Tikka Masala is an Indian dish usually made with Chicken, as well as some combination of creams and tomato sauce. I realized this old favorite would be an easy dish to re-create raw. It includes several optimizations that can be foregone to save time and effort. The quickest version of this recipe can be made with two cups of coconut milk, no almond milk, and no irish moss. I recommend going all the way if you want to imitate its namesake - it will still be quick and easy.
1 cup almond milk*
1 cup young coconut milk (not just coconut water!)
1/4 cup tightly-packed sun-dried tomatoes, soaked
1 small vine tomato
1
small clove garlic (or 1/2 large)
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp salt
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala**
1 tsp
cumin
Approx 1/4 oz irish moss (optional, for thickening) (rinsed well and soaked for at least 3 hours)
2 large portobello mushrooms, cut into bite-size pieces
- Blend almond milk and irish moss until completely smooth
- Add all of the remaining ingredients except portobello and blend until it reaches approx 105 degrees (You will need a vitamix for this)
- Stir in portobello and serve with zucchini rice or essene bread. Optional:
Allow portobello to marinate for 10-15 minutes to absorb the flavor.
* I used almond milk made with equal measurements water and almonds, resulting in a thicker milk. This makes a better substitute for the heavy cream or half-and-half that would be used in a non-raw Tikka Masala. Less necessary if irish moss is being used.
** Garam masala is an Indian spice blend. When purchased from the store, it won't be raw. The spices will have been toasted to release their flavor, and often the final result is steam-treated. I made my own, but had to improvise heavily as the recipe I found was somewhat wanting. If you aren't 100% raw, the exception is minor. If you are, a quick google should yield a number of possible recipes. If you don't have the time for this step, you can sub 1 additional tsp cumin, but I highly recommend using some form of this excellent spice blend.
