Under 15 minutes mild Indian tofu curry is perfect for all weeknight dinners. This easy vegan, gluten-free, dorm -friendly is perfect with flatbreads, sourdough loaf or steamed rice.
One of the constant asks I come across is tofu curry next to butter chicken recipe. Since I cannot satisfy the chicken recipe, the least I can do is give you my recipe for the quickest Indian tofu curry. Now this is truly one that I rely on for a curry in a hurry.
Here are some reasons you will love this curry
Customisable: this is the perfect curry to make on a day you are cleaning up the fridge. One or two of the vegetables can all be added together to make this curry. You can add broccoli, cauliflower, squash, zucchini, carrot, beans or pumpkin you name it it can be in the curry.
Mild curry: this recipe for Indian tofu furry is not a spicy one. This makes a soothing meal rather than a typical spicy meal.
Plant-based: the curry is vegan ticks a lot more of the diet schedules.
Onion garlic free: there is no onion or garlic used in this recipe making it easy to use during festival times too.
Packed with flavour: though mild the curry packs in the fresh flavour of ginger and pepper that imparts an incredible aroma.
What type of tofu is best for this curry?
Slightly pressed firm tofu I’d best for this curry. With firm tofu, you can cut it into shape and while cooking it absorbs the flavours well. Since the firm tofu resembles paneer in a lot of ways, it would be easier to introduce it as an Indian curry.
How to have this Indian tofu curry?
As I call this an Indian tofu curry, rice is my first choice. However, you can have it with Indian flatbreads like masala paratha, spinach phulka or triangle roti. Here is another interesting way of having this curry. Dunk in fresh rice noodles or pad Thai-style noodles and enjoy it as a soupy noodle version.
Ingredients for this Indian tofu curry
Tofu: Firm tofu is best to make this curry. I have never tried fried tofu, if you have success with fried tofu in this recipe, share it in the comments with us.
Vegetables: you can use a variety of vegetables like carrots, zucchini, broccoli and cauliflower, depending on what you have at home.
Spices: there are two varieties of spice mixes used in this curry. Firstly the pounded garlic, ginger, peppercorns, chilli and green cardamom are fried in oil. When the curry boils, cumin powder, turmeric powder and salt are used. If you can get fresh turmeric root, they taste better in this gravy.
Peanut butter: the creamy texture of gravy comes from the combination of peanut butter and coconut milk. The combination of spices with the peanut butter creates a luscious gravy.
Coconut milk: I have used a bit of coconut milk in this recipe. If fresh use the thinner coconut milk to make this recipe.
Let’s make tofu curry
Prep the tofu: Wash and press the tofu to remove excess water. This helps the tofu absorb the flavour and spices better. Cube the tofu and set aside.
Chop the vegetables: rough dice the veggies and set them aside. Keep the chunks slightly bigger so it is perfect for the bite.
Pound the masala: pound together the fresh ginger, garlic, green chilli, green cardamom and peppercorns. set this aside as this is the base masala that gets sauteed.
Cook the curry: To the pan add a bit of oil to which the masala pounded gets sautted first. To this add the tofu and veggies and saute well. Mix the peanut butter in warm water and add to the vegetables. As this boils add the cumin powder, salt and turmeric powder. Once the veggies are cooked and fork-tender, add the coconut milk and bring to a boil. once the flavours are well mixed the curry is ready to serve.
- Saute the pounded masala
- Tofu and veggies
- Add the peanut butter and coconut milk to the mix.
The recipe card below carries all the detailed quantities and step-by-step instructions to make this curry. Hope it comes in handy for you.
Indian tofu curry
Ingredients
tofu and veggies
- 250 grams tofu firm tofu is used in the recipe.
- 1 medium zucchini
- 1 small carrot
Spices
- 1 inch fresh ginger root
- 1 small green chilli
- 3-4 cloves garlic
- 2 pods green cardamom powder
- 6-10 Black pepper
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp cumin powder
To cook the curry
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
- 1/2 cup warm water
- coconut milk
Instructions
- Dice the tofu.
- Dice the vegetables and set it aside.
- Pound together ginger, black pepper, cardamom, chillies and garlic.
- Into the saucepan add oil and saute the pounded masala.
- Now add the veggies and tofu and mix well.
- Mix the peanut butter with warm water and set it aside.
- Once the veggies are sauteed, add the peanut butter mix.
- Add the salt, turmeric powder and cumin and mix well.
- Add the coconut milk and bring the curry to a slow boil.
- Cook the curry till the veggies are fork tender.
- Once boiled the curry is ready to be served.
Meal prep and storage
The curry is a wonderful one to make in a hurry and the leftovers stay good for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. So feel free to make a big batch. Since it is a curry in a hurry I have never frozen the curry. When you have success with it share it with us in the comments.
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I hope you like this Mild Indian tofu curry and will share with us how you liked it in the comments. Check out our Instagram or Threads to see the curry consistency.
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This is so cozy and nourishing! Perfect for this cold snowy weather we’ve been having. I can’t wait to make it again! Thanks for the wonderful recipe 🙂
This recipe looks amazing! I can’t wait to make it for my family this weekend!
What a delicious dinner. I added a few of our favorite veggies and it got gobbled up in a hurry.
Meatless, and magical! So tasty for this cold weather! Can not wait to make again!
Great flavor here, and so easy to make. Great meatless option for the fam.