Dairy Free Lamb Tikka Masala is a warming and comforting easy to make family meal. This recipe is gluten, dairy, and top 8 allergens free.
Jump to:
- Why We Like This Dairy Free Lamb Tikka Masala Recipe
- Ingredients
- The Ingredient Low Down for Dairy Free Lamb Tikka Masala
- Instructions/ Directions and Tips
- Substitutions
- Variations /Adaptations
- Equipment
- Storage and Reheating Instructions
- Storage
- Top Tip
- What To Serve With
- Other Recipes You May Enjoy
- 📖 Recipe
- Food Safety
- Latest Posts
- 💬 Comments
Why We Like This Dairy Free Lamb Tikka Masala Recipe
Allergen Friendly Lamb Tikka Masala is an easy dish for us to make and let bubble away. It is a low fuss way for us to feed our larger family with little work. This Lamb Masala is mild enough for the kids to love it and full of flavour for us adults. This dish freezes really well so it can be used on nights when in a rush but there is no sacrifice of a great meal. It also is an excellent make ahead meal or meal prep choice.
We buy our lamb meat right from a local farmer so we get a myriad of cuts. We enjoy this recipe as it showcases the meat and its flavour while not overwhelming it.
Ingredients
- Neutral Oil
- Onion
- Garlic Cloves
- Ground Ginger
- Tikka Masala Spice Mix
- Diced Tomatoes, with their own juice
- Tomato Paste
- Water
- Lamb, cubed and trimmed of fat
- Coconut Cream
- Coconut Milk
- Lemon Juice
See recipe card for quantities.
The Ingredient Low Down for Dairy Free Lamb Tikka Masala
Neutral Oil
Use an oil that is safest for you. We use canola but it isn’t safe for everyone. Avoid using Ghee as it is not dairy free. Ghee is clarified butter often used in South Asian cooking. It is lactose free but not safe for anyone with a dairy allergy.
Onion
White or yellow onions work best in this recipe with colour and flavour. Shallots are too mild to use in this specific lamb masala recipe.
Ground Ginger
We use dried ground ginger for ease and with what was on hand. If you prefer fresh ginger it can be finely minced and cooked in with the onion and garlic until softened.
Tikka Masala Spice Mix
We use a pre-mixed Tikka spice blend we purchase from a grocer in the UK that is safe for our family. There are options to buy a mix like the blend from Rani in that sells to the US, if it is safe for you or to make your own. There is a recipe at The Meal Garden that has an easy version. Homemade versions are usually dry roasted like the one from Whisk Affair which is more traditional but also more involved with harder to source ingredients. Always check all spices and spice blends for cross contact with allergens.
Lamb
Cubed and trimmed of fat, remove any bones when processing. We like to use a tougher cut and cook it a bit longer for this tikka masala dish.
Coconut Cream and Coconut Milk
We can get coconut cream in tins at our local grocery store. They are usually stocked in the international foods aisle near the coconut milk. If they are not readily available to get coconut cream chill a couple of cans of coconut milk overnight. This will separate the cream from the liquid. The cream will be solidified inthe cool fridge and can be scooped out. Save the liquid for another recipe or to replace a portion of the water when making rice.
The coconut milk should also come from a can rather than a carton and should be full fat no light for best resultsin this dairy free lamb tikka masala.
Lemon Juice
Fresh is the best for lemon juice in this recipe.
Instructions/ Directions and Tips
Step 1
In a very large deep pan, heat the neutral oil over medium heat.
Step 2
Add the onions and garlic and cook until translucent, about 5 mins.
Step 3
Sprinkle in ground ginger and tikka masala spices and cook for 2 minutes.
Step 4
Pour in diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Use the juices from the canned tomatoes to deglaze the pan.
Step 5
Stir in water.
Step 6
Dump in cubed lamb and stir well.
Step 7
Add coconut cream, coconut milk, and lemon juice and mix well.
Step 8
Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to keep simmering. Stir often and let simmer for 20-40 mins. This is a good time to make rice or the accompanying side dish. The dish is done when the sauce has thickened and the lamb is cooked.
Hint: The longer the dish cooks the better the flavour. Stir often to make sure there is no burning on the bottom as the sauce thickens and cooks down. When simmered for around 40 minutes great cuts of lamb will start to be fall apart tender.
Substitutions
- Subbing Coconut Cream and Milk - Can use unflavoured plain dairy free yoghurt instead of coconut milk. We do find this will separate with cooking more so than regular yoghurt will. It can give a bit of a grainy texture to the sauce. If canned coconut cream is difficult to come by, use all coconut milk. It may need to simmer a bit longer. Gluten Free Oat milk can be used
- Tomato/ Pumpkin - We have not tried to make it with pumpkin but if you are not able to have tomatoes it MIGHT be possible to replace the tomato with pumpkin or another cooked squash puree. If you do try this please let us know how it goes.
