Restaurant Style Tofu Butter Masala Recipe – Easy Indian Butter Tofu “Paneer”. Dairy-free Tofu Paneer Butter Masala. Tofu is marinated and baked then simmered in tomato ginger cashew sauce. Vegan Butter Tofu Gluten-free Recipe. Jump to Recipe
You have got to make this Butter Tofu! Butter Tofu, Butter Masala or butter curry or whatever you want to call it. Red butter sauce for everything. Butter masala sauce is a popular sauce used with meats, paneer cheese or vegetables in Indian restaurants (that have a mostly North Indian Menu). It can be called makhani sauce (translates to “buttery” sauce) or butter sauce. Each restaurant can have its own version of sauce. I generally use my makhani sauce to make butter masala with veggies, tofu,chickpeas or fake meat. That makhani sauce is a rich creamy general masala sauce that makes everything taste amazing.
This butter sauce is a simpler and more restaurant like variation and can be used with veggies, chickpeas or any other additions. I use baked tofu to work as “paneer” to make a Butter Paneer. Serve with flatbread, rice, Roti or Vegan Naan. No Butter in this sauce. Feel free to use vegan butter instead of oil.
Video:
More restaurant style Indian Mains from the blog
- Mushroom Matar Masala
- Bombay Potato and Peas
- Tofu Pasanda
- Tofu Matar Masala
- Tofu in Spinach Curry – Saag Tofu
- Vegetable Jalfrezi – Veggies in smoky tangy curry
- Gobi Broccoli Makhani
- Tempeh Tikka Masala with Kale
Like this recipe? Then there are 20 more options in my Indian Kitchen book.
Tips and Troubleshooting:
- Troubleshoot: If the sauce flavor has a bitter after taste, it could be from ginger(over mature ginger can be bitter, use young juicy ginger), from the tomatoes that have not roasted well (cook them longer on medium low heat to roast well), or a larger amount of Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves, use less).
- Fenugreek leaves are the only ingredient in this recipe that needs to be either ordered online or picked up from an Indian store. To sub use 1/4 tsp powdered fenugreek (fenugreek seed powder), or 1/4 tsp ground mustard. Do get some fenugreek leaves as they are used in many Indian sauces and have a fabulous authentic flavor profile. Try the Instant Pot Version of Vegan Butter Chicken here.
- Soy-free: This recipe can be easily made soy-free with Chickpeas, seitan, Chickpea tofu or Veggies.
Step by Step Photos:
Marinate the Tofu, then bake.
Baked and ready for sauce.
Some elements of this recipe are inspired by Manjulas Kitchen and Veg Recipes of India Paneer butter masala recipe.
Make the Butter Sauce. I use canned diced tomatoes as they give a deeper color.
Fold in the Tofu, sliced ginger and sliced green chile. Serve hot with Roti or Naan. Let me know in the comments how it worked out! Please also rate the recipes.
What is Butter Masala
Butter Sauce, or makhani or butter masala sauce is a creamy tomato based sauce often found in Indian restaurants. It is a mild savory sweet creamy sauce that is often served with meats or paneer cheese (butter chicken or butter paneer). Versions differ based on restaurants and chefs and i have slightly different versions on the blog and my book too. Try all the sauces with this baked tofu to find the one that you love!
To make more like a restaurant version, add more oil and vegan butter 🙂
Butter Tofu Paneer - Restaurant Style Tofu Butter Masala Recipe
Ingredients
Baked Tofu "Paneer"
- 12 oz (340.2 g) firm tofu pressed between paper towels for 10 minutes, then cubed
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) each of garam masala ,paprika, salt, and turmeric
- 2 tsp ginger paste or minced ginger
- 2 tsp garlic paste or minced or 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1.5 tsp water 1/2 tbsp
- 1.5 tbsp cornstarch or other starch such as arrowroot
- 1 tsp nutritional yeast optional
- 1 tsp oil
Butter Sauce:
- 1 tsp oil or vegan butter
- 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
- 3 large ripe tomatoes or 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 inch cube of ginger 1/2 inch chopped, 1/2 inch julienned or thinly sliced into sticks
- 1 hot or mild green chile juilenned or thinly sliced or use very thinly sliced green bell pepper
- Cashew cream made with with 1/4 cup soaked 15 mins cashews blended with 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) garam masala
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) paprika or kashmiri chili powder
- 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) water
- 1 tsp kasooori methi - dried fenugreek leaves
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) sugar or other sweetener to preference
Instructions
Bake the Tofu:
- Press and cube the tofu if you havent already. In a bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients under baked tofu, to make a marinade. Add tofu and toss well. Let it sit for 15 min (optional). Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F / 200ºc. Place the tofu cubes on parchment lined sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
Make the Butter Sauce:
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until golden. You can also add in 1 bay leaf and 1 cinnamon stick with the garlic for additional flavor. Remove these before serving.
