Gem Kitchen: Baked tofu curry

The easiest, simplified and hands-off version of tofu makhani (butter tofu) curry! No tempering spices, no sauteeing onions, no frying tofu. The oven takes care of everything for a fabulous silky Baked Tofu curry! Serve with rice for a delicious vegan dinner. Glutenfree Nutfree. Soyfree option.

Even better, we get all of this done within the same casserole dish. Fewer dishes = more time to relax.

This version uses canned tomato purée and coconut milk to get that creamy silky sauce! You can add other proteins such as veggies and chicken, soycurls or chickpeas to the sauce.

Your home will be filled with a tantalizing aroma while your curry is baking.

Serve this curry with rice and mop up all that delicious gravy with some hit roti or naan until the last drop is cleaned off your plate.

Baked Tofu Curry (vegan Tofu Makhani)

Prep: 10 minutes

Cook: 45 minutes

Total: 55 minutes

Servings: 4

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

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How to make baked tofu curry

US customary

4 tsp oil, divided

▢28 oz firm or extra firm tofu, pressed and cubed small

▢1.5 cups chopped onions

▢6 cloves garlic, minced

▢2 tsp minced ginger

▢2 hot green chili such as serrano or thai minced, Or use mild

▢4 tsp ground coriander

▢1/2 -1 tsp ground cumin

▢1 tsp ground cardamom

▢0.5 tsp black pepper

▢0.5 tsp cayenne, or Indian red chili powder

▢4 bay leaves

▢1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves, optional

▢32 oz tomato puree

▢28 oz coconut milk, or 1 1/4 cup of cashew milk

▢1.5 tsp salt

▢cilantro for garnish

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metric

4 tsp oil, divided

▢793.78 g firm or extra firm tofu, pressed and cubed small

▢240 g chopped onions

▢6 cloves garlic, minced

▢2 tsp minced ginger

▢2 hot green chili such as serrano or thai minced, Or use mild

▢4 tsp ground coriander

▢1/2 -1 tsp ground cumin

▢1 tsp ground cardamom

▢0.5 tsp black pepper

▢0.5 tsp cayenne, or Indian red chili powder

▢4 bay leaves

▢1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves, optional

▢907.18 g tomato puree

▢793.78 ml coconut milk, or 1 1/4 cup of cashew milk

▢1.5 tsp salt

▢cilantro for garnish

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Instructions

1. Brush the oil all over a large baking dish. Add the pressed and cubed Tofu to 1 side of the baking dish, and toss well to coat with some of the oil.

2. On the other side of the baking dish, add the onion, garlic, ginger, chili, and all of the spices, and a good pinch of salt, and mix well to coat. You can add a few sprinkles of water and mix so the spices and oil are evenly distributed on the onion. Then bake at 400 degrees F (205 c) for 12-15 minutes, or until the onion is golden and the tofu is slightly crisp on the sides.

3. Take the baking dish out of the oven, and add in the tomato puree, canned coconut milk, and salt, and mix well, then even it out with a spatula. Put it back in the oven to bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened to preference. Sauce will be more viscous when hot but thickens on cooking

4. Take the dish out of the oven, garnish with cilantro, some coconut cream, and serve with rice or flat bread. You can also add in some vegan butter just before serving.

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Notes

To make this soy free, you can use chickpeas, or chickpea tofu. You can use 1 can of chickpeas or 2 cups of cubed chickpea tofu.

You can also use fresh tomatoes, pureed. Use 3 fresh tomatoes pureed, and add in 2 tbsp of tomato paste instead of the canned tomato puree.

Spices: I use pretty fresh and potent spices. If yours are old or you prefer more spiced sauces, double up on the ground spices. You can also add in 1/2-1 tsp garam masala. Non Indian brands of garam masala usually do not have right balance of flavors, so either use an Indian brand or make your own.

Stove top: Crisp up the tofu first in a bit of oil then remove from the skillet. Then add the oil, spices and onion garlic chili and cook until golden. Add the rest and bring to a boil, add in tofu and continue to simmer for 15 mins.

Nutrition

Calories: 354kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 22g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Sodium: 487mg, Potassium: 770mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 640IU, Vitamin C: 16mg, Calcium: 176mg, Iron: 7mg

Ingredients

• we need firm or extra firm tofu for this recipe. We want to press the tofu and cut it into cubes

• onions, garlic, and ginger, and green chili form the base of our gravy

• Indian spices for that authentic touch: ground coriander, cumin, cardamom, black pepper, and cayenne will have your taste buds enjoying this dish

• bay leaves add more depth of flavor to the gravy. You could use curry leaves instead

• dried fenugreek leaves are an optional ingredient but it adds that authentic touch to the curry

• tomato puree lends sweetness, acidity, body, and color to the tofu curry sauce

• coconut milk makes this a rich and creamy curry. For a coconut-free version, use cashew milk

MORE INDIAN COMFORT FOOD

Baked Madras curry Tofu

Baked Balti Veggies

Veggie curry casserole

Butter Tofu- GF

IP Tikka Masala Simmer Sauce GF

Tofu in Spinach Curry – Saag Tofu

Vegetable Jalfrezi

(c) https://www.veganricha.com/baked-tofu-curry/

X Johanna