Description
30 Minute Masala Sauce! made with onions, garlic, turmeric, cumin, chili powder, lemon juice, cilantro, tomatoes, and coconut milk. Perfect sauce for veggie or chicken tikka masala! Vegetarian / Vegan
Ingredients
For the Masala Paste:
- 2 onions (I used one yellow, one purple)
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, crushed
- 3 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 cup almonds
- a small pile of cilantro stems
- juice of one lemon
For the Masala Sauce:
- 1 1/2 cups tomato puree + 1/2 cup water or broth
- 1 14–ounce can coconut milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (taste and adjust)
Instructions
- Masala Paste: Pulse all the ingredients for the Masala Paste in a food processor until smooth.
- Masala Sauce: Heat a drizzle of oil in a skillet. Add 1/4 cup masala paste to the skillet (not all of it! reserve the rest for future use – yay you!) and with a little bit of oil and stir around in the pan until fragrant (3-5 minutes). If you’re making this with chicken or another protein, this is a good time to add your protein to the pan. Add the tomato puree and water and simmer until t’s a rusty-deep-red color – about 5-10 minutes. Add the coconut milk; simmer for 10 minutes or so until thick and creamy. Longer simmer = thicker and better flavor.
Notes
Store the paste in a jar in the fridge for about a week or store in the freezer for, well, for probably forever. This sauce is great for making homemade chicken tikka masala, but it also goes with just about anything ever – kind of like a curry. We made this with butternut squash, chicken, and the meatless-meatballs that are pictured. Served over rice… mmmhmmmm. SO GOOD.
If you’re looking for a smoother masala sauce, like this Chicken Tikka Masala, just omit the almonds from the paste. If you prefer a chunkier paste, keep the almonds in.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Category: Sauce
- Cuisine: Indian
Keywords: masala sauce, masala paste, indian masala sauce