- Puree the tomato with the chopped ginger and half the green chile. Add to the skillet and cook until the puree starts to thicken and does not taste raw tomatoey. Dont wash the blender.
- In the same blender, blend the cashews and water until smooth. Blend the cashews for a minute, let it rest for a minute and then blend again for about a minute for a creamy result. Works with unsoaked cashews. Or use premade thin cashew cream (about 1/2 cup).
- Reserve 1 tbsp of the cream for garnish. Add the rest of the cashew cream to the skillet. Add spices, fenugreek leaves, salt and sugar and mix well. Use 1/2 cup water to rinse out your blender and add to the skillet. Mix and Bring to a boil. Taste and adjust salt, heat (add cayenne) and sweet. Add more water if needed for preferred consistency. Add more cashew cream for creamier.
- Fold in the baked tofu. Simmer for a minute. Mix in the julienned ginger and green chile. Alternatively, mix half of the ginger and chile and use half as garnish. Add a drizzle of the cashew cream and other garnishes as pepper flakes, chopped cilantro. Serve over Easy Garlic Naan, rice or roti.
Video
Notes
With soy curls: Add 1 cup soy curls directly to the skillet at step 4 with cashew cream and 1 cup of water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Nutritional values based on one serving Nut-free: Use coconut cream (thick white part from a can of full fat coconut milk) To sub fenugreek leaves: Use 1/4 - 1/3 tsp powdered fenugreek (fenugreek seed powder), or 1/4 tsp ground mustard. No onion garlic; this recipe is already onion free. Use zucchini to sub garlic in the sauce. Add 1/2 tsp more fenugreek leaves to balance the flavor.
Emily
Super yum!! I loved how gingery it was with the fresh julienned ginger.
anita
Amazing Recipe!
I reduce a little the chille but it was too spicy to me so I didn’t add the cayenne.
It was delicious!!
David
Want even crispier tofu, toss in air frier for about 12 min on the French fry 400F setting
Caterina B
Richa, I have not made this yet, but will soon. I have a question. Do you make “poha?” My daughter has an Indian friend, a guy she met in college. He has since returned to India and we miss him. But…..he and she were talking on Facebook tonight and he told her he was eating “poha.’ I see that one can get the requisite “flat” rice on amazon. Which one would you use? I read about this dish and found that it is very high in iron, something my dear hubby needs to get in his diet now because he just found out he has pretty bad anemia. So…just by accident, I see that there is a dish I could make for him that would be very helpful for his health. We have been eating a plant based diet, a vegan diet for almost five years and will NOT resort to animal products to get the vital iron he needs. I would appreciate any advice you could give me! Thanks.
Richa
You need thick poha or thick flattened rice to make it. Follow this recipe veganricha.com/?s=poha
Use the flattened rice instead of oats. Soak for 5 mins and drain and set aside and add to the skillet
Caterina B
Thanks so much for your reply, Richa. I will look for the flattened rice online tomorrow.
Kelly
We made this with seitan and loved it!! The only thing I wished we had added was cauliflower; that would’ve put it over the top.
Love your recipes, Richa–thank you!
PK
Great Recipe!
Vegan Richa Support
Hooray!!
Janelle
I’ve made a lot of different vegan Indian recipes and this is hands down the best one I’ve followed. The dish came out so tasty, with the perfect spice and creaminess. Only change I made was I added half a bag of frozen veggies to bulk up the dish. I will DEFINITELY make this again. Next time I need to make some naan to go with! Looking forward to trying your other recipes.
Vegan Richa Support
sounds good!! maybe you’d like this naan: https://www.veganricha.com/gluten-free-naan-vegan/“>Gluten free Naan Vegan Grainfree
Ann Crawford
Oh my goodness! Who needs to go out to eat Indian food with recipes that turn out like this. I roasted cauliflower, broccoli, and red bell peppers. Mixed that with the tofu marinade after roasting veges. The sauce is so good and the marinade for tofu (veges for me) awesome. Thank you for this recipe. It will be a keeper for me.
Richa
🙂 awesome!
Pnina
Looks amazing, can the sauce be prepared a day before?
Vegan Richa Support
Absolutely
Min
Amazing recipe and very easy to make! It was a big hit with my toddler and the adults in the house. Thank you!!!
Vegan Richa Support
Perfect! Thank YOU!
