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Tofu Pasanda – tofu in a creamy, velvety smooth North Indian curry sauce – is delicious served over rice, naan, or flatbread. This delicious nut-free sauce gets its creaminess from pumpkin seeds, poppyseeds, and coconut milk! This recipe was originally published on April 23 2014

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Pasanda literally means “favorite,” and is a popular sauce that you find in some North Indian restaurants. It has its own variations depending on the region and what protein it is paired with, whether it’s a meat Pasanda, chicken Pasanda, or paneer Pasanda. The paneer (cheese) Pasanda usually involves paneer stuffed with a flavorful mixture of nuts and spices. The combination of the spices cumin, coriander, fennel, cinnamon, poppy seeds is such a complex and fantastic flavor profile.

Today, we are making a vegan version of the chicken Pasanda, and this tofu Pasanda doesn’t use any nuts. I wanted to create a nut-free variation, so we are using pumpkin seeds in it. If you don’t want to use pumpkin seeds, you can use a mixture of almonds and cashews instead.

When I was writing my first cookbook, I had to come up with English names for all of these sauces, and not all of them could be called “luxurious,” “decadent,” and “creamy,” right? So, this one is named Velvety Pepita Poppy Seed Sauce, because it contains poppy seeds and pumpkin seeds (aka pepitas). Once you blend these together, they create a really smooth, velvety mixture.

Like most of the Indian sauces that use a lot of whole spices, the flavor of this tofu Pasanda sauce gets better with time. You can easily make this ahead and store it for over three days in the fridge, and it will just taste better and better with every passing hour. This recipe was originally written with hemp seed tofu. That isn’t available anymore, so I updated it with regular soy tofu. Use chickpea tofu or pumpkin seed tofu for soyfree option.

Why do vegans eat vegan versions of meat?

I developed this recipe in the early years our transition to eating vegan, and was faced with this question. We grew up vegetarian with plenty of veg bean and other options and not really any options that were vegetarian-ized versions of non-veg dishes. I realized that the Vegan movement is quite different than the Indian Vegetarian-ism, which often is something you are born into and just happen to be because of family or community, religion etc. With Veganism, there is usually a conscious reason to choose the Vegan diet, ethics, health, environment. That means many people choose to not eat meat for certain reasons, not because they don’t like the flavor. There are several ways to do a plant based diet, with meat subs or without, with or without cheese subs, with or without some veg or beans or soy, raw, cooked, different cuisines, and on and on, depending on where(food wise) you come from. 

Why You’ll Love Tofu Pasanda

  • crispy spiced tofu
  • creamy complex flavor sauce with cumin, coriander, fennel and poppy seeds
  • tofu and sauce all cook in one pan
  • naturally gluten-free and nut-free with easy soy-free option

More North Indian Curries

Tofu Pasanda (Tofu with Velvety Pepita Poppy Seed Sauce)

5 from 8 votes
By: Vegan Richa
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: dinner, Main, Main Course
Cuisine: Indian, north indian
Tofu Pasanda – tofu in a creamy, velvety smooth North Indian curry sauce – is delicious served over rice, naan, or flatbread. This nut-free sauce gets its creaminess from pumpkin seeds, poppy seeds, and coconut milk!
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Ingredients 
 

For the Tofu

  • 1 teaspoon oil
  • 14 ounces extra-firm tofu, pressed for at least 15 minutes, torn into bite-sized pieces. Use chickpea tofu or pumpkin seed tofu for soy-free.
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Sauce

  • 1 teaspoon oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1 whole clove
  • 1 cup chopped red onion
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 ” ginger, finely chopped, or 2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste in place of the ginger and garlic
  • 3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds, almonds, or cashews
  • 1 teaspoon white or black poppy seeds
  • 1 large tomato, chopped, about 1 cup
  • 1 cup coconut milk, or other non-dairy milk
  • 1/2 cup or more water
  • 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar, or maple syrup
  • cilantro and non dairy cream for garnish

Instructions 

Crisp up the tofu.

  • If it hasn’t been pressed, press the tofu for at least 15 minutes, then tear it into bite-sized pieces. Heat the teaspoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu, garam masala, and cinnamon. Mix everything really well, so the tofu is evenly coated with the spices and oil. Continue to cook, until the tofu is golden on most edges, about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the tofu from the skillet and set it aside.

Make the curry. 

