These mini tandoori tofu skewers with chutney aioli are the perfect Indian-inspired appetizer. Each one offers marinated & baked tofu, tender veggies, and the flavors of tandoori masala!
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I’m convinced that everything is cuter on a stick, so here are mini tandoori tofu skewers that make a perfect appetizer. They remind me of camping with a bunch of families when I was a kid. If there is one thing to say about Indian parents camping, it’s that even the ones who aren’t that outdoorsy will figure out ways to make legit food out in the woods. Like PBJs won’t happen, but chicken curry and rice will. Bread pakoras will. And these skewers definitely will.
I’m using extra firm tofu instead of paneer, coated in a marinade of plant-based yogurt and spices. I love making things harder for myself so instead of using tandoori masala I’m mixing every spice I have. But if you want to make things even harder for yourself but unarguably better, you can toast whole spices and grind them. But if you’re lazy, by all means use store bought tandoori masala. Then you just put them on toothpicks because yes, everything is cuter on a stick, but everything is even cuter on a mini stick. To dip the skewers, serve with a cilantro chutney aioli!
Tandoori Tofu Skewers
Ingredients
- 16 oz. block of extra-firm tofu
- 2 tbsp besan (gram flour or chickpea flour)
- ½ cup nondairy yogurt
- ½ red bell pepper
- ½ green bell pepper
- ½ red onion
- 3 baby bella mushrooms
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- ½ tsp kashmiri chili powder
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ½-1 tsp salt (to taste)
cilantro chutney aioli
- 1 cup cilantro
- 2 tbsp vegan mayo
- 1 inch ginger
- 1 green chili
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 F.
- Press tofu for at least 15 minutes. If your tofu is already pretty firm, you won't need long. Cut into 1-inch cubes.
- Prepare the marinade: combine yogurt, besan, and all the spices. Instead of all the ground spices, you can also a store-bought tandoori masala! Coat the tofu in the marinade. Let it marinate for as long as possible (maybe even for a few hours or overnight), but it's not a big deal if you want to make the skewers immediately.
- Meanwhile, cut the veggies to bite size pieces that are similar in size to the tofu. Add an assortment of tofu and veggies to each toothpick.
- Grease a baking sheet and place the mini skewers on them. Bake for 15-18 minutes, followed by broiling on high for 3 minutes.
- For the aioli, simply process all the ingredients in a small food processor! Add lime juice and salt to taste.
If you’re into this, check out this sister recipe:
