Kasuri Malai Murg – Tofu & Chickpeas in Creamy fenugreek sauce

Name: Kasuri Malai Murg Tofu
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Ingredients: 7 oz firm or extra-firm tofu (, pressed for at least 15 minutes and then torn into organic pieces); 1 cup cooked chickpeas; 1 teaspoon lime juice; 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste (or minced 1/2 inch ginger and 2 cloves garlic); 1/2 teaspoon garam masala; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder (or use paprika); 1 tablespoon non-dairy yogurt (or non-dairy cream of choice); 2 teaspoons vegan butter (or use oil ); 2 whole cloves; 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns; 1 black cardamom pod (slightly open); 1 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion; 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste (or 1/2 inch ginger and 4 cloves garlic, minced ); 2 tablespoons tomato puree (or use 1 tablespoon tomato paste); 1/2 to 1 teaspoon garam masala; 2 teaspoons dried fenugreek leaves, (kasuri methi); 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder (or use paprika); 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom; 1 cup cashew cream (( 3/4 cup raw cashews blended with 1 cup of water.)); 1/2 teaspoon salt (more as needed); pepper flakes, cilantro

Published: May 5, 2023 by Richa 28 Comments

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Kasuri Malai Murg is a flavorful, creamy Indian chicken curry with a fenugreek cream sauce. In this vegan version, we use tofu and chickpeas for the proteins in a flavorful vegan curry sauce spiced with cardamom, ginger, and fenugreek.

vegan kasuri malai murg in the pan, after cooking with fresh herbs sprinkled on top

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love Vegan Kasuri Malai Murg
More Vegan Chicken Recipes
Recipe Card
Ingredients:
Tips:
How to Make Vegan Kasuri Malai Murg Chicken
Frequently Asked Questions

The sauce for this aromatic, Mughal curry is seriously bursting with flavor! The subtle earthy notes of black cardamom and clove, spice from ginger and black pepper, bitter sweet flavor from fenugreek(kasuri/kasoori methi) all in a creamy sauce to envelop whatever protein or veggies that you like. This Mughlai Indian sauce is perfect witb crisped up pieces of tofu and toothsome chickpeas that nestle in that rich, spiced gravy.

vegan kasuri malai murg plated with naan

It’s perfect served with naan or over rice for an easy, weeknight meal, but it’s special enough to serve on special occasions.

Why You’ll Love Vegan Kasuri Malai Murg

It’s rich, creamy, flavorful sauce with tender chunks of tofu and toothsome chickpeas.
Naturally gluten-free.
Soy-free and nut-free options.
Easy, vegan weeknight dinner.
Amazing Indian flavor

More Vegan Chicken Recipes

Recipe Card

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5 from 14 votes

Kasuri Malai Murg Tofu

Kasuri Malai Murg is a flavorful, creamy chicken curry. In this vegan version, we are using tofu and chickpeas for the proteins in a flavorful vegan curry sauce spiced with cardamom, ginger, and fenugreek.

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Total Time55

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: kasoori chicken, vegan kasoori malai murgh, vegan kasuri malai chicken, vegan kasuri malai murg

Servings: 4

Calories: 286kcal

Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

For the protein:

7 oz (198.45 g) firm or extra-firm tofu , pressed for at least 15 minutes and then torn into organic pieces
1 cup (164 g) cooked chickpeas
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste or minced 1/2 inch ginger and 2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder or use paprika
1 tablespoon non-dairy yogurt or non-dairy cream of choice

For the sauce:

2 teaspoons vegan butter or use oil
2 whole cloves
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 black cardamom pod slightly open
1 1/4 cup (200 g) finely chopped red onion
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste or 1/2 inch ginger and 4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato puree or use 1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 to 1 teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoons dried fenugreek leaves, kasuri methi
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder or use paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 cup (236.59 ml) cashew cream ( 3/4 cup raw cashews blended with 1 cup of water.)
1/2 teaspoon salt more as needed

For garnish:

pepper flakes, cilantro

Instructions

Bake the proteins.

Press for 15 mins and tear the tofu if you haven’t already and add it to a large bowl. Add the chickpeas, lime juice, ginger garlic paste and non-dairy yogurt and mix. Combine the spices in a small bowl and sprinkle them all over and toss well to coat. Transfer the mixture to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400º F (205 c) for 18-20 minutes.

Meanwhile make the sauce.

Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cloves, black peppercorns and black cardamom. Cook for a minute or until fragrant. Then add the onion and a good pinch of salt and cook until the onion is golden. This can take anywhere from 7-10 minutes. Add a few splashes of water in between to help the onions brown evenly.
Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until golden. Then add the ginger-garlic paste, tomato puree or tomato paste, the spices, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and mix in. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the cashew cream and remaining salt and mix in.
Bring to a boil. Add 1 cup of water to thin out the cream a little bit and bring to a boil again. (Adjust water amount based on how saucy you want the dish)
Add in the baked tofu-chickpea mixture and mix to coat well. Switch off the heat. Taste and adjust salt and flavor.
Garnish with some pepper flakes and cilantro. Serve with roti, Naan, flatbread or rice.

Notes

Use vegan chicken substitutes like seitan or store bought chicken substitutes. If using soy curls, soak 2-3 oz soycurls in hot water first then drain and squeeze out the moisture. Add them to the bowl with the chickpeas and the spices. Bake for only 15 minutes and add it to your sauce.

