Switch on your Instant Pot on saute mode, and add in oil. Once warm, add in hing and cumin.
Now throw in the whole spices, onion, ginger, garlic, and salt. Stir it for a minute.
Now add in the remaining spices cashew, melon seeds, and raisins, followed by ½ cup of water. Except for cardamom.
Stir and cook for a minute. Now add in tomatoes, some more salt, and stir well.
Close the lid and move the black knob to the sealing position.
Press MANUAL, low pressure for 8 minutes.
Once the silver pin drops down, open the lid and discard the bay leaf.
Now, either use an immersion blender to crush the mixture and pass it through a fine mesh sieve or let the mixture cool down and blend it in a high-speed blender.
Stir in the cardamom.
Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. You can always adjust it when you are actually using the curry sauce.
The spice level of this tikka masala sauce is 6 on 10. 10 being hot. I keep it on the mild side to accommodate kids. Consider this sauce as a blank canvas. You can always make it spicier later. Always adjust it to your taste.Stove-top pressure cooker and open flame cooking instructions are given above in the post.
Easy nearest substitutes
If you do not have whole spices, then add an extra teaspoon of garam masala.
You can add 1 Badi elaichi and shahi jeera if you have it.
If tomatoes are not juicy or the gravy is too thick, add some water to adjust the consistency, ¼th cup at a time.
Swap fresh tomatoes with canned crushed tomatoes, not puree.
Substitute nuts with ¼ cup of sunflower seed butter.
Add an extra ¼ cup of cashews instead of melon seeds if the latter is unavailable.
Swap raisins with 1 tablespoon of sugar, honey, agave, or maple towards the end of cooking.
Dried fenugreek leaves impart a lot of flavors, if it is unavailable just skip it. Make sure you use freshly chopped cilantro towards the end when preparing this sauce for a meal.
Pro tips to make the best!
Use this recipe as a guide. If you are missing spice in your pantry, look into the "substitute list."
Remember that the ratio of onions to tomatoes in this curry sauce is 1:3.
Adjust the red chili spice to your taste, as it varies for everyone.
Keep the curry base on the milder side if feeding kids. You can always add more spice later.
Add a little bit more water while blending to adjust the consistency if needed.
An immersion blender is great, but if you want a silky smooth sauce, then blend it in your high-speed blender.
Do not add any dairy (milk or cream) if you intend to freeze this sauce. You can always add it later when making the final dish as it is drizzled towards the end of the cooking.
I am not adding kasoori methi to this curry sauce. You need to add it towards the end when you will actually use it.
Storage and shelf-life.
It stays well in the refrigerator for 4 days. Just keep it covered in an airtight container.
You can make a big batch of this sauce and freeze it in freezer-safe ziplock bags, containers, or ice cube trays.
Freeze in one-time use proportion. Thaw over kitchen counter until softened or directly add it to the pan and warm on low heat until it turns into a smooth consistency.