Tofu Amritsari Masala. This Amritsari Sauce uses toasted cayenne and spices to make a smoky spicy creamy tomato sauce. Add chickpeas, veggies or veggie meats for variation. Vegan Glutenfree Recipe. Can be Soyfree, Nutfree. Jump to Recipe
Amritsar is a town in the state of Punjab and the cuisine from this city has certain twists to the usual sauces and dishes. This Amritsari sauce which is often served with chikin is a fabulous base for veggies, tofu or chickpeas. The sauce is a creamy onion tomato sauce like the makhani sauce. The spicing is a bit different.
Cayenne and paprika (or kashmiri chili) is roasted/fried well in the beginning(there might be sneezing!), then cumin and coriander and mixed and roasted. The temperature of the pan and oil matter here so that the spices dont burn, but do roast well. Then the onion, garlic and ginger is added and cooked to golden with the smoked spices. A Blended tomato cashew sauce is then added and simmered to make a creamy smoky spicy sauce! Add the baked tofu or some chickpeas or roasted veggies and simmer for a few mins.
This sauce can easily get pretty hot. So use less heat (cayenne, smoked paprika and sub the hot green chile with mild or bell pepper) to preference. If you fry the cayenne in hotter oil, it will also burn out some of the heat. For a quicker recipe, pan fry pressed and cubed tofu and use. Lets get sneezing!
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- Tofu in Spinach Curry – Saag Tofu
- Vegetable Jalfrezi – Veggies in smoky tangy curry
Step by Step Photos
The spices fried in hot oil is what gives the dish its distinctive flavor. If omitting oil, you want to carefully toast the spices on a dry hot skillet and then add some broth and onion and continue to cook.
Tofu gets marinated in ginger garlic cayenne lemon cornstarch marinade and then baked. Use the same marinade for veggies if using. Or cook the chickpeas or chickpea tofu with it before adding to the sauce.
You can also add the marinade ingredients minus cornstarch to the onion mixture and cook for a minute before adding the tomato puree. Then add veggies or chickpeas with cashew milk and simmer until tender.
Tofu Amritsari Masala - Spicy Smoky Creamy Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
Baked Tofu:
- 14 oz firm tofu pressed for 15 mins then cubed
- 2 tsp minced ginger
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 tsp apple cider or white vinegar
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/3 tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 3/4 tsp (0.75 tsp) ground cumin
- 1/3 tsp (0.33 tsp) cayenne or use paprika for less heat
- 1 tsp oil or spray some later , omit for oilfree
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
Sauce:
- 2 tsp oil , see note for oilfree
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) cayenne or use scant 1/4 tsp for less heat
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) smoked paprika or Kashmiri chili powder, use regular sweet paprika for less heat
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 1/3 cup (53.33 g) finely chopped onion
- 1 green chili , chopped (use 1/4 cup bell pepper for less heat)
- 3 (3 ) large tomatoes pureed , or 15 oz can diced with juices
- 1/4 cup (0.25 cup) water to rinse out the blender
- 1/4 cup (32.38 g) cashews blended with 1 cup water (see note for nutfree), 1/3 cup for creamier
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) salt , less or more to preference
- 1 tsp sugar or sweetener
- cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Blend the ginger garlic vinegar and lemon, or mince and combine in a bowl. Add to the cubed tofu. Add the spices, salt and oil and mix in. Add cornstarch and toss lightly to coat.
- Spread the cubes on parchment lined sheet. Bake at 400 deg F (205 C) for 20- 25 mins. (For a quicker recipe, skip the spices etc(add some more to the sauce), pan fry pressed and cubed tofu until golden and use.)
- Sauce: Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add oil. Once hot (not smoking) add the cayenne and paprika and cook for a few seconds.
- Add cumin and coriander and cook for a few seconds. it should be bubbly and you should smell or sneeze the spices.
- Add ginger, onion, chili and mix in. Add a good pinch of salt. Cook for a minute 2 until the chili is golden
- Add the pureed tomato, salt, and sugar and mix in. Cook until the tomato puree thickens.
- Add cashew milk and bring to a just about a boil. Add the baked tofu and mix in. Simmer for 6 to 8 mins to thicken and for the flavors to develop. Taste and adjust salt and sweet. Remove from heat. Let it sit for another few mins for flavors to meld. Garnish with cilantro and chili.
- The sauce thickens as it sits. Add 1/2 cup of water or non-dairy milk if needed when reheating. Serve with flatbread or rice or add to a bowl.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Tiffany says
February 6, 2019 at 3:47 pmMade this today. I really enjoyed the hot nature of it.
