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.
If you are adding ONE more tofu curry recipe to your collection of easy dinner recipes, let it be this vegan baked tofu curry. Why? Because it is the easiest, simplified and most hands-off version of butter tofu curry! No tempering spices, no sauteeing onions, no frying tofu. The oven takes care of all of these steps for us. Even better, we get all of this done within the same casserole dish. Fewer dishes = more time to relax.
This Indian tofu curry is vegan and baked version of tofu makhani. Tofu/paneer makhani and tofu butter masala are often used interchangeably. Though very similar sauces, makhani is silkier and smoother than butter masala. 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.
The gravy is rich and creamy thanks to coconut milk and it is flavored with aromatic warming spices. Your home will be filled with a tantalizing aroma while your curry is baking. Yes, I repeat, this curry is baked in the oven. All in all, this vegan dinner took less than 45 to make, and trust me, you will be going back for seconds when you sit down to enjoy this delicious meal. Maximum flavor with minimal effort.
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.
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
Baked Tofu Curry (Vegan Tofu Makhani)
Ingredients
- 2 tsp oil divided
- 14 oz (396.89 g) firm or extra firm tofu pressed and cubed small
- 3/4 cups (120 g) chopped onions
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 1 hot green chili such as serrano or thai minced Or use mild
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 -1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4-1/3 tsp cayenne or Indian red chili powder
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves optional
- 16 oz (453.59 g) tomato puree
- 14 oz (396.89 ml) coconut milk or 1 1/4 cup of cashew milk
- 3/4 tsp salt
- cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- Take the dish out of the oven, garnish witb cilantro , some coconut cream, and serve with rice or flat bread. You can also add in some vegan butter just before serving.
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.
Nutrition
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
Tips:
- To make this curry 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.
- Omit the cayenne pepper and pick a mild green chili for a less spicy version
Press the tofu
Open a package of firm or extra-frim tofu and drain the liquid. Cut the tofu width-wise into slices — four times should do it. Now, lay some paper towels on a sheet pan and spread your tofu slices in a single layer on top. Put more paper towels over the tofu, then place another sheet pan over them.
Place some heavy objects on top of the sheet pan ( cookbooks or cans). Leave the tofu to press for at least 15 minutes. You can leave it like that for hours if you have room for it in the fridge.
How to Make Baked Tofu Curry
Brush the oil all over a large baking dish. Add the pressed tofu cubes to 1 side of the baking dish, and toss well to coat with some of the oil. On the other side of the baking dish, add the onion, garlic, ginger, chili, and all of the spices, and mix well to coat, then bake at 400 degrees F (205 c) for 12-15 minutes. Bake until the onion is golden and the tofu is slightly crisp on the sides.
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 the casserole dish back in the oven to bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened to preference.
Take the dish out of the oven, garnish, and serve with flatbread, rice, roti or Vegan Naan
Ed Thayer
Made this tonight, so easy and the whole family devoured it. Their only issue was they wanted thirds! Lol I doubled it as written and it came out perfect! Next time I will have to triple!! 😄🙃🌱🔥
Vegan Richa Support
LOL! yay! glad it was a hit
JM
I’d love to try this–are you using a 9×13 dish or an 8×8? Thanks!
Vegan Richa Support
This recipes uses a large 9×13 dish. Enjoy!
Huong
Thank you Richa
Vegan Richa Support
You are so welcome. 🙂
Kayte
This was fabulous. I did not have cardamom so I substitued it with pumpkin pie spice; delicious. In addition to the tofu, I added carrots, peas, and corn. I love how easy this was to make. Every dish I have made of yours has been wonderful. Thank you.
Vegan Richa Support
I am so happy to hear!
Emily
Made this following the recipe exactly and it was fantastic! I want to find a way to work some veg in next time, but even without – stupendous
Vegan Richa Support
Great~such an adaptable recipe.
Indra
I am a paneer lover. I am turning vegan and for some reason I am unable to acquire tofu taste. Will this recipe have that tofu taste in it?
