This post may contain affiliate links. Read full disclosure here.
Tikka Masala simmer sauce is a great way to store ready to heat and eat flavor right on your pantry shelf. Simply add your favorite protein, simmer and serve!
My family absolutely loves Asian and Indian inspired cooking, and those rich flavors really warm us up on cold Vermont winter nights. I’m always looking for a way to incorporate those flavors into my cooking, but sometimes it’s tricky on a busy weeknight. It takes time to fully extract the richness of spices into a finished meal…but that can happen right in the jar when you can tikka masala sauce.
It becomes a rich, flavorful meal in a jar base that you can simmer your favorite protein in at a moment’s notice. It works well with chicken or pork, but it’s also great as a vegetarian main dish with chickpeas and potatoes.
If you want a richer curry, you can add a can of coconut milk at serving as well (but that cannot go into the jar for canning). It’s already in a can anyway, so you’re just opening up two cans instead of one at serving, no big deal.
This particualr recipe for tikka masala simmer sauce is reprinted with permission from Not Your Mama’s Canning Book by Rebecca Lindamood, and it’s just one of the unique (and delicious) canning recipes found inside.
Reprinted with permission from Not Your Mama’s Canning Book by Rebecca Lindamood. Page Street Publishing Co. 2016. Photo credit: Rebecca Lindamood.
There are very few things that are more comforting than a bubbling pot full of tikka masala, whether it be chicken, potato or chickpea-based. It is equally true that nothing compares to the bliss that is eating homemade tikka masala on the couch in your jammies.
With a few jars of this fragrant, hearty sauce on your shelves, it’ll take you longer to cook the rice than the tikka masala.
Ingredients for Tikka Masala Simmer Sauce
To make 6 pints of Tikka Masala Sauce, you will need:
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 3 large onions, peeled and diced
- 12 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 2 tsp (10 g) kosher salt
- 3 tbsp (22 g) garam masala spice blend
- 6-inch (15-cm) piece of ginger, peeled and grated
- 3 fresh jalapeño peppers, stems and seeds removed, minced
- 12 cups (1.9 kg) cored, peeled, diced tomatoes
This is a pressure canning recipe, so it does not have added acidity in the sauce. Do not water bath can this recipe!
Canning Tikka Masala Simmer Sauce
In a large, stainless steel stockpot or preserving pot over medium heat, stir together the olive oil, diced onions, minced garlic and salt. Sauté until the onions are partially translucent and have some small amounts of light golden brown around the edges, about 8 to 10 minutes. Sprinkle the garam masala over the onions and stir well. Toast until the spice is fragrant and then stir in the ginger and minced jalapeño
peppers. Stir and cook for 1 more minute. Add the tomatoes to the pot and stir well, raising the heat to medium-high. Continue stirring until you bring the mixture to a boil. Take care to keep scraping the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching, and drop the heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring well frequently.
Ladle into pint (475 ml) jars, leaving a generous 1 inch (2.5 cm) headspace at the top of the jar. Use a chopstick to release any air bubbles in the jar and adjust the level, if needed, by adding more. Moisten a paper towel with vinegar and use to wipe the rims of the jars. Fix jar lids in place and tighten them appropriately.
Process in a pressure canner according to the manufacturer’s instructions at 10 pounds of pressure for 30 minutes (adjusting for altitude, see below). Let the canner come back to atmospheric pressure naturally, then open the lid and transfer to a towel-lined rack to cool undisturbed for 24 hours. Remove any rings, wash and label the jars and store in a cool, dry place for up to 1 year.
Altitude Adjustments for Tikka Masala Sauce
The total canning time does not change with altitude when pressure canning, but the pressure level does change at higher elevations. It also changes depending on the type of canner you’re using.
Be sure you know whether you’re working with a dial gauge canner (presto type) or a weighted gauge canner (all-American type).
Dial Gauge Canners
- 0 to 2,000 feet in elevation use 11 pounds of pressure
- 2,001 to 4,000 feet in elevation use 12 pounds of pressure
- 4,001 to 6,000 feet in elevation use 13 pounds of pressure
- 6,001 to 8,000 feet in elevation use 14 pounds of pressure
Weighted Gauge Canners
- 0 to 1,000 Feet in elevation use 10 pounds of pressure
- Above 1,000 Feet in elevation use 15 pounds of pressure
Serving Tikka Masala Simmer Sauce
To serve tikka masala sauce, simply pour the contents into a saucepan and add in your favorite protein. Cannned chickpeas work well as a vegetarian option, but you can also use diced chicken, pork or any other protein you prefer.