Lipsa
Though nutritional yeast is optional in this recipe, what is the point of adding them in?
Richa
It adds a cheesy flavor to the tofu to make it taste more like paneer. However there’s lots of overall flavor in the dish so you can omit it. It’s not easily available in many countries
Rachel
It is delicious!! I added medium salsa (had no peppers) and used smoked paprika and used a mixture of coconut milk and vegan yogurt for the cream and doubled the spices. Definitely will make again!!
Vegan Richa Support
What a delicious addition! Thank you for stopping by!
Brooklyn
Always so good!
Vegan Richa Support
Thanks a million!!! I really appreciate it
Dara
I love Indian food and miss this dish and it really satisfies my craving
Chandana
Hi
I don’t have oven to bake, can u suggest me how to do tis recipe then? TIA
Vegan Richa Support
that’s no problem you can just sautee it in the pan on all sides.
Kimberly
Amazing !! Added roasted cauliflower and tofu.
Vegan Richa Support
nice one. thank you
filipo talamaivao
How do you make it so it feeds 20 people?
Vegan Richa Support
unless you had a giant paella pan or multiple baking sheets – you will have to work in batches (fill 2 sheets & bake tofu, then repeat); whatever the sheet pan will hold for tofu and maybe a couple of times to make the sauce in 2-4 batches depending on the size of your pan after you *multiply all of the ingredients by 5*.
Amy
This is a great recipe! Delicious! Thank you!
Vegan Richa Support
Thank you!
YRayray
This recipe is a hitter. I tripled the recipe. Only modification was the cashew cream sauce. I used canned coconut milk. Stores were out of raw cashews. When I tell you it was DEVINE. Strong flavors with the ginger and the spices mixed together. Great heat. Leftovers weren’t as spicy but flavor was still major addicting.
Vegan Richa Support
Home Run Yrayray!!!! Yay!
Anna
Made this tonight and added cauliflower and kale, sosososo good!
Annice O’Rourke
I just made this and it turned out fantastically good. I didn’t have dried fenugreek leaves but I did have frozen ones that I bought in the local grocery store in the Indian section. So I just used fresh fenugreek leaves. This one’s a winner and I’m definitely making it again! Thanks for the recipe.
Vegan Richa Support
perfect!! Thank you
Plant Based Rohit
I am going to try this recipe tomorrow with Soya Chaap. Lets see how that turns out. The gravy looks exciting.
Isabelle
Thank you for this recipe; this has become my go to recipe whenever I have soya in the fridge…I love it. Today, I added cubed sweet potato; marinated and baked along with the tofu cubes. Very yummy!
Richa
Awesome
Namrata Gupta
Loved the sauce, but definitely not satisfied with the tofu texture & bite (we are newly converted vegans) Would Burmese tofu be a better paneer replacement you think?
Richa
Burmese tofu will taste very beany like gatte ki subzi. Try different brands and types of tofu. Many brands are too soft and bake more chewy while some brand extra firm ones are sturdy and you might not even need to bake them. Some taste too beany or too smooth and all that.
Siri
Hi Richa, great recipe! Can I substitute with almond paste instead of cashews? My son has but allergies (except for Almonds and coconut). I feel like the coconut milk will change the North Indian taste and make it more like a South Indian kurma
Richa
Yes use blended almonds. Or use a mix of both coconut milk and almond paste if the almond paste is too gritty
sylvia
Thank you for this luscious recipe! The baked tofu is wonderful, and I like that this separate step can be done, say, in the morning or the day before. You mentioned that you have different versions in your book, Indian Kitchen. So I looked in my book and found similar sauces here: Tempeh Tikka Masala, and Cauliflower with Makhani Gravy. I’ll try those too, but can’t imagine how they would top this. Yummy. Again, my thanks.
Jackie
I made this yesterday and I cannot get over how tasty this was! My partner said it was better than any takeout we have had. I just wish I had doubled the recipe so I could eat it again tonight! I served it with the Cauliflower Kofta’s, rice, garlic spinach and naan. This is going to be one of our regular meals now, I will be batching and freezing the sauce. Thank you for the best meal I have had in lockdown!!
Vegan Richa Support
Thank you for stopping by, I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Olivia
So tasty! I loved tofu texture, amazing!
Vegan Richa Support
Glad you enjoyed it.
Jas
I made this and it turned out Ah-Mazing!!!!! Tofu was not dry and everyone at home loved it! Even the fussy eaters!!!!
Richa
yay
Avi
How many mL or cups is equivalent to chopped fresh tomatoes?
Richa
1.5 cup to 2 cups
Priti
Thank you! Would you keep water?
