15 Minutes Homemade Tikka Masala Paste (Freezer Friendly)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 4 medium sized tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped (or ginger-garlic paste works also)
- 3 cms dried tamarind or 1 teaspoon paste (sub with lime)
- 3 dried Kashmiri chillies
- 1 handful coriander stalks
- ¼ cup water
Spices:
- 2 tablespoon besan (chickpea flour)
- 1.5 teaspoon coriander powder or roasted seeds
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala (adjust to your spice level)
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon spicy red chilli powder (adjust to your spice level)
- 2 tablespoon kasoori meethi
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- In a pan add cooking oil to medium to high heat.1 tablespoon cooking oil
- Add in chopped tomatoes, garlic, tamarind, dried Kashmiri chillies and use the wooden spatula to gently mash or press against the tomatoes to speed the process.4 medium sized tomatoes, 2 cloves garlic, chopped (or ginger-garlic paste works also), 3 cms dried tamarind or 1 teaspoon paste (sub with lime), 3 dried Kashmiri chillies
- Add to this coriander stalks - just pinch out a handful from the main bunch and toss into pan, no need to chop it.1 handful coriander stalks
- Add in all the spices and mix it all together. You may need to dilute the consistency with water which you want to continue to add slowly to ensure its not runny.2 tablespoon besan (chickpea flour), 1.5 teaspoon coriander powder or roasted seeds, ¼ teaspoon garam masala (adjust to your spice level), 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder, ½ teaspoon spicy red chilli powder (adjust to your spice level), 2 tablespoon kasoori meethi, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar, ¼ cup water
- Let it simmer on low heat for couple mins and turn off, cool and the blend it into a food processor or blender into a paste.
- Store in a glass container and refrigerate for upto 3 days or freeze to last months.
Notes
This tikka paste is medium to spicy, depending on your heat tolerance. The main base uses dried Kashmiri red chilies, which are known more for their deep red color and mild smokiness than actual heat.
I’ve added red chilli powder and garam masala to bring that extra kick, so if you like it spicy (like I do), you’re going to love this. But if you prefer it milder, use a milder chilli powder or half the measurement and taste as you go.
Note: You want the paste to have a kick since it will end up being diluted when you add yogurt to it and pair with veggies and bread of your choice.