Richa
Try this one instead. https://www.veganricha.com/butter-tofu-paneer-tofu-butter-masala-recipe/ The spicing and baking the tofu takes away the soy flavor
Chanel
Made this recipe according to instructions (though I am always slightly generous on the spices based on having all your books and cooking from this blog frequently, just our taste preference). This dish was an absolute hit with my hubby. He declared it better than the Tikka Masala at his favorite Indian restaurant in Dallas (we drive four hours to eat there). The sauce in the final step took almost 30 minutes to reduce, I even raised the oven to 425° (my oven is calibrated and has an addl. thermometer, so temperature was accurate). The can of coconut milk I used struck me as somewhat watery, that may well have been the issue. The huge win for me is that the stove stays clean and with rice in the IP dinner basically cooks itself. Thanks for another wonderful meal!
Richa
Awesome! Yea could be the coconut milk. You can mix in 2 tsp flour into the coconut milk and it will thicken more
Caroline
Very yummy and super easy to make! I had to tinker around the edges as what I know as tomato puree in the UK may not be what was intended in the recipe. I also got a bit mixed up with the different ways of measuring liquids and put in a 400ml tin of coconut milk, which I now realise was too much (checking with a conversion chart I think I should have used just under 300ml). Anyway I thickened the sauce with a bit of cornflour and all was good. My finished dish looked just like the picture and I’ll definitely make this again.
Vegan Richa Support
good to know!
Catherine Long
This tasted nice and it was so easy to cook. I’ll add it to my list. I really enjoy making your recipes
Richa
❤️❤️❤️
Lin
I absolutely love this recipe, I add mushrooms as well. Just delicious xx
Vegan Richa Support
nice addition
Shannon
Amazing, I just thought I’ll pop into comments section to see if anyone has tried adding mushrooms and it’s the first comment! Haha taking it as a sign!
Vegan Richa Support
good to hear – lots of info there!
Sonali
Loved how convenient and straightforward this recipe was! Might double the spices next time because it was a little too tomato-ey for me but otherwise wouldn’t change a thing. Thanks Richa 🙂
Richa
Awesome! Different brands of tomato purees can be more or less concentrated. Use a bit less than the whole can and yes add more spices! I usually add on the low end so it’s also an everyday weekday meal.
Grace Lim
This recipe is so easy but oh sooooo good!!! I made it for a house party where the hosts are indian vegan and they absolutely cannot believe that i made such an amazing dish!!! Thank you!!
Vegan Richa Support
Perfect ! thanks Grace
Brooke Ashley
Delicious!
Tomato puree isn’t carried in my area so I did a 60:40 ratio of tomato paste:water and that worked great!
I didn’t have any fenugreek leaves, but next time I make this could fenugreek seeds be used instead somehow?
Richa
Use 1/8 tsp seeds, powder them or grind them and add instead of leaves
Lena
Shockingly good for such an easy recipe. I had everything except fenugreek, but I used a bit of celery salt and it worked out well. This will be a regular for my family. Thanks for the great recipe!
Rachel Benson
It was fantastic and so easy. Loved it!!
Richa
Awesome!!
Monica
This was delicious and easy. I was lazy and used onion powder instead of onions and mixed all the spices and the garlic with the tofu. I used tomato sauce and reduced the salt. Thanks!
Maneesha
Hi Richa! Can this be made stovetop?
Richa
Yes, crisp up the tofu first in a bit of oil then remove from
Pan. Then add the spices and onion garlic chili and cook until Golden. Add the rest and bring to a boil and continue to simmer for 15 mins
Margaret Pearce
This was awesome! I love how simple this was, something about mixing all the ingredients directly in the baking dish was so satisfying 😊 Thank you Richa!
Sital
Loved it……such an easy recipe to make and so delicious …made it today
Richa
❤️❤️
Rita
This was my first curry! I thought it would be a good one to start with. It was delicious, made it exactly as stated. Now on to the next one.
This is all new to me, and working with all the different spices is so interesting.
Richa
Awesome!! Try the other baked ones listed as well!
Cheli
So so good. I added a tiny bit of maple butter and it tasted like the butter masala I used to get all of time. Loved the baking procedure.
Richa
Awesome
Chris
Hey Richa,
Hubby and I really enjoyed this dish. I only used one cup of light coconut milk and all the tomato, next time I will use the whole can. Other than that, I followed the recipe as written. Had steamed broccoli on the side and wild rice. I was afraid of it splattering too, but it really didn’t. It bubbled more than splattered. I put a flat cookie sheet under it to avoid any mess.