Richa says
February 6, 2019 at 6:10 pmAwesome!
Teresa says
February 7, 2019 at 6:18 pmWow! New addition to my comfort food recipes, especially on a cold Colorado night! I used the coconut milk option and it was delish. I did add a bit of tamarind paste to balance flavors. It comes together in the time it takes to cook a pot of brown rice, and the house will smell splendid the whole evening long! Thank you!
Richa says
February 7, 2019 at 8:12 pmawesome!
Robert @rarewolfe says
February 8, 2019 at 1:31 amThanks for sharing. We are going to make this today.
Wayne says
February 8, 2019 at 2:11 pmHi,
Looking forward to trying this recipe! I’m trying to eat as many vegetables as possible, can you recommend some that would go well in this?
Richa says
February 8, 2019 at 3:01 pmcauliflower, potato, zucchini, sweet potato
Wayne says
February 9, 2019 at 6:44 pmTried this recipe, absolutely love it! I did use the coconut milk in place of cashew milk since I dont have a good blender yet. Do you know if it will taste much different between cashew milk and coconut milk?
Richa says
February 9, 2019 at 9:05 pmjust slightly and either should work
Fiona Manoon says
February 11, 2019 at 12:29 amIt looks very yummy.
Cassie Autumn Tran says
February 20, 2019 at 10:09 pmI want to try this recipe SUPER badly. It looks perfect! Thank you so much for incorporating a nut free and oil free option. Full fat coconut milk is easier and cheaper for me to use, so I’d definitely integrate that substitution!
Kelly Higgins says
February 24, 2019 at 7:10 pmMade this tonight. Very good!
Richa says
February 24, 2019 at 8:03 pmawesome!
Christine says
February 27, 2019 at 4:12 pmI made this (for my packed work lunch) and it did not stretch for the week – because I could not stop eating it straight out the saucepan! It is absolutely delicious and love the creaminess the cashew milk adds to the tomato base. A definite winner with me. I have an abundance of eggplant in my garden at the moment (I am in Australia) so cut a large one in into wedges and roasted them in the oven and then added it into the sauce with the tofu. YUM YUM YUM. Guess what is for lunch again next week!
Richa says
February 27, 2019 at 4:19 pmawesome!
Liv says
March 2, 2019 at 11:02 amI just made it! It requires quite some work, but it’s all worth it. It’s delicious and it’ll surely stay on our menu for some time 🙂 Thank you very much for sharing!
Hannah says
March 22, 2019 at 6:37 amGreat recipe, and I love the flexibility. I added 1 bag of defrosted mixed vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots this time) with the baked tofu and a few handfuls of baby spinach at the end for a little more heft, and it turned out perfectly. The sauce is so flavorful! Thank you, Richa!
Richa says
March 22, 2019 at 10:37 amyay!!
Deborah Reeves says
April 7, 2019 at 7:27 pmThis is wonderful! The closest I’ve ever come to making a restaurant style tomato-y masala at home. I made it with coconut milk and it was delicious. I will try it with cashew cream next time, as I’m sure I’ll be making this again and again.
Richa says
April 7, 2019 at 10:37 pmawesome!
Luisa says
April 12, 2019 at 1:28 amFabulous as ever💕
Richa says
April 12, 2019 at 10:51 amThanks!
Dunni says
May 21, 2019 at 4:02 pmI’m using canned tomatoes. Is it 15oz can or three 15oz cans?
Richa says
May 21, 2019 at 11:08 pm1 15 oz can, or 3 fresh tomatoes.
Rebecca says
May 29, 2019 at 8:48 pmI had to make the sauce twice this week, because my family loved it so much. My five year old has requested it with quinoa for breakfast the last two days, and she says it’s her new favorite food 🙂
Richa says
May 29, 2019 at 10:09 pmthats so awesome!
Robert says
May 30, 2019 at 6:45 pmDelicious spicy yummy!
Richa says
May 30, 2019 at 9:27 pmThanks!
MaryV says
June 2, 2019 at 10:57 amI made this a couple of weeks ago. My normally not very responsive family ate it without comment. My only evidence it was good was the lack of leftovers. BUT my husband is leaving for the store this morning and specifically asked what I needed to make “that delicious Indian masala-y thing with the tomatoes and tofu that you made.” SO, that’s about the biggest compliment the cooking can get around here (and I’m not a mediocre cook!) There ya go: it’s delicious!
Richa says
June 2, 2019 at 10:59 amyay!!! so awesome!! you did the cooking so a lot of credit to you!!
