1 week Ago
Despite my many attempts, I’ve never been one to meal prep. Soggy, days-old broccoli does nothing to excite me, and rubbery chicken breasts warmed in the microwave instill a panic that runs from my fingers to my toes. More often than I’d like to admit, I reach for a frozen Trader Joe’s meal or something fast to get the job done.
That’s my favorite ingredient in a great curry, soup, or stew: time. When you give the ingredients a chance to get to know one another, you’re left with a different flavor conversation at the end than you had at the beginning, almost like a great dinner party with friends. At the end of the week, the conversation was a really enticing one.
How I Made It This recipe begins with a little bit more prep than usual, but thankfully, it all comes together quite quickly. I began by draining my tofu packet; extra firm, so the tofu could hold its shape by my third or fourth serving. I placed the tofu on a plate lined with a few paper towels and weighed it down with a chef’s press to drain out more of the liquid.
If you don’t have a chef’s press, any heavy-bottomed pot would do the trick. Meanwhile, I prepared the marinade by combining the yogurt, lemon juice, spices, and minced garlic and ginger. After letting the tofu drain for around twenty minutes, I chopped it into bite-sized pieces and tossed it in the marinade.
I prepped a sheet tray by lining it with parchment paper and adding a wire rack, and placed the tofu pieces directly on the rack before roasting them in the oven. After that, I made the sauce. I prepped all of the ingredients by chopping the onion, mincing the garlic and ginger, and measuring out all of the spices into a small bowl.
I cooked down the onion, ginger, and garlic in the hot oil until it was soft, then added in all of the spices, toasting them until aromatic. Then, I added the tomato and water and brought it up to a strong simmer. After adding in the heavy cream and tofu, I let the curry simmer for a long while more, almost twenty minutes, to reduce the sauce to a thicker restaurant-style curry.
Served with white rice and store-bought naan, I finished it with fresh cilantro. Switching It Up Because this recipe calls for simple, health-conscious ingredients, it’s incredibly versatile, and next time I make it, here’s what I would change: • Make it vegan — If I wanted to make this recipe entirely vegan, I’d swap the heavy cream for coconut milk. It’s going to leave me with the same satisfying, creamy consistency without the need for dairy.
• Add some greens — If you have a handful of kale or another type of hearty green that’s about to go full wilt-mode in your fridge, this would be a great time to utilize it. Cook it down alongside your onion, garlic, and ginger until it’s soft. If you don’t have kale, any vegetable would be a nice addition to this dish.
• Get it even thicker — To achieve an even thicker restaurant-style tikka masala consistency, I finished by simmering the dish and reducing the liquid significantly. For thicker results from your first attempt, try cutting the water in half; rather than adding 1 1⁄4 cups of water alongside the tomato sauce, add about 1⁄2 a cup to 3⁄4 of a cup of water. Building Your Spice Rack If you’re moving into a new apartment or stocking a kitchen for the first time, this recipe calls for some essential spices that you’ll have the opportunity to use again and again.
This tikka masala packs a punch, simmering with warm cumin, spicy turmeric, and other colorful spices like coriander, paprika, chili powder, and garam masala. If you’re just starting out, buying these spices will be the most expensive part of shopping for this recipe, but if they’re in your arsenal already, you won’t be spending more than fifteen dollars to make a dish that will last you three to four meals. Dinner Today, Lunch Tomorrow This tikka masala really shines on days two and three.
On the day I made it, I enjoyed a generous portion and spooned the rest into two tightly packed pint containers. A quick minute and a half in the microwave brought it back to life for a satisfying work lunch the next day. The day after that, I reheated it over low heat on the stovetop and served it atop a fresh portion of rice.
I was so impressed by how I was able to stretch this recipe over the course of three meals, and for the cost of ingredients, my wallet couldn’t have been happier..
