This vegetable tikka masala is a quick and easy way to get your Indian food fix. The key to this dish is the garam masala, a blend of spices that gives curries their characteristic flavor. You can find it at most grocery stores or make your own if you have the time. This mushroom tikka curry will warm you up on a cold winter night! Enjoy!
This is a veganized version of the traditional chicken tikka masala and mushroom tikkas. We make a dairy-free tikka masala sauce with soaked cashews and a coconut-based yogurt instead of fresh cream or hung curd (the Indian version of Greek yogurt)—one of our favorite Indian dishes.
This was inspired by my Indian eggplant curry and Indian cauliflower curry on this site and pairs well with aromatic steamed basmati rice and spiced onions.
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💚 Why You Will Love It
- Quick & Easy
- Authentic Flavor
- Creamy Texture
- Nutrient-Rich
- Comforting Warmth
🧾 Ingredients
To make your homemade mushroom tikka, we'll divide the ingredients into the curry stew and the mushrooms' marinade; most of the spices and seasonings are shared between the two groups, though.
Vegetable curry ingredients
Marinated mushrooms ingredients
- Button Mushrooms: These little fungi absorb flavors like champs and offer a meaty texture, giving the dish some oomph!
- Coconut-based Yogurt: Creamy and plant-based, coconut yogurt provides a luxurious texture and a hint of tropical flavor. It also contains healthy fats that can improve gut health.
- Garlic: This kitchen staple infuses the dish with a robust, spicy kick.
- Ginger: The zesty undertone of ginger not only adds complexity but also offers digestive benefits. It is perfect for harmonizing with garlic.
- Cashews: When blended, they offer a creamy richness that substitutes heavy cream.
- Fresh Tomatoes: These provide natural sweetness and acidity, making them the base for your sauce.
- Onion: The base of many Indian dishes, onions offer a natural sweetness when sautéed and serve as a flavor foundation.
- Garam Masala: This spice mix is like the grand finale of a fireworks show. It rounds out all the flavors and adds authentic Indian warmth.
- Cumin Powder: Earthy and aromatic, cumin adds depth.
- Coriander Powder: Offers a lemony, floral note, complementing the other spices.
- Turmeric Powder: Aside from giving your dish that gorgeous golden hue.
- Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder – or Paprika: This brings heat and a vibrant red color without the burn. Kashmiri red chili is milder but packs in flavor; paprika works as a solid alternative.
- Tomato Sauce: Adds volume and richness to the sauce, serving as a unifying factor for all the spices and flavors.
- Carrot: Offers a slight sweetness and a crunchy texture, contrasting nicely with softer ingredients.
- Petit Pois: These little peas add a pop of color and sweetness.
- Brown Sugar: A touch of this helps balance out the acidity and heat. It makes the dish more rounded and palate-pleasing.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions
| Original Ingredient | Suggested Substitution |
|---|---|
| Mushrooms | Button cremini mushrooms or baby portabella |
| Tomato puree | Tomato paste |
| Cashews | Whole-fat coconut milk |
| Vegetables | Carrots, peas, green beans, cauliflower, pepper, crispy tofu cubes |
| Coconut sugar | Brown sugar, maple syrup, molasses (omit for WFPB) |
| Garam masala | Chaat masala |
🍽 Equipment
Large pan, sheet pan baking tray, and small blender.
🔪 Instructions
Put all the mushroom marinade ingredients in a bowl apart from the mushrooms, and stir to combine. Then add the cremini mushrooms and mix well to coat them evenly. Then bake in
- Marinade mushrooms for an hour in a large mixing bowl.
- Bake in a preheated oven for around 20 minutes.
- Add garlic, ginger, soaked cashews, and tomatoes in a blender.
- Blend the ginger garlic paste until smooth.
- Fry the finely chopped onions gently on medium heat for 5-10 minutes on the stovetop, stirring occasionally.
- Sprinkle in the spices and fry for a couple of minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato puree, then pour in the water and bring the sauce to a simmer.
- Pop carrots and cook on medium-high heat until tender. Then,
- Add mushrooms plus any leftover marinade and optional sugar.
- Add frozen peas. Bring them back to a simmer for a couple of minutes.
Taste and adjust; add more salt if needed.
