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Canning tikka masala simmer sauce lets you turn a pile of tomatoes into a richly spiced pantry sauce that is ready for easy weeknight curries. It has all the warm flavor of a tikka masala inspired tomato base, but in a shelf-stable jar you can keep on hand for months.
Table of Contents
- Why you’ll love easy simmer sauce recipe!
- A Quick Look at the Recipe
- Ingredients for Tikka Masala Sauce
- How to Make Canning Tikka Masala Simmer Sauce
- Canning Tikka Masala Simmer Sauce
- Serving Ideas
- Simmer Sauce Canning FAQs
- Indian Inspired Canning Recipes
- Canning Tikka Masala Simmer Sauce Recipe
- Tomato Canning Recipes
This recipe has been reviewed for safety and accuracy by a Master Food Preserver certified through the University of Cornell Cooperative Extension.
This recipe starts with a tested seasoned tomato sauce from the University of Alaska and keeps the same tomato, onion, and garlic proportions for safe canning. The seasonings are changed to create a tikka masala style simmer sauce, with warm spices, a little heat, and enough depth to make an easy pantry meal later on.
I love recipes like this because they bridge the gap between plain pantry staples and a finished meal starter. Instead of opening a jar of basic tomato sauce and seasoning it from scratch, you already have a sauce on the shelf that is most of the way there.
This is also a nice option for anyone who cans a lot of tomatoes and wants more variety in the pantry. It is not a fully finished tikka masala with dairy added, but it gives you an excellent base for chicken, chickpeas, paneer, or vegetables once you open the jar.
Why you’ll love easy simmer sauce recipe!
If you like stocking your pantry with meal starters, this one is especially handy. The sauce is thick, well seasoned, and ready to turn into dinner with just a few additions at serving time.
It is also a great way to use a big batch of tomatoes without making another batch of marinara or basic tomato sauce. The spice blend gives it a completely different direction, while the canning method stays familiar and straightforward.
I really like having jars like this on the shelf because they save so much time on busy days. When I open one, I can turn it into dinner with chicken, cream, chickpeas, or whatever I have on hand, and it feels like much more than plain tomato sauce.
A Quick Look at the Recipe
- Recipe Name: Canning Tikka Masala Simmer Sauce
- Recipe Type: Tomato Simmer Sauce
- Canning Method: Waterbath Canning or Pressure Canning
- Prep/Cook Time: About 3 1/2 to 4 hours
- Canning Time: 35 minutes in a water bath or 15 minutes in a pressure canner
- Yield: About 5 pints
- Jar Sizes: Half Pint or Pint
- Headspace: 1/2 inch
- Ingredients Overview: Tomatoes, onions, garlic, dry spices, bottled lime juice or citric acid
- Safe Canning Recipe Source: Adapted from a tested seasoned tomato sauce recipe from the University of Alaska and Bernardin, with the dry seasonings changed
- Difficulty: Moderate. There is a bit of prep and simmering time, but the actual process is simple if you have made home canned tomato sauce before.
- Similar Recipes: This recipe is similar to other tomato based sauces and meal starters, like Roasted Tomato Basil Soup and Southwest Tomato Soup, and it has a similar flavor profile to other Indian inspired full meal in a jar recipes, like Canning Chicken Curry or Canning Vindaloo Curry.
Ingredients for Tikka Masala Sauce
This recipe starts with a classic tomato sauce canning base and builds flavor with a warm spice blend inspired by tikka masala. The finished result is a thick, smooth simmer sauce that is ready to turn into an easy meal after opening.
- Tomatoes: The main body of the sauce, providing texture, acidity, and yield.
- Onions: Add sweetness, depth, and savory flavor.
- Garlic: Gives the sauce a stronger aromatic base.
- Ground coriander: Adds citrusy warmth that is common in tikka masala style dishes.
- Ground cumin: Brings earthy depth and helps create that familiar curry flavor.
- Paprika: Adds color and mild pepper flavor.