  • In the same skillet, heat another teaspoon of oil over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds and fennel seeds. Cook for a few seconds, then add the onion and a good pinch of salt. Cook the onion until it starts to turn translucent. Add the ginger and garlic, mix well, and continue cooking until the onion becomes golden, about 7 to 9 minutes total.
  • Mix the pumpkin seeds, poppyseeds, tomato, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt into the skillet. Cook until the tomatoes turn jammy, pressing any larger pieces to help them break down, about 5 minutes. Cool this mixture, then transfer it to a blender. Add the coconut milk to the blender and blend until the mixture becomes smooth. To fully incorporate the poppy seeds, let the mixture sit for 5 minutes between 30 second blending cycles. Repeat the blending process 2 to 3 times until the mixture is somewhat smooth and you don’t see too many whole poppyseeds.
  • Pour the blended mixture back into the skillet over medium heat and bring it to a boil. Add the tofu, water, paprika, cayenne, the remaining salt, and the sugar. Mix well, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the tofu picks up some of the color of the sauce, about 15 to 20 minutes. Switch off the heat, and let it sit for a few minutes before garnishing with non-dairy cream, cilantro, or a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve the dish with naan, flatbread, rice, quinoa, or use it as a filling for wraps or pizza.

Video

Notes

This sauce cooks a bit longer to cook out the poppyseed flavor. They can add a grassy flavor if they’re not cooked properly. Low and slow is the game of the game. You want it really flavorful and creamy without any strong flavors from any of the individual spices or the poppyseeds. I usually cook it for about 25 minutes or so.
Store: Leftovers keep for 3 or more days in the refrigerator. Or freeze for months. 
This recipe is naturally gluten-free and nut-free. For soy-free, use hemp tofu or pumpkinseed tofu.
Whole spices substitute: Use equal amounts of ground spices(and 1/8 tsp ground clove), add with ginger and garlic. 

Nutrition

Calories: 182kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Sodium: 547mg, Potassium: 371mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 436IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 73mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this recipe? Rate and comment below!
tofu Pasanda ingredients on the kitchen counter

Ingredients and Substitutions

  • oil – To crisp up the tofu and to sauté.
  • tofu – This is your “chicken.” You can use chickpea tofu or hemp seed tofu for soy-free.
  • ground spices – You season the tofu with garam masala and cinnamon. For the sauce, you need sweet paprika and cayenne.
  • whole spices – The first flavor layer in the sauce is toasted cumin, coriander, fennel seeds and whole cloves.
  • aromatics – Sautéed onion, garlic, and ginger give this sauce so much flavor!
  • seeds – This sauce gets its creaminess from pumpkin seeds and poppyseeds which also add a complex flavor to the sauce. Ideally you want to use white poppy seeds, but black will work too
  • tomato – Adds moisture, umami, and color to the sauce.
  • coconut milk – Or use your favorite non-dairy milk. Choose soy-free and/or nut-free, if needed.
  • sugar – A little sweet balances the heat. You can use maple syrup for refined sugar-free.

💡 Tips

  • If the pan starts to dry out when cooking the onion, you can add a splash of water.
  • Make sure you blend the sauce until it’s really creamy for the best results. You may need to do a few rounds of blending to bread down the seeds completely.
  • This sauce cooks a bit longer to cook out the poppyseed flavor. They can add a grassy flavor if they’re not cooked properly. Low and slow is the game of the game. You want it really flavorful and creamy without any strong flavors from any of the individual spices or the poppyseeds. I usually cook it for about 25 minutes or so.

How to Make Tofu Pasanda

If it hasn’t been pressed, press the tofu for at least 15 minutes, then tear it into bite-sized pieces. Heat the teaspoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu, garam masala, and cinnamon. Mix everything really well, so the tofu is evenly coated with the spices and oil.

adding tofu and spices to the pan
tofu coated in the spices

Continue to cook, until the tofu is golden on most edges, about 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the tofu from the skillet and set it aside.

In the same skillet, heat another teaspoon of oil over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds and fennel seeds.

cooked tofu in a bowl
adding whole spices to the pan

Cook for a few seconds, then add the onion and a good pinch of salt. Cook the onion until it starts to turn translucent.

roasted whole spices in the pan
adding onion to the pan

Add the ginger and garlic, mix well, and continue cooking until the onion becomes golden, about 7 to 9 minutes total.

adding ginger and garlic to the pan
adding seeds to the pan

Mix the pumpkin seeds, poppy seeds, tomato, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt into the skillet. Cook until the tomatoes turn jammy, pressing any larger pieces to help them break down, about 5 minutes.

adding tomato and water to the pan
jammy, cooked tomatoes

Cool this mixture, then transfer it to a blender. Add the coconut milk to the blender and blend until the mixture becomes smooth. To fully incorporate the poppy seeds, let the mixture sit for 5 minutes between blending cycles(of half a minute). Repeat the blending process 2 to 3 times until the mixture is somewhat smooth and you don’t see too many whole poppyseeds. An immersion blender might work as well, but you’ll need to blend longer.