Serve hot on top of brown steamed basmati rice or Indian vegan naan bread. Garnish with fresh cilantro.
You can leave the mushrooms marinating from the day before to save time.
💡 Expert tips
Make more: We always scale up stew recipes because their flavor only improves with time. When ready to thaw your curry, hydrate it with water or coconut milk.
Marinate Overnight: For deeper flavors, let the mushrooms marinate overnight. This extra time allows the mushrooms to fully absorb the spices, enhancing the dish's overall taste.
Blend to Silky Smoothness: When preparing the cashew-tomato sauce, blend until completely smooth. This step is crucial for achieving that luxuriously creamy texture that makes tikka masala so delightful.
Gentle Simmering: Simmer the curry on low heat. This slow-cooking process melds the flavors together beautifully and prevents the vegetables from becoming too mushy.
Adjust Spice Levels: Tailor the heat to your preference. If you prefer a milder curry, reduce the amount of Kashmiri chili powder. For more heat, add a bit more, but do so gradually to find your perfect balance.
Fresh Garnish: Just before serving, garnish with fresh cilantro. This not only adds a pop of color but also a burst of fresh flavor, contrasting nicely with the rich, creamy curry.
📖 Variations
Spicy - Kashmiri chili or paprika powder – tikka masala is a mild and creamy curry, so it doesn’t include any hot chili – Kashmiri chili or paprika doesn’t have heat to them. If you’d like to raise the spice level of your tikka, add half to one teaspoon of hot chili powder!
Grilled mushrooms - to reduce the cooking time, you could quickly grill the mushrooms (making mushroom skewers) in a skillet and then let them marinate overnight.
Tangy - optionally add a splash of lemon juice before serving.
Tofu-based - this vegan tikka masala is another great variation. It emulates the regular chicken tikka masala and is fabulous!
🥢 How to serve
Basmati rice - steamed basmati rice is the perfect pairing for Indian curries, such as eggplant curry. If you want to keep the carbs low, you can pair it with riced cauliflower instead - see how to make make cauliflower rice.
Naan - the perfect Indian bread to pair up this curry; use whole bran to make it more wholesome. If you are following a gluten-free diet, omit this option and go for rice or even quinoa.
You can serve it next to a tasty bowl of vegan lentil curry without coconut milk.
❓ FAQ
Tikka masala goes with many different vegetables! It’s one of the most versatile curries. Mushrooms, peas, and carrots have been used in this recipe, but others work well, too, such as green beans, peppers, and cauliflower (check out our cauliflower masala recipe).
No, tikka masala is a creamy and mild curry.
As long as no dairy cream or butter is used, this vegetable tikka masala is vegan! Traditional tikka masala recipes are made with chicken, but mushrooms provide all the meaty textures you need in this recipe.
Garam masala is a blend of aromatic spices that are commonly used in Indian, Pakistani, and Nepalese cuisine. The spice mix typically contains black pepper, cloves, roasted cumin powder, cinnamon, coriander seeds, and cardamom pods.
The spices are toasted or dry-roasted before being ground into a powder. Garam masala is used as a seasoning to flavor dishes such as chicken tikka masala, lamb biryani, and vegetable pakoras.
🥡 Storage
Fridge – store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freezer – store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
🇮🇳 More Indian-inspired recipes
Vegan kitchari recipe made with mung beans for the perfect detox
Red lentils curry - the perfect high-protein filling dish.
Vegan golden milk - an ayurvedic drink perfect for nighttime.
If you love mushrooms as we do, check out this air fryer oyster mushrooms and creamy mushrooms risotto recipe.
Next on your mushroom journey: the simplicity and satisfaction of our one-pot vegan mushroom stroganoff.
And for even more recipes, join our Facebook Fan Page for support, inspiration & fun!
⭐ If you try this recipe, let us know! 💬 Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to tag us @ourplantbasedworld on Instagram. Cheers!