Priti
Hi! Excited to try this. Any chance i could use tomato sauce in place? Or purée? If so how much would you use? Ty so much. Going to make tonight!!
Richa
sauce is concentrated, so use about 3/4 cup
Laura
This sauce is amazing!
Richa
Thanks
Gabriel
Can I substitute soy yogurt for the cashew mixture? If so, what would be a suitable amount?
Richa
yes, 1/4 to 1/3 cup. try 1/4 cup and see if the texture and flavor is good for you. some yogurt can get too pasty, so start with lesser amount
Vibeke Vale
I make this with cauliflower instead of tofu and it’s AMAZING. Thank you for another family favourite.
Richa
awesome!
Christine
Absolutely unreal. I accidentally ate the whole pan. I cannot believe how good this was. I added extra chili and some peas.
Amazing recipe! This website is rocking my world.
Richa
awesome!
Shona
Absolutely delicious. Didn’t have fenugreek so i skipped it. I will try to order some. Thanks for the recipe.
Meg Tomassi
I have made this as is before and it turned out amazing! However, I have to watch my soy intake. If I sub garbanzos, do I use one can or two? And, do I use the rub and then simmer? Thanks so much!!!!!
Richa
Use 1 can. You can saute the chickpeas with the marinade for a few mins and then add to the sauce
Sandi
omg… this is so good. I’ve never made cashew cream before, and was a bit skeptical but it’s great. This recipe is a keeper. I server it over shiritaki rice that I cooked with cumin, garlic and coriander. Delicious!
Richa
yay!
Ayesha
This was delicious! My whole family enjoyed it and they are all very picky in their own way. I had to substitute the cashew cream for a bit of milk and butter mix because I just didn’t have cashews in hand, nor coconut milk. It turned out so flavourful! Thank you!
Steve
I have made this a few times. For now, I leave out the cayenne, due to little eaters, but look forward to a spicy version someday. My family likes this a little saucier, and doubling the tofu and tripling the sauce works for us. Lots of leftovers and it’s a hit with our kids!
Richa
awesome!
Magdalena
my absolutely favourite recipe! great flavours, very comforting too.
I usually have it with jasmine rice and also add peas and spinach to the curry.
Richa
yay!
Bimala Spencer
I love this recipe and use multiples of the spices, garlic and ginger to suit our tastes! I teach free plant based cooking classes in our community and we recently multiplied the recipe to make enough for 40 people and even though only 30 attended the class the rest was packed away in people’s containers for lunch the next day before I could get a second serving! Thank you for your awesome recipes. I’m a big fan and being Indian I love have vegan options that make it easy to cook delicious Indian recipes without hurting the animals and our planet! <3
Richa
Thats amazing!!!!
Anetta
Just great. Was looking for some use of my potatoes and was happy to find this, best butter tofu I have ever had. Did not have fegunek, thus, just skipped it. Still awesome, thanks! Going to check out your other recipes and pin this one.
Anetta
Sorry meant tomatoes… 🙂
Bianca
Absolutely delicious, thank you for another great recipe.
Karen Weber
Love this recipe. My husband asks for it often, we love indian food and don’t go out to eat much so this is a clear winner!!
Richa
awesome
Robin
Made this tonight, soooo delicious and possibly the best masala I’ve had. The flavor of the tofu paneer came out great. I added peas for some extra green, and I definitely recommend adding the extra (vegan) butter if you’re not a low fat eater. Thanks for this great recipe, I’ll be making it on the regular!!
Richa
yay!!
Jackie
Thank you for this recipe. Definitely going to make this! I don’t have fenugreek leaves, is there a substitute? Will it mess up the recipe if I leave them out? Was hoping to make it today 🙂 Thanks, Jackie
Richa
leave it out. add a 1/4 tsp ground mustard to the sauce instead
Jackie
Thanks, Richa! I made the tofu yesterday. So happy, my first success with tofu, I had just about given up on it!
Richa
yay!!
Lacey
I love this dish so much! It comes together quickly and is super delicious. I double the sauce and add green beans.
Richa
yumm!
Shane
Awesome! My girlfriend thought this was better than she’s had in any restaurant. Perfectly balanced and well spiced, just like all your recipes.
Richa
awesome!!
Dina
Late to the game in trying this one. Super yummy, we will have to double next time!
Richa
awesome!
Maryse
Absolutely delicious, no one could believe it was dairy and gluten free. Just got back from India, brings back lovely memories. I look forward to trying more recipes.
Vegan Richa Support
thank you – I love ‘traveling’ to far away places with cooking!