SO GOOD!
Thanks again for a winner!
Richa
Yay
Sarah
If I wanted to add some vegetables, such as bell peppers or sweet potatoes, when would I add them?
Richa
For quick cooking veggies like bell peppers, add with the tomato. Sweet potatoes take longer so add with tofu
Susie
I love your website and have made some good stuff (love the Mediterranean Chickpea Salad!). But this recipe was not good – It had no curry flavor to me. It tasted like tomato puree with some coconut milk in it. I bought all new spices so that was not the issue. But perhaps all of the spices need to be tripled? Anyway, I will not be making it again. Thanks anyway!
Oh, but the idea of roasting the tofu and veggies was a good one – I might try that with a different recipe!
Richa
I am not sure what “curry” flavor you are looking for. Curries are from various countries (india Japan’ Jamaica Indonesia Malaysia Thailand ) and each has their own flavor. This is a simple Indian curry. You can try with double or triple the spices. Maybe the tomato purée or sauce beans was using a thicker purée. Brands are different and a thicker tomato base will take over the flavor. Use half the tomato purée and add more spices. Also add 1/2 tsp turmeric as most generic western curries always use turmeric and it’s not used in this recipe.
Susie
Thanks! It just did not take like any curry I have ever had, and I eat curry all the time!
Richa
Please see my previous comment. Curry is a very generic term. A generic western curry is just curry powder and coconut milk. This is an Indian curry. For a generic curry try my peanut butter chickpea curry
Khiri
Could this recipe be doubled?
Richa
Yes. Bake time might increase by 5-10 mins
Renee
This recipe looks delicious. How would you prepare this with soy curls? Thank you.
Richa
Add them after the onions are done cooking.
Ceci
Excellent. Easy!!!!!
Thanks
Vegan Richa Support
easy peasy
Cate
I’m worried this will cause a lot of splattering in my oven and a big mess to clean up. Can someone reply to me if they’ve tried this? I’ve never done something saucy like this in the oven without covering it with foil.
Richa
It doesn’t splatter. If you’re worried then just put a light parchment on top of your baking dish
Susie
No, it did not splatter.
Rebecca
Could you please offer a tasty alternative to omitting onions and garlic. I find creating fullness of flavor without these two ingredients a challenge.
Thank you.
Richa
Use peeled and thinly sliced zucchini instead of onion. Add another 1/3 tsp fenugreek leaves as a garlic substitute.
I need to finish up the draft post on onion garlic subs:)
Rebecca
Thank you for the tips. I look forward to the subs when you’re done 😊
Cher
I’ve been subbing in daikon for onion lately and it’s working a treat!
Sarah
So so so yummy! Another win on this dish! I just love your cook books and your recipes. I had my non-vegan family over and they loved it as well! Thank you
Vegan Richa Support
thank you so much Sarah
Lani strom
Richa,
I am trying hard to avoid the fat content of coconut. Is there any advice on what to substitute
ute?
I know it won’t be as creamy but for me that is a small price to pay
Richa
Thin cashew milk will work
Richa
You can also mix in some flour to the cashew milk so you can use less cashews. Flour will thicken and add texture while just a bit of cashew will add flavor
Marion
I can see that this is yet another fabulous recipe. Looking forward to making this!
Richa
❤️❤️
nicole
Merci, j’apprécie toujours vos recettes surtout quand elles sont traduites en français, car monles logicils ordinateurs ne le font pas correctement.je peux les transmettre à mes amis alors.
JN
OMG! I have to make this when I get home from work! Your step by step photos helped a great deal and how did you know I was one of those who hates cooking but your recipes are so easy & simple that I do enjoy making them! 🙂 THANK YOU!
Richa
Awesome! Thanks!
Cynthia Risley
so many ingredients!
Sue
Richa do you think this would freeze in 4 batches once cooked? looking for easy to make ones like that now that I am widowed and on my own. My late husbands favourite was your Cauliflower and Pea Curry baked similar but with blender sauce. This would be even easier.
Richa
Yes it will freeze fine. Make sure there isn’t too much air above the food in the container. You might have add more non dairy milk while reheating as the sauce would have thickened a bit
Misa
This is a great recipe! Thank you.
Vegan Richa Support
Thank YOU!