Simmer the protein in the sauce for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the meat is cooked through and tender. In the case of beans, 10 to 15 minutes works well, until they’re heated through and have absorbed some of the flavors of the sauce.
Optionally, you can add a can of coconut milk as the meal simmers, to add more flavor and richness. Tikka masala often has added coconut milk, but it cannot be added when pressure canning the sauce. It’s in a can already, right on your pantry shelf, so you can just open both at the same time to prepare the finished meal.
Serve over rice.
Asian and Indian Inspired Canning Recipes
Want to add a little spice to your canning pantry?
Canning Tikka Masala Simmer Sauce
There are very few things that are more comforting than a bubbling pot full of tikka masala, whether it be chicken, potato or chickpea based. It is equally true that nothing compares to the bliss that is eating homemade tikka masala on the couch in your jammies. With a few jars of this fragrant, hearty sauce on your shelves, it’ll take you longer to cook the rice than the tikka masala.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 3 large onions, peeled and diced
- 12 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 2 tsp (10 g) kosher salt
- 3 tbsp (22 g) garam masala spice blend
- 6-inch (15-cm) piece of ginger, peeled and grated
- 3 fresh jalapeño peppers, stems and seeds removed, minced
- 12 cups (1.9 kg) cored, peeled, diced tomatoes
Instructions
- In a large, stainless steel stockpot or preserving pot over medium heat, stir together the olive oil, diced onions, minced garlic and salt. Sauté until the onions are partially translucent and have some small amounts of light golden brown around the edges, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle the garam masala over the onions and stir well. Toast until the spice is fragrant and then stir in the ginger and minced jalapeño peppers. Stir and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the tomatoes to the pot and stir well, raising the heat to medium-high.
- Continue stirring until you bring the mixture to a boil. Take care to keep scraping the bottom of the pot to prevent scorching, and drop the heat to low.
- Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring well frequently.
- Ladle into pint (475 ml) jars, leaving a generous 1 inch (2.5 cm) headspace at the top of the jar. Use a chopstick to release any air bubbles in the jar and adjust the level, if needed, by adding more. Moisten a paper towel with vinegar and use to wipe the rims of the jars. Fix jar lids in place and tighten them appropriately.
- Process in a pressure canner according to the manufacturer’s instructions at 10 pounds of pressure for 30 minutes. Let the canner come back to atmospheric pressure naturally, then open the lid and transfer to a towel-lined rack to cool undisturbed for 24 hours. Remove any rings, wash and label the jars and store in a cool, dry place for up to 1 year.
Notes
• If you want to make Tikka Masala Sauce and tomatoes aren’t in season, don’t be afraid! You can substitute canned diced tomatoes (regular OR fire-roasted) for the fresh tomatoes. It will still be wonderful!
• Garam masala is a lot easier to find in moderately stocked grocery stores than it used to be, but if you can’t lay hands on it locally, you can order it via Amazon.com OR make your own! Google is thick with homemade garam masala blends and it is mercifully constructed of easy-to-find individual components.
Altitude Adjustments for Tikka Masala Sauce
The total canning time does not change with altitude when pressure canning, but the pressure level does change at higher elevations. It also changes depending on the type of canner you're using.
Be sure you know whether you're working with a dial gauge canner (presto type) or a weighted gauge canner (all-American type).
Dial Gauge Canners:
- 0 to 2,000 feet in elevation use 11 pounds of pressure
- 2,001 to 4,000 feet in elevation use 12 pounds of pressure
- 4,001 to 6,000 feet in elevation use 13 pounds of pressure
- 6,001 to 8,000 feet in elevation use 14 pounds of pressure
Weighted Gauge Canners:
- 0 to 1,000 Feet in elevation use 10 pounds of pressure
- Above 1,000 Feet in elevation use 15 pounds of pressure
Vegetarian Canning Recipes
Need a few more meatless meal-in-a-jar canning recipes?
- Canning Carrot Soup
- Canning Butternut Squash Soup Base
- Canning Butternut and White Bean Soup
- Canning Thai Coconut Squash Soup
Leave a Reply