Tofu Makhani

This is a vegetarian version of Butter Chicken. It’s great as an alternative for those meatless nights where you want plant based protein but still enjoy the rich and decadent taste. My go to favorite rich creamy buttery sauce is cashew cream.

Usually I prefer to soak the cashew 4-6 hours to overnight to allow them to slowly plump up. But, when you don’t have the time or simply forgot to do this ahead of time, you can also soak the cashews in hot water for just about an hour to allow them to plump up for that creamy texture that is the base for the dish.

Yield: Serves 3-4

Difficulty Level: Low-Medium

Prep Time: 10-15 mins to prep

Tofu Marination Time: 20 minutes

Cashew soaking Time: ~1 hour

Cooking Time: approx. 40 minutes

Serve with plain steamed rice and/or naan.

Ingredients

1/2 cup cashews, rinsed and soaked in hot water for an hour

2 cups of water

1 pack extra firm tofu, water removed, and *dried (see Tips below)

1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons oil

1 large onion, roughly chopped

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 large garlic cloves, halved

2 tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 ½ teaspoons cumin powder

1 ½ teaspoons coriander powder

1 teaspoon kashmiri chill powder

1 teaspoon amchoor

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon garam masala

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to desired preference)

1 tablespoon kasoori methi

1 large lime or lemon

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Instructions

Tofu Marinade:

Cut tofu into 1-2 inch size cubes and transfer to a large bowl. Add ½ teaspoon each of salt, cumin powder and coriander powder, 2 tablespoons oil and juice of half a lemon. Mix well and let stand for about 20 minutes.

Sauce:

Heat oil in medium sized saucepan on medium high and add the onions and cumin seeds and sauté a few minutes until the onions have softened and the seeds have released their aroma. Next add the garlic and sauté 30-60 seconds before adding the tomatoes and all spices, except the cayenne and garam masala and cook for a few minutes until the tomatoes have softened. You can add 1-2 tablespoons of water to keep the spices from burning if needed. Next add the cashews and water and bring to a simmer for a few minutes.

Add the sauce to the blender in batches, to avoid the hot liquid from bursting out. Blend the sauce to a smooth consistency. When all the sauce is blended place back in the saucepan while moving onto the next step.

Heat a frying pan or a wide mouth pan on medium high, add the tofu in batches and cook until the sides are golden brown. Don’t overcook the tofu to avoid it becoming too tough and chewy. When all the tofu is cooked transfer this to the sauce and mix together gently. Turn stove on low heat and let it simmer about 3-4 minutes or until the oil separates.

Sprinkle the kasoori methi over the sauce while crushing the leaves in the palm of your hands, add the cayenne pepper and garam masala, mix to combine, cover, and turn off heat and let it sit for a few minutes. Garnish with cilantro and lemon juice before serving.

TIPS:

Drying the Tofu: You can dry the tofu by removing excess water and it is entirely up to you how dry you want it. Slice tofu into half sheets, and place them between a few layers of paper towels or a large kitchen towel with a heavy plate or pot to remove excess water, anywhere between 5 and 30 minutes, depending on your desired dryness.

Cashew Cream: The cream will thicken very quickly once it starts to heat. Due to this add enough water to your liking of consistency to thin out the cream. I have found that anywhere from ½ cup to ¾ cups of additional water works well, but only add ¼ cup at a time and adjust as needed.