Cooking with Tempeh: Vegan Tempeh Tikka Masala

This tempeh tikka masala will leave you with all the comfort feels minus all the heavy feels. Make this delicious Indian dinner right in your own home. This recipe was created as part of the Lightlife Blogger Ambassador Program.

If you’ve been following EBF for a minute, you know that I’m obsessed with tempeh. It’s made from fermented soybeans (fermented foods for the win!) and it’s high in protein, vitamins and minerals.

The flavor of tempeh is often an acquired taste, but I will say it 100% depends on how you make it! My biggest tip is to marinate or pair tempeh with a flavorful, robust sauce. On its own tempeh has a nutty, earthy flavor, but once marinated or cooked in a sauce it takes on the flavors of the dish it’s a part of. This tikka masala is a great example of both! Not only are you marinating the tempeh in advance, but you’re also coating it in a well-rounded sauce with tons of flavor.

Indian and Asian foods seem to be our go-to takeout options, so when I created my own vegan tikka masala we had a little celebration. Now we can enjoy this Indian dish any night we please (and don’t have to wait 45 minutes for delivery!). The longest part of the recipe is when the tempeh is marinating; besides that, this is ready in no time. Make this dish your own by pairing it with sides of your choice and adjusting the spice level to your taste.

I highly recommend serving the dish over cauliflower rice with a few pieces of naan to soak up the delicious sauce. And of course we like things spicy over here, so we added a little sriracha on top. There’s no shame in my hot sauce game. I add it to everything… even salads!

This creamy, comforting dinner will be a regular in our dinner rotation, mark my words.

Now it’s time to say hello to this vegan tempeh tikka masala, your new favorite comfort dinner that just happens to be vegan.

Have you tried tempeh before? What’s your favorite way to prepare it?

Tempeh Tikka Masala

★★★ 2.5 from 2 reviews

• Author: Brittany Mullins
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
• Yield: 3

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Description

Vegan tempeh tikka masala made with coconut yogurt and milk. You’ll love this healthy spin on traditional Indian food.  

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Ingredients

Tempeh:

• 8 oz package Lightlife Original Tempeh, chopped into cubes
• 1/2 cup unsweetened plain coconut yogurt
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Tikka Masala Sauce:

• 1 Tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1-inch knob of ginger, grated
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 cup canned tomato sauce
• 1 cup canned full-fat coconut milk
• 2 cups frozen peas
• fresh cilantro, chopped
• rice or cauliflower rice for serving
• hot sauce of choice or cayenne pepper (optional)

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Instructions

1. Make tempeh marinade by combining all ingredients (yogurt, apple cider vinegar, cumin, ginger, garam masala and sea salt) in a bowl. Add chopped tempeh and stir until well coated. Place bowl in the fridge to allow the tempeh to marinate for at least 1 hour.
2. Once tempeh is done marinating, start preparing the sauce. Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat with coconut oil. Add onion, garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant, about 5-7 minutes. Add spices and toss to combine, then add in tomato sauce, coconut milk, frozen peas and marinated tempeh.
3. Turn heat down to medium-low and let mixture simmer for 15-20 minutes or until sauce has thickened and everything is heated throughout.
4. Remove from heat and serve tempeh tikka masala over a bed of rice (regular or cauliflower) with fresh cilantro on top.

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Notes

For extra heat feel free to add a little ground cayenne to the spice mixture while cooking or top with hot sauce.

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Nutrition

• Calories: 430kcal
• Sugar: 14g
• Fat: 23g
• Carbohydrates: 39g
• Fiber: 13g
• Protein: 21g

Hooked on tempeh and want to try some of my other favorite tempeh recipes? Check these out:

• Tempeh taco salad meal prep bowl
• Vegan breakfast sandwich with tempeh bacon
• Curried tempeh salad

Be sure to let me know if you try this vegan tempeh tikka masala recipe by rating the recipe, leaving a comment and/or posting a photo on social media. Just don’t forget to tag @eatingbirdfood or #eatingbirdfood so that I see your post!