Mushroom tikka masala features tender yogurt-marinated mushrooms in a rich, spicy tikka masala sauce and served over fluffy rice with lots of cilantro on top.
We love Indian food around here and we could honestly eat it every day if given the choice.
Making it healthier, vegetarian, and for a fraction of the price at home is also a pretty tempting offer though, gotta say.
Enter the vegetarian version of tikka masala. Mushroom-lovers, you’re gonna want to sit in on this one!
While there’s no debating how incredible classic chicken tikka masala is, this mushroom version is pretty much in a category of its own and it is GOOD.
Today, we basically just have the classic tikka masala sauce you know and love with the addition of earthy, hearty mushrooms.
It’s simple, homey, and literally exploding with flavors.
This Mushroom Tikka Masala features…
- Perfectly tender mushrooms marinated in a flavorful yogurt marinade
- A spicy, creamy classic tikka masala sauce
- Lots of hot basmati rice and fresh cilantro for serving
Making the Mushroom Tikka Masala
(scroll down to the bottom of post for the full recipe)
Ingredients You Will Need
- Mushrooms
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Serrano peppers
- Lemon juice
- Yogurt
- Spices
- Whole peeled tomatoes
- Tomato paste
- Yellow onion
- Heavy whipping cream
- Cilantro and rice for serving
Buying and Preparing Mushrooms
You won’t need any fancy, expensive mushrooms for this recipe. We recommend purchasing button or cremini mushrooms.
To prepare the mushrooms, rinse them well, remove the stems, and tear them into 1-in pieces. No need for a knife here, it’s easier to tear them with your hands!
Tips for Perfect Tikka Masala
- Marinate the mushrooms – we’re going to make a simple spiced yogurt marinade that you will want to allow your mushrooms to soak in for 30 minutes.
- Broil the mushrooms – once the mushrooms have marinated, spread them out onto a sheet pan (marinade and all) and broil several minutes until the mushrooms just begin to brown.
- Use fresh garlic + ginger – these two ingredients are building blocks to a lot of flavor in this tikka masala, so we recommend using fresh!
- Simmer the tikka masala sauce 30 minutes – we recommend making + simmering the sauce while the mushrooms marinate to efficiently manage your time. It’s important you allow the sauce to simmer at least 30 minutes, as this will help the flavors meld together.
- Puree sauce – you can use a blender, immersion blender, or a food processor to puree the sauce smooth.
- Add richness to the sauce – a splash of heavy cream adds a luxurious finish to the sauce and helps cut a little bit of the spiciness.
How to Adjust Spice Level
This tikka masala is very easy to adjust based on your spice preference! —>
Mild tikka masala: skip the serrano pepper or use a milder pepper such as jalapeno.
Medium tikka masala: use 1 serrano pepper and discard seeds.
Spicy tikka masala: use 2-3 serrano peppers and discard seeds.
Extra spicy tikka masala: use 3 serrano peppers and keep the seeds in or add more pepper to taste!
Make Ahead and Storing Instructions
This tikka masala is a dream to make ahead of time for easy dinners!
We recommend storing individual servings of tikka masala with rice in microwave-safe containers for easy heating + serving later. They will keep well in the fridge up to 6 days.
This tikka masala can also be frozen up to 1 month. Thaw completely in fridge then reheat to 165F on stovetop or in microwave.
Spicy, creamy, loaded with tender mushrooms…we’re just obsessed, y’all. This entire bowl is just a dream and there’s no missing the meat whatsoever!
Pro tip: make sure you have TONS of hot rice on the side for soaking up all that sauce!
Another pro tip, leftovers of this tikka masala absolutely rock, so make sure you stash them away accordingly.
If you love Indian dishes, you’ll love these similar recipes!
- Charred Sweet Corn Zucchini Coconut Curry
- Restaurant-Style Garlic Herb Naan Bread
- Red Thai Coconut Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry
Mushroom Tikka Masala
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Ingredients
Mushroom Marinade
- 1 cup plain full-fat yogurt
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1-1/2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1-1/2 lbs cremini or button mushrooms, stems removed and mushrooms torn into 1-in pieces
Tikka Masala
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1-3 small serrano peppers, finely chopped (based on your heat preference)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 can (28 oz) whole peeled tomatoes
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- Cilantro and hot basmati rice for serving
Instructions
Mushroom Marinade
- In a large bowl, whisk yogurt with garlic, ginger, lemon juice, and spices. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add mushrooms to bowl, folding to ensure they are evenly coated.
- Allow mushrooms to marinate at room temperature 30 minutes.
Tikka Masala
- In a dutch oven or large high-walled skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and serrano pepper and saute 3-5 minutes until just tender. Add garlic, ginger, spices, and tomato paste and cook 2-4 minutes until fragrant.
- Add tomatoes with their juices to pan, using a wooden spoon to break up tomatoes. Bring sauce to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and allow to gently simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven broiler to high. Lay mushrooms in a single layer on a greased baking sheet. Broil mushrooms 5-7 minutes until mushrooms begin to brown a bit. Remove from oven and set aside for a moment
- Transfer sauce to blender and blend until smooth. Return sauce to pan and return to medium heat and add mushrooms and heavy cream. Allow to simmer an additional 10 minutes.
- Season tikka masala with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot over basmati rice with cilantro on top. Enjoy!
Lola says
When broiling mushrooms, does the marinade get discarded or does it mostly stick to the mushrooms and go in the oven as well??
Sarah says
Hi Lola – great question! The marinade gets broiled with the mushrooms for extra flavor. If there is any water from the mushrooms left in the pan after broiling, that can be discarded.