📋 Recipe
Vegetable Tikka Masala
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Marinated mushrooms:
For the Curry:
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger freshly minced
- ½ cup cashews ~65g / 2.3oz – soaked in hot water for at least 1 hour, then drained
- 7 oz tomatoes fresh
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander ground
- ½ teaspoon turmeric ground
- 1 tablespoon Kashmiri chili – or paprika
- 2 tablespoon tomato puree
- 12 oz carrot peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 cup petit pois frozen
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 1 ¼ cups water
Directions
For the mushrooms:
- Put all the marinade ingredients in a mixing bowl apart from the mushrooms, and stir to combine. Then add the mushrooms and mix well to coat the mushrooms in the marinade evenly.
- Set aside and leave to marinate for an hour or cover overnight in the fridge.
- Once marinated and ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C).
- Put the mushrooms on a non-stick or lined baking sheet and bake in the oven for around 20 minutes until starting to brown and the excess water has cooked from the mushrooms.
For the curry:
- Blend. Put the garlic, ginger, soaked cashews, and tomatoes in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Cook the curry. In a large saucepan or dutch oven, add a good splash of oil and bring to medium heat. Add the onion and gently fry for 5-10 minutes until completely soft and starting to brown.Sprinkle in the spices and fry for a couple of minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato puree, then pour in the blended cashew paste and stir well. Pour in the water, then bring the sauce to a simmer.
- Pop the carrots into the pan and simmer for around 15 minutes until the carrots are tender.
- Add the baked mushrooms, stir well and simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Optionally sprinkle in 1 teaspoon of sugar and season with salt to taste.
- Finally, add the peas and bring them back to a simmer for a couple of minutes, so the curry is piping hot.
Nutrition Facts
Nutritional Disclaimer
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice. See our full Nutritional Disclosure here.
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As the lead content writer and recipe developer at Our Plant-Based World, he combines his passion for health and sustainability with a Plant-Based Nutrition Certification to create accessible, delicious vegan recipes. His expertise in plant-based cooking supports the blog's mission of fostering a healthier, environmentally conscious lifestyle through simple and seasonal dishes. His commitment to making vegan cooking enjoyable and inclusive for everyone shines in each recipe and article.
Heidy
This Vegetable Garam Masala Curry was quick, easy, and delicious! Saving to make again!
Katherine
Mushrooms are such a great meat substitute in this curry! So many great layers of flavors.
Ieva
Superb! The roasted mushrooms were exceptionally good - the texture after just a short time in the oven completely transformed! And the curry sauce was very well spiced! Another great recipe!
Gus
Thank you for trying our Roasted Mushrooms with Curry Sauce recipe, Ieva! We're glad to hear you enjoyed it. The spices in the curry sauce are perfect for bringing out the flavor of the roasted mushrooms. Thanks again for trying it and we hope you'll enjoy many more of our recipes in the future.
Aimee Mars
We had friends in from out of town and I made this dish one night they were here. It was a hit. Not a drop was leftover.
Gus
Thank you for trying out our recipe, Aimee! We're glad to hear it was a hit with your friends.
veenaazmanov
Thanks for such a delicious rich and creamy vegetarian recipe. Mushrooms are my favorite. Bursting with all the Garam Masala flavors and best for any meal time.
Gus
Thank you for trying our Mushroom Masala, Veena! We're so glad you enjoyed it and that the flavors burst through. This dish is perfect for any meal time, and we hope you'll enjoy it again soon.
Joyce
There was SO much flavor in this curry! I had it as leftovers and it taste even better the next day! Thanks so much for sharing!
Sara Welch
This was everything a gourmet meal should be, and then some! So hearty, bold and delicious; easily, a new favorite recipe!
Gus
Thank you for trying our Garam Masal Curry recipe, Sara! We're so happy to hear that you enjoyed it. This recipe is one of our favorites, and we're glad you feel the same way. Thanks for letting us know, and we hope to see you again soon!
Gina Abernathy
I'm a big mushroom fan so this recipe was for me.
Shashi
I am drooling over here looking at this - made this and absolutely loved it - such a tasty dinner recipe.
Anjali
My family and I are vegetarian, and we loved this tasty and hearty plant based curry!! It was filling and satisfying!
Gus
Thank you for trying our Mushroom Tikka Masala, Anjali! We're so happy to hear that you enjoyed it and found it both tasty and hearty. We hope to see you again soon!
Caitlin
Love this recipe! So easy to make and so delicious. Thanks for sharing!