Spiced Cauliflower and Tofu in Green Masala Sauce. Baked Cauliflower and Tofu in green cilantro sauce. Hara Masala Gobi Tofu. The green masala sauce paste can be made ahead and stored. Vegan Gluten-free Nut-free Recipe. Can be soy-free with chickpea tofu or chickpeas or beans or other veggies. Jump to Recipe
This is an easy green masala sauce that you can add many things to. In this recipe, the cauliflower and tofu are tossed in some spices and baked, added to the simmering sauce and served. The flavors meld together and the baked roasted cauliflower and tofu are crisp and smoky.
The green masala sauce has cilantro and some spinach and is a flexible sauce. You can make it with all cilantro, or all spinach or other baby greens. If you hate fresh cilantro, you might like this well cooked cilantro sauce, or use mint + spinach instead. Add veggies of choice or chickpeas or beans. Loads of options.
Serve with Naan or other flatbread or over rice.
More Easy Indian Meals from the blog
- Mushroom Matar Masala
- Bombay Potato and Peas
- Aloo Baingan – Potato Eggplant Curry
- Tofu Matar Masala
- Tofu in Spinach Curry – Saag Tofu
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Spiced Cauliflower and Tofu in Green Masala Sauce - Hara Masala Gobi Tofu
Ingredients
Cauliflower and Tofu:
- 1/2 (0.5 ) large head of cauliflower chopped into small florets
- 7 oz (198.45 g) tofu pressed for 5 mins in paper towels and cubed, or use 1 cup more cauliflower, veggies or cooked chickpeas
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 tbsp cornstarch or other starch
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) each of salt , turmeric, ground cumin, coriander, garam masala
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) or more cayenne and black pepper
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) or more paprika
Green Sauce mix:
- 1 cup (16 g) packed cilantro
- 1/2 cup (15 g) baby spinach
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 inch ginger
- 1/2 (0.5 ) hot green chile
- 2 tsp lemon juice
Masala Sauce:
- 1 tsp oil
- 1/2 (0.5 ) medium onion finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) each of ground cumin garam masala, and turmeric
- 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) ground cloves
- 1/3 tsp (0.33 tsp) salt
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) sugar or other sweetener
- 1/2 cup (122 ml) non dairy milk almond, cashew or coconut
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F / 220ºc. Chop the cauliflower and tofu and add to a bowl. Drizzle oil and mix and rub in. In a bowl, mix the starch, spices and salt and mix well. Sprinkle all over the cauliflower and tofu and toss. Sprinkle some more paprika over the cauliflower and tofu for additional color and toss to coat. (Add 1 tbsp nutritional yeast for cheesier flavor). Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile. Blend all the ingredients under green sauce with few tablespoons of water until smooth.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and pinch of salt and cook until translucent.
- Add spices, mix and cook for a minute. Pour the sauce from the blender jar into the skillet. Use a few more tbsp of water to rinse and get all the sauce from the jar and pour into the skillet. Add salt and sweetener. Bring to a boil. About 5 minutes. At this point you can store the sauce for use later (refrigerate for upto 3 days).
- Add the baked cauliflower and tofu to the sauce. Add salt and non dairy milk, toss well. Taste and adjust salt and heat. Cover and bring to a boil. Let it sit covered for another 2 minutes before serving. Garnish with pepper flakes and serve with vegan Naan, flatbread or rice.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
sukanya says
March 6, 2017 at 9:48 amThis post comes at the perfect time with me struggling with what new to cook with all the Tofu and Spinach lying in my fridge.. Thank you….
Richa says
March 6, 2017 at 10:18 amIf you have loads of spinach try this http://www.veganricha.com/2013/10/palak-tofu-tofu-in-spinach-curry-vegan.html
Emily says
March 6, 2017 at 1:07 pmDo you think you could replace the cornstarch with arrow root/tapioca flour or just leave it out? Thank you!
Richa says
March 6, 2017 at 1:22 pmyes any starch will do.
Sarah says
March 7, 2017 at 7:06 amThis was so good! Did cut back on the cayenne a little and served it over brown rice. Perfect for a weeknight meal.
Richa says
March 7, 2017 at 10:44 amAwesome!
Nicole says
March 7, 2017 at 2:24 pmi need to try this. it looks amazing. i love a cauliflower masala. (gobi masala!)
http://cuckoolemon.com
Betty says
March 8, 2017 at 6:10 pmI made it this evening (with kale instead of spinach–worked fine). My husband who is not fond of tofu thought it was very good. Success!!
Richa says
March 8, 2017 at 9:24 pmyay!
Suz says
January 28, 2019 at 2:46 pmGood deal that kale works, too. We have lots of kale growing in the garden right now. This recipe is what’s for dinner.
