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
SCALE
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 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- a small pile of cilantro stems
- a fistful of almonds
- 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.
