This kadai tofu is a vegan take on kadai paneer, made with tofu, bell peppers, a creamy gravy of tomatoes and yogurt, and sweet-spicy flavors.
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This is what my mom made me for second lunch when I came home from school.
A lot of people will talk about how their love for cooking started in their mother’s kitchen where they were throwing flour around at age 6 but I never had that because my mother didn’t let me help her in the kitchen. She’d say I’d have plenty of time to do this later in life and told me to go play pretend or MarioKart instead, but in 2020 when I was in the house all the time, she let me learn my childhood favorites from her, like this vegan version of kadai paneer, made with tofu, bell peppers, tomatoes, yogurt, and spices like cardamom, coriander, red chilis, cinnamon, and kasoori methi.
I talk about my mom’s food a lot when I post my own but I don’t think we share a love for cooking in the same way. My mom views cooking itself as work, while I haven’t had the same responsibility of feeding a family, so it’s more relaxing. But what we do share is a love for making something comforting and familiar. Kadai paneer was literally my after school snack, so yeah, I was eating good.
How to Make Kadai Tofu
Pan fry the tofu and bell pepper.
Press tofu for 15 minutes, cut into rectangles, and pan fry. How you cook your tofu is really up to you, but this is what I find comes closest to the softness of paneer. I know some people prefer to bake it or boil it, but I find baking to make it too firm and boiling to make it too soft. I recommend pressing your tofu for 15 minutes, because when you press your tofu for longer, it will be firmer and crisper upon pan frying. While it tastes great that way, for the sake of replicating paneer as closely as possible, retaining some moisture in the tofu is ideal. That being said, make sure not to skip pressing the tofu!
Sauté the bell peppers when you’re done with the tofu.
Grind whole spices.
You could use ground spices, but whole spices bring the best flavor since ground spices lose their flavor over time. Just grind cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, and a dry red chili.
Cook the gravy.
After adding butter, add ginger, green chilis, onions, tomatoes, spices and cashews. The cashews will soften as they simmer with the tomatoes! Let it cool and blend the gravy with plant-based yogurt.
Finish it off with ground spices and kasoori methi. Since you’ll be adding the gravy back in the pan anyways, I figured using these ground spices near the end of the process would be better since some of them are finishing spices. Lightly fry kashmiri lal, garam masala, and kasoori methi.
If you don’t have kashmiri lal, you can sub some more red chili powder or leave it out entirely. Kashmiri lal is slightly less spicy than red chili powder and adds to the color of the dish!
If you don’t have kasoori methi, you can leave it out, but make sure to add it to your grocery list the next time you visit an Indian grocery store. It’s what makes Indian food taste like Indian food.
Now we just mix the tofu and the gravy together, garnish with some cilantro and yogurt, and call it a meal!
Kadai Tofu (Vegan Kadai Paneer)
Ingredients
Tofu and bell peppers
- 1 14 oz. block of firm tofu
- 1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 small green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tbsp vegan butter
Whole spices
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 2 green cardamoms
- 1 dry red chili
- 1 tsp coriander seeds (or ground coriander if that's what you have)
Kadai tofu
- 1 tbsp avocado oil + 1 tsp (separated)
- 1 inch ginger, minced (~ 1 tbsp)
- 1 green chili, minced
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- 4 medium tomatoes, chopped (~ 1.5-2 cup)
- ¼ cup cashews
- ⅓ cup plain plant-based yogurt
- 1 tsp kasoori methi
- ½ tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp kashmiri lal (optional for color)
- ½ tsp sugar
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Prepare tofu and bell peppers. Press for 15-30 minutes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Heat vegan butter or oil in Always Pan over medium heat. Pan fry the tofu for about 10 minutes total, flipping onto each side as they turn golden-brown, but not too crisp.
- After pan frying the tofu, cook the bell pepper in the pan. Add a splash of water and cover for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Grind whole spices: cinnamon, green cardamom, dry red chili, and coriander seeds (or ground coriander).
- Heat 1 tbsp avocado oil in Always Pan over medium heat. Add ginger and green chili, stirring frequently for 2 minutes.
- Add chopped onions and cook for 6-7 minutes, or until the onions are slightly caramelized. Add red chili powder, turmeric, and the grinded whole spice blend. Stir frequently for a minute.
- Add tomatoes and cashews. Let the tomato juices evaporate, which should take about 5 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool down before blending on medium setting with plant-based yogurt and ½ cup water. Make sure to blend on low to medium so it retains some texture! If you like it as creamy as possible, it doesn’t matter.
- Add 1 tsp avocado oil back to the pan over medium-low heat. Gently fry kasoori methi and garam masala in the oil for a minute. Pour the gravy in and use ¼ cup water to clean out the blender’s contents.
- Add kashmiri lal if using, sugar, and salt to taste. Add tofu and bell pepper. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Serve with roti, naan, or paratha!
For something similar, check out…
Vegan Shahi Paneer (Shahi Tofu)
Yay I”m glad everyone loved it!! It’s such a crowdpleaser 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
I made this for dinner and my non-vegan family members were very impressed (they went in for seconds)! I wasn’t able to find Kasoori Methi and Kashmir lal, but it was delicious without it. This dish also smells amazing!