Jovana says
July 9, 2019 at 9:56 amI honestly eat this with some joy! Every mouthful is just a “mmmm, wow” moment. I use beans instead of tofu since we usually have loads of beans pre-cooked in the fridge and it makes this a super easy meal if you used canned tomatoes! 🙂
While I’m making the sauce, we steam a bunch of veggies (broccoli, zucchini and potato) and then just use this delicious sauce to make the veggies even nommier.
My two omni friends are coming tomorrow so going to make the tofu version and serve it with rice instead!
This has become a regular in our kitchen! Thank you!
Richa says
July 9, 2019 at 10:56 amyay! awesome!
Lesa says
July 13, 2019 at 12:31 pmAmazing flavor. Worth every step. I prepped and cubed the tofu the night before to save a little time. Another fabulous recipe. Thanks Richa!
Richa says
July 13, 2019 at 2:35 pmawesome!
Davol says
November 20, 2019 at 7:12 pmThis sauce is indescribably delicious!!!!
Thank you Richa for your incredible talent 🙂
Zach says
December 7, 2019 at 10:03 amThis was delicious. I had some leftover ingredients from Thanksgiving that I used to make some modifications that worked well. I added chopped mushrooms and about a half cup of canned pumpkin puree when I added the chili pepper and I used coconut milk instead of blended cashews.
Richa says
December 7, 2019 at 10:31 amawesome!
Maneesha says
January 2, 2020 at 6:40 pmSoo delicious and creamy! I made it for the family, and nobody could tell it was vegan!
Richa says
January 2, 2020 at 7:10 pmyay!
Rachel R. says
January 23, 2020 at 9:57 amThat sauce is the stuff of dreams! My husband and I made it a few nights ago, and it immediately went into the “will make again” folder.
Richa says
January 23, 2020 at 11:06 amawesome
Payal Patel says
February 3, 2020 at 6:36 pmsooo good
H says
February 27, 2020 at 12:13 pmThe recipe looks fantastic! Do you think it’s possible to make in an instant pot?
Richa says
February 28, 2020 at 1:26 pmyou probably can, see my ip vegan butter chicken recipe for instant pot sauce instructions. the totfu will need to be baked, or use soy curls like in the butter chicken
Melody U says
March 31, 2020 at 9:11 amMade this today. LOVED the flavor and I’m thinking of making it without the tofu, sprinkling in a little cornstarch for the thickening if needed since the cornstarch covered tofu will be missing. I did not care for the inner custardy’texture’ of the tofu at all. Next time I will freeze it, thaw, squeeze the water out well and cut or tear into bite sized pieces. I do this for my vegie chili and it has more the texture of meat. Or maybe I will use tempeh or chickpeas. The flavor of the ‘sauce’ alone would be good over rice. Outstanding!
Melody U says
March 31, 2020 at 9:14 amYou can but why? Just as easy to cook the sauce on the stove and it won’t crisp up the tofu. An air fryer might be a good bet instead of the oven for the tofu though.
Agnes says
May 3, 2020 at 2:26 amMade it yesterday and it was so yummy!
Vegan Richa Support says
May 3, 2020 at 8:19 pmawesome!
Janet says
July 13, 2020 at 10:17 amI love this recipe. Definitely comfort food. She has soo many good recipes to try there is not enough time to make them all.
Vegan Richa Support says
July 13, 2020 at 10:41 amSo glad you enjoyed this! Thank you for the great review! 🙂
Colleen says
November 2, 2020 at 11:25 amI’ve made this recipe twice now and it was delicious both times! First time I followed the recipe exactly minus the green chili pepper and it was excellent. Second time, I included a jalapeno, used chickpeas instead of tofu, and threw in a chopped green pepper I needed to use up with the chickpeas. Still great! I’ll definitely keep making this recipe because the sauce is so good.
Richa says
November 2, 2020 at 3:01 pmIt definitely is !
Kiara says
March 14, 2021 at 2:20 pmIt would be impossible to overstate how much I love this recipe! My partner and I have made it for lunch meal prep twice now. We reduce the amount of tofu and add cauliflower and carrots to add some veggies. The flavor is perfect – so smoky and creamy!
Vegan Richa Support says
March 15, 2021 at 3:02 pmExcellent
Anna says
April 3, 2021 at 11:47 amThis was so nice! I added chopped carrot to bulk it out a bit, and next time I would reduce the cayenne pepper, but will definitely be making it again!
Vegan Richa Support says
April 6, 2021 at 11:25 amyum