- Turmeric: Gives warm earthiness and classic curry character.
- Ginger powder: Adds gentle warmth and a little brightness.
- Garam masala: Brings a finishing layer of warm spice.
- Black pepper: Adds mild heat and complexity.
- Cayenne: Provides adjustable heat.
- Salt: Rounds out the overall flavor.
- Sugar: Softens the acidity of the tomatoes and balances the spices.
- Bottled lime juice or citric acid: Ensures proper acidification for safe canning.
You do have a little flexibility here, but the important thing is to keep the tomato to onion and garlic ratio the same. The dry spice mix can be adjusted to your taste, so you can make it milder or a bit more assertive.
You can also choose bottled lime juice or citric acid for acidification. If you are working from pantry ingredients instead of fresh tomatoes, 10 pounds prepared tomatoes works out to about 20 cups peeled, cored, and diced tomatoes, or about five 28-ounce cans of peeled diced tomatoes with their juice included.
It’s important to note that the tomatoes are weighted after preparation, so you’ll need closer to 15 to 18 pounds as purchased, depending on the type of tomatoes you choose.
How to Make Canning Tikka Masala Simmer Sauce
This sauce comes together much like any other seasoned tomato sauce for canning, with a long simmer, a pass through the food mill, and a final cook-down until thick.
Prepare the Tomatoes
Start by peeling, coring, and chopping the tomatoes. Finely chop the onions and mince the garlic so everything cooks down evenly in the pot.
Combine the Ingredients
Place the tomatoes, onions, garlic, coriander, cumin, paprika, turmeric, ginger powder, garam masala, black pepper, cayenne, salt, and sugar in a large saucepan or stockpot. Stir everything together and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat.
Simmer the Sauce
Once the pot reaches a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. This initial simmer softens the vegetables, melds the spices, and prepares the mixture for milling.
Mill and Reduce
Press the hot sauce through a food mill and discard the seeds and any remaining skins. If you were thorough in your initial peeling and seeding, you can use a blender or immersion blender instead of a food mill. Either way, you want to turn your chunky base into a smooth sauce.
Return the smooth sauce to the pot and cook it over medium-high heat until it thickens, stirring frequently so it does not scorch on the bottom.
Canning Tikka Masala Simmer Sauce
Prepare your jars, lids, and canner while the sauce finishes reducing. Add acid directly to each jar before filling. Use 1 tablespoon bottled lime juice per pint or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid per pint.
Ladle the hot sauce into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe the rims, apply the lids, and tighten the bands to fingertip tight.
This recipe gives you a choice between waterbath canning and pressure canning. Both methods require you to add lime juice to the jars and properly acidify them before canning. You cannot skip that step, even when pressure canning!
Waterbath Canning
For water bath canning, process half-pints or pints for 35 minutes, adjusting for altitude.
The altitude adjustments for water bath canning tikka masala simmer sauce are as follows:
- For Under 1,000 Feet in Elevation – 35 minutes for half-pints and pints
- For 1,001 to 6,000 Feet in Elevation – 40 minutes for half-pints and pints
- Above 6,000 Feet in Elevation – 45 minutes for half-pints and pints
Pressure Canning
For pressure canning, process half-pints or pints for 15 minutes at 11 pounds pressure in a dial-gauge canner or 10 pounds pressure in a weighted-gauge canner, adjusting pressure for altitude as needed.
With pressure canning, the processing times stay the same at higher altitudes, but the pressures change. Here are the altitude adjustments for pressure canning:
For dial gauge pressure canners:
- 0 to 2,000 feet in elevation – 11 lbs pressure
- 2,001 to 4,000 feet in elevation – 12 lbs pressure
- 4,001 to 6,000 feet in elevation – 13 lbs pressure
- 6,001 to 8,000 feet in elevation – 14 lbs pressure
For weighted gauge pressure canners:
- 0 to 1,000 feet in elevation – 10 lbs pressure
- Above 1,000 feet – 15 lbs pressure
When the canning time is complete, turn off the heat and let the jars rest briefly before removing them to a towel-lined counter. Let them cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours, then check seals, remove bands, label, and store.
