the peas. With 10 minutes left, I added the tofu, but I baked the tofu beforehand too.
I put the cubed/pressed/drained tofu in an oven preheated to 400 F for 25 minutes, and I flipped each piece halfway through. I let the tofu sit at room temperature for 45 minutes for maximum dryness and chewiness before I added it to the tofu tikka masala.
I love how this came out. Thanks for the inspiration and for so many amazing recipes, Monique!
Perfect!! So glad it worked out well on the stovetop 🙂 Thanks for your note, Max!
I am obsessed with this recipe, 12/10 recommend. But, I was wondering if you had an InstantPot version? #ImLazy #InstantGratification
So glad you love it! I haven’t ever made this in an Instant Pot so I’m not 100% sure what the instructions would be. Let me know if you try it!
My hubby and I want to try a plant based diet and this was our first attempt at this type of dish. I followed the recipe exactly (couldn’t find low fat coconut milk so we used the regular kind as you advised) and it was very good. Is there a way to get the broth to have a richer taste without adding cream? That would defeat the purpose of avoiding dairy. Also, this made quite a lot but you said it would serve 4? Seems like it would serve 8! I will make again and try other veggies too. Thanks!
Hi! Full fat coconut milk is fairly creamy, but you could try using coconut cream which has an even higher fat content. Yes, the recipe serves 4, but you can definitely make it serve more if you’d like. Serving sizes are up to you!