- Vegetarian - Instead of using lamb chickpeas or jackfruit can be used in place of meat. The jackfruit can be shredded after cooking for a more meat-like texture. Chickpeas will provide a great protein alternative.
Variations /Adaptations
- Spicy - Adding a hot curry powder to the spice mix will give this mild dish more of a kick.
- A Different Meat - This recipe can be made with chicken, beef, bison, venison, or pork instead of lamb.
- Kid friendly -
Equipment
Very large deep pan - like a wok - there is a fair amount of liquid going in to cook for this dish and it will need stirring so a deeper sider and a flat bottom on this cooking pan are easier to use.
Knife and Cutting Board - For chopping and mincing the onions, garlic, and trimming the meat.
Measuring Cups and Spoons - for measuring the ingredients.
Utensils to Stir and Serve - We use soy free silicone utensils that are easy to clean and reserved solely for cooking allergen free food in our home.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
If storing leftovers do take care with rice as it can be less safe than most foods to keep as a leftover due to its risk of food poisoning. We recommend making fresh rice with leftovers for food safety or following the NHS food handling guidelines on cooling and storing any leftover rice within one hour.
Storage
-Fridge
In the fridge in a sealed container this dish will keep for up to 3 days.
-Freezer
In a well sealed container Dairy Free Lamb Tikka Masala will keep frozen for up to 3 months.
Reheating
Thaw the Lamb Masala before reheating.
-Stove Top
In a pot over medium heat heat the Dairy Free Lamb Tikka Masala with ¼ cup of water. Bring to a simmer, stirring often. Ensure it is heated to a safe even heat before serving.
- Microwave
In a microwave safe bowl place one portion of Lamb Tikka Masala and tablespoon of water. Heat 1 minute and 30 seconds. Stir well and check to see how hot it is. Reheat for another 30 seconds. Stir again and check to ensure it is heated through. If not, heat for another 20 seconds, stir, and re-check. Repeat as needed.
Top Tip
The top tip for this recipe has to be to dry roast the spices right before using them in the recipe. When I was first learning to cook I would ask everyone their kitchen tips. This was especially important to me to ask people who had been cooking dishes from other cultures than mine. I worked with one lady who grew up cooking curries, vindaloo, and masala. She taught me to always dry roast my spices before using them for the best fullest flavour.
Anytime we cook with spices now no matter if it is south Asian inspired dishes or American ones we use this tip. Before we make this dish when the pan has come to temperature we give the spices a 2 minutes in the hot pan whilst constantly stirring. When done they go in a bowl next and are reserved for when they are needed in the recipe.
What To Serve With
We pretty much always serve this Dairy Free Lamb Tikka Masala with rice. Usually basmati or jasmine are the best for this dish. Coconut rice makes a great side dish with this meal. If rice is not safe or you want to change it up, quinoa is a great alternative or cauliflower rice. Gluten free, dairy free, top 8 free naan makes a fab carb side. We also love homemade spinach in a South Asian style with any Tikka Masala.
Other Recipes You May Enjoy
📖 Recipe
Equipment
- Very large deep pan like a wok
- Knife and Cutting Board
- Measuring Cups
- Utensil to stir
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Neutral Oil
- 1 Large Onion finely diced
- 6 Garlic Cloves minced
- 2 teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 3 Tbsps Tikka Masala spice mix
- 14 oz can Diced Tomatoes with their own juice
- 1 tablespoon Tomato Paste
- ⅔ C Water
- 1.5 Lbs Lamb cubed and trimmed of fat
- 14 oz can Coconut Cream
- 14 oz can Coconut Milk
- 2 tbsps Lemon Juice
Instructions
- In a very large deep pan, heat the neutral oil over medium heat.
- Add the onions and garlic and cook until translucent, about 5 mins.
- Sprinkle in ground ginger and tikka masala spices and cook for 2 minutes.
- Pour in diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Use the juices from the canned tomatoes to deglaze the pan.
- Stir in water.
- Dump in cubed lamb and stir well.
- Add coconut cream, coconut milk, and lemon juice and mix well.
- Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to keep simmering. Stir often and let simmer for 20-40 mins. This is a good time to make rice or the accompanying side dish.
- The dish is done when the sauce has thickened and the lamb is cooked.
Notes
Nutrition
Food Safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Contact the manufacturer of products, regarding cross contact and ingredients, to ensure they are safe for you
- Always check ingredients for allergens
- Do not use the same utensils on allergen free food, that previously touched allergens
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
Have you made this recipe? Please leave a comment and us know how much you liked it.