adding coconut milk to the sauce mixture in the blender
adding blended sauce back to the pan

Pour the blended mixture back into the skillet over medium heat and bring it to a boil. Add the crisped tofu, water, paprika, cayenne, the remaining salt, and the sugar. Mix well, then reduce the heat to medium-low.

bringing the sauce to a boil
adding salt and ground spices to the Pasanda sauce

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and the tofu picks up some of the color of the sauce, about 15 to 20 minutes.

adding tofu to the pan of cooked Pasanda sauce
tofu Pasanda in the pan

Switch off the heat, and let it sit for a few minutes before garnishing with non-dairy cream, cilantro, or a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve the dish with naan, flatbread, rice, quinoa, or use it as a filling for wraps or pizza.

tofu Pasanda in the pan with cilantro garnish

What to Serve with Tofu Pasanda

Serve the dish with naan, flatbread, rice, or quinoa. It also makes a great a filling for wraps! You can also put it on top of my no-yeast pizza crust to make a tofu Pasanda pizza or use my gluten-free pizza crust for a gluten-free pizza.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this recipe allergy friendly?

This recipe is naturally gluten-free and nut-free. For soy-free, use hemp tofu or pumpkinseed tofu.

Can I make this ahead?

Leftovers keep for 3 or more days in the refrigerator. The flavor deepens as it sits, so this is a great make-ahead recipe!

About Richa

Hi, I'm Richa! I create flavorful plant based recipes that are inspired by my Indian upbringing, including many gluten-free, soy-free, and oil-free options.

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5 from 8 votes

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89 Comments

  1. Christine says:

    I do not have any whole seeds other than poppy and pumpkin. How would I use powdered spices instead? Thanks.

    1. Richa says:

      Use equal amounts of ground spices for cumin coriander and fennel (and 1/8 tsp ground clove), add with ginger and garlic.

      1. Christine says:

        Thanks for the incredibly fast reply! I’m sure I’ll love it.

  2. Kedar says:

    5 stars
    Spectacular recipe. Simple, fresh and addictive. We used fresh (not roasted) pumpkin seeds and white poppy. We also used seitan instead of tofu. This is going to become a staple for us.

    1. Vegan Richa Support says:

      So glad you enjoyed!!

  3. Linnea says:

    Hi! Could this recipe be converted to the instant pot?

    1. Richa says:

      Yes and it’s in my new cookbook veganricha.com/vrip

  4. Rani says:

    5 stars
    Hi Richa good morning, loved the recipe, but cannot open how to make hemp~tofu please could you help me with that. I always try your recipes and they are great. Loves Rani

    1. Vegan Richa Support says:

      Yes, that livingharvest.com link / company seems to be not functioning anymore, thank you.. can also use regular tofu / tempeh, veggies, or chickpeas, thanks Rani ❤️❤️❤️❤️. or Or use chickpea-tofu from my book to make soy-free.

  5. Celeste Gober says:

    Sadly, your recipe does not include instructions on making hemp tofu, and currently, in January of 2022, it’s no where to be found. Not online & not even in Whole Foods. Since I’m following the Plant Paradox, you can understand that, as a GMO product that’s a hormone disrupter, soy is unacceptable as a protein replacement. Will you be adding a recipe for making hemp tofu? Thank you.

  6. Cher says:

    5 stars
    This was a winner! Made with chickpeas and vegetables, and all coconut milk rather than the water. Warming and flavourful.

    1. Richa says:

      Awesome

  7. Chloe Rayner says:

    5 stars
    I cooked this for my family and my dad (not a vegan) loved it!! Definitely, a new curry favourite for the family and have to make sure mum learns the recipe.

    1. Vegan Richa Support says:

      nice – and you can cook together too

  8. Lauri R Hyde says:

    You state that Seitan is gluten free. It is NOT!!! It is made from vital wheat gluten! Correct your information or risk getting sued by a celiac patient!

    1. Richa says:

      I don’t think I say that Seitan is gluten-free anywhere. The statement says that the dishes which are basically the sauces are gluten-free and then depending on what protein you add obviously that will change. I’ll update to be clear

  9. Aileen says:

    5 stars
    Amazingly complex and balanced flavor! SO GOOD! The Hemp Tofu was perfect in this dish. This is a very healthy recipe, and I think it is the tastiest Indian dinner we have ever made. I could see using this sauce in a variety of different dishes and protein sources. Can’t wait to make this for guests!

    1. Vegan Richa Support says:

      so pleased to hear that, thanks a million

  10. Chetna says:

    5 stars
    Awesome recipe! Thanks so much for sharing! I didn’t use any tomato and still tasted delicious!

    1. Richa says:

      awesome!