Heidi says
March 8, 2017 at 9:01 pmThis was amazing! I used arugula rather than spinach and found it to have a great flavor with brilliant spices. Thanks!!!
Richa says
March 8, 2017 at 9:25 pmI like arugula in sauces too in some amount in combinations such as this. So glad you loved it!
Richa says
March 8, 2017 at 9:25 pmI like arugula in sauces too in some amount in combinations such as this. So glad you loved it!
Iris says
March 19, 2017 at 6:04 pmThis was amazing!!! So tasty. I subbed chickpeas instead of the tofu, very filling.
Yasmin says
March 21, 2017 at 7:30 amHi Richa
I LOVE your recipes . I can’t figure out why I stopped getting them in 2017. Any ideas?
Richa says
March 21, 2017 at 11:20 amMaybe the mails are going to spam? you can subscribe again and see if that works.
Chandana says
March 21, 2017 at 2:19 pmMade today !!! Though i dint Have spinach i added an extra amount of cilantro . and cashew milk and it was yummy !! Even my husband liked it. Thanks richa for this wonderful recipe:)
Richa says
March 21, 2017 at 2:28 pmawesome!
Srivani says
April 26, 2017 at 2:36 pmThis was super easy and sooooo tasty! Thank you!
For the milk, I used a half can of coconut milk which added a wonderful creaminess.
Richa says
April 26, 2017 at 3:01 pmAwesome!
Julia says
May 8, 2017 at 11:20 amThank you! This dish was DELICIOUS and my entire home smelled awesome! I used only Cilantro and no spinach, and left out the hot spices (to suit my dinner companions) – So great! and again, leftover, for lunch today!
Susan says
May 29, 2017 at 6:03 pmMy house smells delicious! This is terrific. I must have done something wrong because I didn’t have enough sauce. I’ll have to make it saucier next time. Yum – thank you!
Richa says
June 12, 2017 at 6:16 pmadd in more non dairy milk, or more of the cilantro and spinach. Both the greens cook down to very small amounts, so if they are very loosely packed, they will reduce to a small amount. also if the stove runs hotter it will thicken the sauce quicker. add more non dairy milk.
Steve says
June 12, 2017 at 3:49 amYum yum. Flavour was amazing. Wasn’t real sure about the Tofu though. Tofu didn’t carry the flavour to well, perhaps next time I may cut the Tofu smaller?
Richa says
June 12, 2017 at 6:14 pmyes you might want to cut it smaller. the smaller pieces will soak some of the sauce in the short time they are in the sauce. Larger pieces will need a longer simmer time.
Mallika says
July 4, 2017 at 7:08 amI’m the biggest fan of your recipes and look forward to seeing them so often!! Love them!! Thank you so much!!
Soozi G says
August 7, 2017 at 1:49 pmI just made this for my kids (and myself)…sooo good, they gobbled it up. Thank you so much. I enjoy reading your posts, and emulating your eating habits.
Blue Butterfield says
October 3, 2017 at 5:03 amThis was amazing! Thank you so much. Did do a double recipe (a full head of cauliflower and 1 block tofu) and it still went down in one sitting between 2 teenage boys. My family here in Portland Maine absolutely adores your work. Just ordered the new book! Many many thanks.
Richa says
October 3, 2017 at 7:09 pmAwesome! always good to hear that everyone loved it! thanks for ordering the book!
Beth W says
December 3, 2017 at 11:01 amMade this today, delicious!
Richa says
December 3, 2017 at 11:47 amAwesome!
Rachel says
January 6, 2018 at 9:01 amHi Richa,
I am going to make this for a potluck and will triple the recipe but I read once that you don’t triple the spices. Can you advise on this.
Thank you
Richa says
January 6, 2018 at 3:36 pmTriple all the not hot spices like cumin garam masala etc. and herbs and double the hot spies like cayenne, black pepper, paprika dn green chile. Then adjust later if you need more heat with added cayenne.
Nicole says
February 23, 2018 at 8:39 pmMade a double batch for my husband for birthday along with flatbread. I can’t even say how delicious it is!!!! So glad I made enough for leftovers.
Kajal says
February 24, 2018 at 1:44 pmCan I double the cauliflower and leave out the tofu?
Richa says
February 25, 2018 at 12:55 amyes
Teniah says
February 24, 2018 at 8:52 pmYou never fail…..This is such an amazing recipe. I served this over a spiced rice that I made for my husband’s meal. His was venison jalfrezi, but he ended up actually liking MY vegan meal better, so next time he said he would be happy to have that…..SCORE!!!!
Amy Smith-Faczan says
March 20, 2018 at 2:43 pmThis recipe is a WINNER! I might have to double the green sauce and add some broccoli or bell pepper to make extra. We ate it all in one sitting!
