This tikka masala sauce recipe yields you a simmer sauce that you can use to make Indian food in minutes. Make this sauce in advance and turn your weeknight dinner woes into a win.
Heat oil in an Instant Pot using the Saute function set at 'Normal' mode.
Once the oil is hot, add all the spices - let them sizzle for about 10-15 seconds.
Add chopped onions, cashews, green chilies, chopped ginger, and garlic. Saute them for about 2-3 minutes.
Add tomatoes along with salt, and Kashmiri chili powder. Mix well.
The tomatoes will start to release water immediately.
Add 1/2 cup of water and mix well. Deglaze the pot - scrape the bottom of the pot to make sure there is nothing stuck.
Hit cancel and cover the lid. Pressure cook for 10 minutes.
Once the cooking cycle is complete, release the pressure immediately by moving the steam valve to the venting position.
Open the lid and give the sauce a quick stir.
Use an immersion blender and puree it to a smooth paste. If using a blender, allow the masala sauce to cool down for at least 10 minutes before pureeing it.
Let it cool completely before transferring the tikka masala into a glass jar or ziplock bags. Store in the refrigerator for a week or store it in the freezer for a couple of months.
Stovetop instructions
Add oil to a saucepan kept over medium heat on a stovetop.
Once the oil is hot, add all the spices - let them sizzle for about 10-15 seconds.
Add chopped onions, cashews, green chilies, chopped ginger, and garlic. Saute them for about 2-3 minutes.
Add tomatoes along with salt, and Kashmiri chili powder. Mix well.
The tomatoes will start to release water immediately. Cover the saucepan with a lid and cook for 15-20 minutes over medium-low heat.
Open the lid and give the sauce a quick stir.
Use an immersion blender and puree it to a smooth paste. If using a blender, allow the masala sauce to cool down for at least 10 minutes before pureeing it.
Let it cool completely before transferring the tikka masala into a glass jar or ziplock bags. Store in the refrigerator for a week or store it in the freezer for a couple of months.
Notes
Skip the spices that you don't have - This recipe calls for a lot of spices. While the spices make this dish more aromatic, feel free to skip them. The sauce will still taste great as long as you use garam masala when finishing off your dish.How to use this tikka masala sauce in a recipeNote - Two cups of this tikka masala sauce yields up to 4-6 servings. When I use 2 cups of this sauce, it is sufficient to make both lunch and dinner for our family of 2 adults and 2 kids. To use this curry sauce in recipes, replace the part where it calls for adding onions/ginger/garlic and tomatoes with this masala sauce. For most recipes, these will be the steps you will follow -
Heat a tablespoon of oil /butter/ghee over medium heat.
Once hot, add whole spices (if using) such as peppercorns, bay leaves, cloves and let them sizzle for about 10-20 seconds.
Add the chicken or paneer/tofu and saute it for a minute or two.
Add the tikka masala sauce and mix well.
Continue to cook till the veggies/meat are cooked through.
Add garam masala and honey (if using).
Garnish it with dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) or cilantro.
Here are a few recipes that you can make with this sauce