Make your madras curry powder by grinding all the spices together. Grind only one red chili if you’re not sure about the heat and you can use the other chilies whole in the dish. Grind up in the spice grinder and set aside.
In a casserole dish, add tofu and toss it with a teaspoon of oil. bake at 400 degrees f(205 c) for 10 minutes. Remove the dish and move the tofu to one side so there’s enough space for the onions.
Add in the onions, 2 teaspoons of oil, garlic, curry leaves. Sprinkle the spices on the onion mixture as well as the tofu mixture. Mix the onions so the spices are coated all over. You can sprinkle water and mix so the spices and oil are evenly distributed over the onion. Put the baking dish back in the oven to bake for another 11 -14 minutes or until the onions are starting to turn translucent.
Remove the baking dish then add in the tomato, tomato puree, coconut milk, salt and mix in. Add in the mushrooms and mix in. Then put the baking dish back in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes. You can cover the baking dish with parchment after the first 10 minutes so that the sauce doesn’t evaporate or burn too much.
Check if the mushrooms are cooked and the sauce is thickened to preference. Otherwise bake for another 10 minutes or so.
Remove the dish from the oven and carefully taste. Adjust salt and flavor.
Serve with rice, dosas or rotis. Garnish with cilantro and lemon juice.
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Notes
Stovetop: make the madras curry powder from step 1. Crisp up the tofu in a pan with 1 tsp oil over medium high heat, toss in 1 tsp of the curry powder, toast for a min and remove. Add oil, onion, garlic, curry leaves, spices to the pan and cook until golden, stirring occasionally. Then add the tomato, tomato purée and bring to a boil. Add the rest, cover and cook for 15 mins.
Use Premade curry powder: heat varies depending on brand, so start with 1 tbsp and add more later after tasting, mix in when still hot
soyfree: You can use other types of plant-based protein in this recipe. You can add in a can of chickpeas or 2 to 3 cups of vegetables instead of using tofu for Soyfree