Nutfree: , use a nut free non-dairy cream or use coconut cream. You can also make a cream from hemp seeds and pumpkin seeds or blended up silken tofu or a mix of tofu and pumpkin seeds.

Soyfree: use 2 cups cooked chickpeas or a mix of beans and roasted veggies

substitutes for spices

black cardamom: use green cardamom instead
Cloves- use 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves and add later with other ground spices
black peppercorns- omit and add 1/8 tsp black pepper with ground spices
fenugreek leaves: these are an important flavor in the dish. You can use 1/2 tsp powdered fenugreek seed. Or use 1/2 tsp ground mustard and 1 tsp maple syrup.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Kasuri Malai Murg Tofu

Amount Per Serving

Calories 286 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Fat 15g23%

Saturated Fat 3g19%

Sodium 615mg27%

Potassium 405mg12%

Carbohydrates 26g9%

Fiber 6g25%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 14g28%

Vitamin A 372IU7%

Vitamin C 6mg7%

Calcium 116mg12%

Iron 4mg22%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Ingredients:

tofu – Packed with protein, tofu torn into rustic pieces and baked gives it a tender, chicken-like texture. You can use more chickpeas or other vegan chicken subs, if you prefer.
chickpeas – Chickpeas bring even more protein and texture to this dish! Their firm texture is a wonderful contrast to the rich, creamy sauce.
non-dairy yogurt – You use this in the coating for the chickpeas and tofu . You can use your favorite thick, non-dairy cream of choice instead as long as it’s as thick or thicker than yogurt.
cashew cream – to add creaminess to the sauce. To make the cashew cream, blend 3/4 cup raw cashews with a cup of water until smooth and creamy. For nut-free, use pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds instead of cashews.
spices – This vegan curry is all about the spices! Garam masala, cardamom, black peppercorns, fenugreek, and more bring a mouthwatering flavor to this dish. If you can’t find the Kashmiri chili powder, use paprika instead.
tomato puree/tomato paste – A little tomato brings some color and an umami flavor to the sauce.
onions – Cooking the onions until they are golden ups the flavor profile and adds a hint of caramelized sweetness. Such a nice complement to the spices in the sauce!

Tips:

To make this recipe nut-free, use a nut-free non-dairy cream or use coconut cream. You can also make a cream from hemp seeds and pumpkin seeds or blended up silken tofu or a mix of tofu and pumpkin seeds. So many options!
To make this soy-free, omit the tofu and use two cups of cooked chickpeas instead.
You can also use cauliflower. Bake it until the cauliflower is cooked through and add it to the sauce.
You can use vegan chicken substitutes like seitan or store bought chicken substitutes.
Kasuri Malai Murg also works with soy curls! Soak them in hot water first then drain and squeeze out the moisture. Add them to the bowl with the chickpeas and the spices. Bake for only 15 minutes and add it to your sauce.

How to Make Vegan Kasuri Malai Murg Chicken

Press and tear the tofu into rustic pieces, and add it to a large bowl. Add the chickpeas, lime juice, ginger garlic paste and non-dairy yogurt.

torn tofu and chickpeas in a bowl with non-dairy cream added

Combine the spices in a small bowl and sprinkle them all over and toss well to coat.

torn tofu and chickpeas in a bowl with non-dairy cream and spices added, before mixing

torn tofu and chickpeas in a bowl with non-dairy cream and spices added, after mixing

Transfer the mixture to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400º F (205c)for 18-20 minutes.

sauced chickpeas and tofu on the baking sheet before baking

sauced chickpeas and tofu on the baking sheet after baking

While the proteins bake, make your sauce.

Heat vegan butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cloves, black peppercorns, and black cardamom, and cook for a couple minutes until fragrant.

vegan butter and spices in the pan before cooking

vegan butter and spices in the pan after cooking

Then, add the onion and a good pinch of salt and cook until the onion is golden, around 7 to 10 minutes. Add a few splashes of water in between to help the onions brown evenly. Continue to cook. stirring occasionally, until golden.

Now, mix in the ginger-garlic paste, tomato puree or tomato paste, the spices, and a quarter teaspoon of salt.

Cook for just two minutes, then add the non-dairy cream and remaining salt and mix in.

adding vegan cream to the pan, before cooking

vegan cream in the pan mixed with spices and onions

Bring the sauce to a boil, then add a cup of water to thin out the cream a little bit and bring to a boil again. If you like more sauce, then you can add more water before adding the tofu.

vegan curry sauce finished cooking in the pan

By now, your proteins should be done baking. Add them to the sauce, and mix to coat well. Switch off the heat.

adding the proteins to the cooked curry sauce

proteins in the pan tossed in the curry sauce

Taste and adjust the salt and flavor.

Garnish with some pepper flakes and cilantro. You can serve it with roti, flatbread or rice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this nut-free?

To make this recipe nut-free, use a nut-free non-dairy cream or use coconut cream. You can also make a cream from hemp seeds and pumpkin seeds or blended up silken tofu or a mix of tofu and pumpkin seeds.

Can this be made soy-free?

To make this without soy, omit the tofu and use 2 cups of cooked chickpeas instead. You can also use cauliflower. Marinate with the chickpeas and Bake it until the cauliflower is cooked through and add it to the sauce.