So flavorful!
Richa says
March 20, 2018 at 3:01 pmawesome!
Dave says
April 11, 2018 at 10:12 pmI made this and I thought it was very good. More importantly, my wife said it was really good. She “appreciated the freshness”. It was very good-but given that my wife did not make out with me dedoute the deliciousness, it only gets 4 stars instead of five. I used agave to sweeten instead of sugar. Since tofu is sold mostly in 14oz packs I doubled sauce amounts. My brother and his wife are vegan and coming to visit and I’m going to make this if that floats anyone’s boat.
Richa says
April 11, 2018 at 10:35 pm😀 some extra cashew cream and spices might do the trick ;). I also would suggest the Butter Tofu or Butter Soy curls/chickpeas https://www.veganricha.com/2017/05/butter-tofu-paneer-tofu-butter-masala-recipe.html
Erica says
January 27, 2019 at 6:49 pmCould you use frozen spinach??
Lachlan says
January 28, 2019 at 11:10 pmAmazing recipe! The second time I tried it I put in 3 cups of spinach to increase the amount of greens and added two cups of sliced mushrooms shortly after the onions went in and it was nearly as good.
Love your website
Richa says
January 29, 2019 at 10:06 amawesome!
Roxanne says
February 22, 2019 at 8:50 amIs there anyway to omit tofu for chickpeas maybe?
Richa says
February 23, 2019 at 11:43 pmyes use 1 cup cooked chickpeas instead of tofu
Sarah says
May 25, 2019 at 7:28 pmIf I use chickpeas instead, do I still add them to cauliflower, toss with spices and bake in the oven? Or would I add them later with the baked cauliflower to the masala sauce?
BTW – I made this recipe last week and it is delicious. Am making it again for friends and want to sub chickpeas for the tofu.
Thank you!
Richa says
May 25, 2019 at 8:10 pmAdd them later with the cauliflower to the sauce, or you can add to the pan for the last 10 mins so they pick up some spices.
Sarah says
May 26, 2019 at 1:45 pmthanks Richa! much appreciated!
Erin says
May 6, 2019 at 8:47 pmThis recipe is amazing! It turned out so well I had take a pic and send to friends:) I stuck to the recipe, put it over some rice, and doubled it so we could have leftovers for lunch the next day. You’re recipes are a staple in our house and we will be definitely me making this again. Thanks for sharing!
Richa says
May 7, 2019 at 11:39 amyay!!
Cate says
May 14, 2019 at 4:56 pmLoved it! I added a whole pepper. I like things spicy . I served mine over black rice. I will make this again.
Richa says
May 14, 2019 at 6:36 pmyay!
Nicole M says
March 2, 2020 at 11:42 amThis is phenomenal! I’m so glad a made a double batch! I bought these tiny Thai peppers not knowing how spicy they were, good thing I tasted it before adding the FOUR I bought! One made it quite spicy but very enjoyable 😋 I served it with come farro cooked in veg broth. I’ve made a few of your recipes and they’ve all been great, but this just knocked my socks off
SusanL says
March 2, 2020 at 6:23 pmMade this today. OMG! so good!!
Lin says
May 21, 2020 at 9:41 pmMy new favorite recipe!! I’ve never had anything like it.
Vegan Richa Support says
May 21, 2020 at 9:53 pmSo glad you enjoyed it!
Shale says
June 6, 2020 at 5:55 amI make this recipe ALL THE TIME it’s so good!!! The first time I made it, the roasted tofu and cauliflower in the spices smelled so good I couldn’t help myself and ate a sizable portion before actually adding them to the sauce, whoops. The most delicious are the little bits of tofu that get all crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. I am still tempted every time, but knowing how delicious it is in the curry helps me get to the finish line, haha.
Richa says
June 6, 2020 at 1:54 pmAwesome
Meghan says
August 8, 2020 at 6:13 pmWe love Indian food and this is the second food journey you’ve taken us. This recipe is a staple in my kitchen, my 11yr old begs me for it, I savor in it, it’s not hard, and it’s adjustable to a point. LOVE IT!!!
Vegan Richa Support says
August 10, 2020 at 3:38 pmThe journey has just begun – thank you for the top notch rating!
Makeda M Nueckel says
August 12, 2020 at 10:04 pmThanks for a great recipe! Family of 5 and everyone liked it, commenting on the delicious and authentic tasting curry sauce. Will make again
Maria B. says
November 18, 2020 at 8:52 pmLove this recipe ! I just had a question regarding the serving size. How much is one serving ?
Vegan Richa Support says
November 18, 2020 at 9:10 pmthanks!! approx 2 cups