Serving Ideas
Use this as a base for quick chicken tikka masala by simmering the sauce with cooked chicken and stirring in a little heavy cream, coconut cream or yogurt after opening. It is also excellent with chickpeas, paneer, roasted cauliflower, or lentils.
You cannot add the dairy or coconut before canning, but it’s easily added at serving. The amounts used vary widely by recipe, and I’ve seen some recipes calling for as little as 1/2 cup yogurt per pint and others calling for as much as 2 cups yogurt per pint. It’s really a matter of personal taste.
I also like to use it as a skillet sauce for meatballs or as a braising sauce for cooked vegetables. Spoon it over rice, tuck it into wraps, or serve it with naan for an easy pantry meal.
Simmer Sauce Canning FAQs
Yes, as long as you start with a tested tomato sauce canning recipe and only change the dry seasonings while keeping the tomato, onion, and garlic proportions the same. You also need to follow the required acidification and processing instructions.
No, dairy and fats like butter should not be added before canning in this recipe. For a classic tikka masala finish, stir those in after opening the jar and reheating the sauce.
Yes. Ten pounds prepared tomatoes is about 20 cups peeled, cored, and diced tomatoes. That is roughly equal to five 28-ounce cans of peeled diced tomatoes with the juice included and not drained.
That depends on how much cayenne you use. At 1/2 teaspoon, the sauce has mild to moderate warmth. At 1 teaspoon, it has a more noticeable kick, but it is still a simmer sauce that can be mellowed further when served with cream or yogurt.
Indian Inspired Canning Recipes
If you tried this Tikka Masala Sauce Canning Recipe, or any other recipe on Creative Canning, leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know what you think in the 📝 comments below!
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Canning Tikka Masala Simmer Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 pounds tomatoes, weighed after peeling, coring & chopping, prepared weight, see notes
- 2 1/2 cups onions, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp ground coriander
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- 1 Tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 to 1 tsp cayenne
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
For Acidification (per jar)
- Bottled lime juice, 1 tablespoon per pint, or
- Citric acid, 1/4 teaspoon per pint
Instructions
- Prepare a large stockpot, food mill, jars, lids, and your canner.
- Place the chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic, coriander, cumin, paprika, turmeric, ginger powder, garam masala, black pepper, cayenne, salt, and sugar into a large saucepan or stockpot. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Press the mixture through a food mill and discard the seeds and any skins that remain.
- Return the milled sauce to the pot and cook over medium-high heat until thick, stirring frequently to prevent scorching.
- Add 1 tablespoon bottled lime juice or 1/4 teaspoon citric acid to each hot pint jar.
- Ladle the hot sauce into jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe rims, apply lids, and tighten bands to fingertip tight.
Waterbath Canning Instructions
- Process in a boiling water bath for 35 minutes for half-pints or pints under 1,000 feet in elevation. Between 1,000 and 6,000 feet, process for 40 minutes, and above 6,000 feet, process jars for 45 minutes.
Pressure Canning Instructions
- Alternatively, process in a pressure canner for 15 minutes for half-pints or pints at 11 pounds pressure in a dial-gauge canner or 10 pounds pressure in a weighted-gauge canner, adjusting pressure for altitude using standard pressure canning altitude adjustments.
- Remove the jars and let them cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours. Check seals before storing.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tomato Canning Recipes
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Made 2 batches and canned! Thanks so much! Please keep making these simmer sauce recipes, this was a winner. Can’t wait to pop this open on a weeknight!
Lovely!
This was delicious! I canned this back in March and just tried it today. I will definitely make more since tomatoes are still in season.
Love, love, love this! My family asks me to make it all the time. So easy to pop open the jar, pour it in a blender and add a can of coconut milk. So very good. It’s important to do the blender part – it makes it smooth like what you get in restaurants. I’ve even used it over chunked rotisserie chicken. Awesome.