Instant Pot Tofu Tikka Masala

The Instant Pot version of one of the most popular recipe on my blog! This Instant Pot Tofu Tikka Masala is a quick vegan meal which is flavored with spices like coriander, garam masala and curry powder. The sauce is made with onions, tomatoes and coconut milk and pairs well with bread or rice. Vegan & gluten-free.

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Remember I told you guys that hubby won’t eat tofu but the only way he eats it is when I make him Tofu Tikka Masala. Well since that’s the only way he eats it without complaining, I make it often. These days, I cook exclusively in my Instant Pot and so I had to make this dish in the IP too. Actually the regular stove top tofu tikka masala which I shared on the blog in 2016 is one of the most popular recipes on the blog and you guys clearly love it. And so I thought it would be nice to share an IP version of the same with you all and this time I also made it vegan!

The basic recipe is almost the same but I tried to make it more easier for you guys. You first start off with marinating the tofu pieces for 30 minutes. While the tofu is marinating do all the prep work for the curry like chopping the onion, garlic, ginger and pureeing the tomatoes. In the stove top version, we puree everything to a smooth paste however in this Instant Pot version, I just fine chopped onion, garlic and ginger so that I could skip the addition step of pureeing the sauce. It didn’t really make much of a difference!

For marinating the tikka with spices, traditionally you use thick yogurt. In this vegan instant pot tofu tikka masala, I used coconut milk. You have to make sure that you use thick coconut milk here for marinating the tofu. Place the can of coconut milk in your refrigerator overnight and in the morning, scoop out the thickened top portion from the can and use that in the recipe. Honestly during winters here, I don’t even need to refrigerate the can, the coconut milk on top is always solid! But of course if its hot where you live, don’t forget to refrigerate. You can also use coconut cream if you have it on hands.

How to make Instant Pot Tofu Tikka Masala

✓ marinate the tofu with spices and coconut milk

✓ make the curry with onion, garlic, ginger, tomato and coconut milk

✓ stir in the marinated tofu, cook on high pressure

✓ finish with cilantro!

If you want, you can do the extra step of pan roasting the tofu before adding to the curry but its completely optional. I did not do it as I was trying to keep this recipe of tofu tikka masala as simple as possible. I hope you guys give this recipe a try. It’s really flavorful, plant based and also gluten-free. The only wait time is when you marinate the tofu. If you don’t want to wait while making this dish, you can simply do this step of marinating the tofu in the night. Keep it refrigerated overnight (flavors would be even better!) and make the curry in the morning.

Method

Optional – press tofu with some heavy object for 15 minutes. This will drain the excess moisture. Now cut the tofu into small cubes and set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together thickened coconut milk with coriander powder, garam masala, red chili powder, smoked paprika and salt until smooth.

Stir in the tofu cubes and mix until all tofu pieces are coated with the marinade.

Cover and keep in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile do all the prep work – chop the onion, garlic, ginger and puree the tomatoes.

Press the saute button on your Instant Pot. Once it displays hot, add oil and then add the cinnamon stick. Saute for few seconds until fragrant.

Add the onion along with ginger and garlic. Cook for 4 minutes until the onions are soft and light brown in color.

Then add in the tomato puree and mix.

Cover the pot with a glass lid and let the puree cook for 4 to 5 minutes.

Then add the curry powder, cumin powder, kashmiri red chili powder, salt and sugar. Mix to combine and cook the spices for one minute.

Add the coconut milk and water and mix.

Stir in the marinated tofu. You may do the extra step of pan roasting the tofu on stove top before adding to the instant pot. This step is completely optional and I did not do it.

Close the Instant Pot with its lid. Press the manual or pressure cook button and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. The pressure valve should be in the sealing position.

Do a quick pressure quick release. Open the pot, add chopped cilantro and mix.

Serve instant pot tofu tikka masala with rice or bread of choice!

Instant Pot Tofu Tikka Masala