I created this easy tofu curry because I wanted a delicious dinner that pretty much cooks itself in under 30 minutes. It's creamy, full of vibrant flavor, and it's fantastic with rice, roti or naan.
Table of Contents
Restaurant-style tofu curry
If you don't like making compromises on flavor and nutrition on weeknights, this creamy tofu curry is just the recipe for you. It has a delicious sauce made with tomatoes, onions and cashews and flavored with a few pantry spices. Creamy cubes of tofu drink in the delicious sauce and add lots of healthy protein.
To make this easy curry I put the sauce ingredients into a blender, pour this magical sauce into a hot pan, cook it down, add the tofu, and voila! Dinnertime.
If that sounds too easy, that's because it is. And if the idea of making this tofu curry in minutes makes you happy, prepare to be euphoric when you actually eat it. The aromatics in the sauce - onions, ginger, garlic and spices - mellow down when cooked and a tiny pat of vegan butter buffs and smooths out the flavors. The curry has rich, buttery notes, kinda like my vegan butter chicken, and the tofu is silky and melt-in-the-mouth tender. It tastes like a dish you'd order at a high-end Indian restaurant and needless to say, you'll be drowning in compliments all evening.
This is a great curry to brown-bag or meal-prep. It's nourishing too, with 186 calories and 12 grams of protein in a serving. The recipe is gluten-free, it can be made with pumpkin seeds instead of cashews if you are nut-free, and it's vegan, of course.
I made this tonight for dinner. Excellent flavour! So quick and easy! I didn't realize that the gravy I've been eating at Indian buffets all of these years was so quick to make! - Camille
Recipe card
Easy Tofu Curry
Ingredients
- 1 medium red onion (roughly chopped)
- 3 medium tomatoes (roughly chopped)
- 1 heaping tbsp ginger garlic paste (or use 1-inch knob of ginger and six cloves garlic. Add to blender without chopping).
- 2 tablespoons raw cashews (use pumpkin seeds for a nut-free version)
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ to 1 teaspoon paprika (or Kashmiri chili powder)
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 2 tbsps kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
- 14 oz super-firm tofu/high-protein tofu (cubed. You can use baked or air fried tofu, or just plain super firm tofu or extra firm tofu, with the water squeezed out).
- 1½ cups vegetable stock (or mushroom stock or water)
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoon vegan butter
- 2 tablespoon cilantro
Instructions
Blend the tofu curry sauce
- Place the onions, tomatoes, ginger garlic paste, all spices, cashews, kasoori methi and sugar in a blender jar.
- Blend into a very smooth paste without adding any water.
Cook the tofu curry
- Heat oil in a wide saucepan or sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the blended paste and mix it in. Bring it to a boil.
- Turn down heat to low and continue to cook the curry sauce. Stir it frequently, until most of the moisture has evaporated. This should take about 10-15 minutes.
- Stir in the tofu cubes and mix.
- Stir in the vegetable stock or water.
- Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, cover, and let the curry cook another 10 minutes. You should see darker pools of liquid on the surface of the curry when the sauce is cooked.
- Add salt to taste. Stir in the butter and cilantro and turn off heat. Serve hot.
Notes
- Leftovers can be stored in fridge for up to five days in an airtight container.
- Freeze the curry in a freezer-safe container for up to three months.
- Thaw and reheat the tofu curry in a saucepan or in the microwave. Add more water or stock, if needed, and check salt before serving.
Nutrition Information
To print recipe card without images, uncheck "instruction images" after clicking the "print recipe" button.
Tofu curry FAQs
You can, but you can also add the tofu as is, without cooking it first. Plain tofu will be creamy and soft in the curry- so delicious! But if you want a chewier texture, fry the tofu lightly, or air-fry it. For a meatier texture, use my air fryer tofu recipe.
This curry is wonderful with chickpea tofu. Or add a 14-oz can of chickpeas or white beans instead.
You do because remember, all of the ingredients were raw when you tossed them in the blender. Simmering the sauce will help cook the aromatic ingredients like ginger, garlic and onions, and mellow them down. You can cover the pot to speed up the process, but stir the sauce frequently. The sauce should look quite sticky and should have a shimmer when it's done.
Add more stock or water to the tofu curry. I used 1 ½ cups of stock, which creates a thick, creamy sauce that coats the tofu. If you want a saucier curry add ½ cup more water or stock.
Yes, you can add quick-cooking veggies, including cauliflower, spinach, bell peppers and squash along with the tofu. Potatoes and eggplant are fine too, but may take longer to cook.
I serve it with plain basmati rice or roti or naan. If you have just 10 minutes more on hand, make this easy jeera rice (it's so, so good!). On the side serve a simple vegan raita or kachumber.
First published May 24, 2020. Updated and re-published on Aug. 22, 2024.
Katie H says
Amazing! Quick easy and delicious!
Jen says
I really wanted to like this! I was so excited to try this recipe, and the end result was so bitter we had to throw the whole pot away. I thought the amount of fenugreek seemed like a lot but typically like to follow a recipe as written the first go around. Even with extra water and sugar I wasn’t able to salvage it. I may try it again, but would definitely cut the fenugreek way down.
Vaishali Honawar says
Hi Jen sounds like you used fenugreek seeds and not fenugreek leaves, which the recipe calls for. These are very different and not interchangeable. Fenugreek leaves have a very mild bitterness and you will barely notice it.
Amelia says
This recipe came out so good ! I made a vegetarian version of this instead of vegan. I just substituted vegan butter for cow butter and vegetable broth for chicken broth. Amazing flavor and it was really easy! This meal checks all the boxes, healthy, easy, cheap, and delicious ! I’ve already recommended to several people.
Vaishali Honawar says
So nice to hear you loved it! Thanks for sharing.
Cymry Gomery says
This was so easy to make and it was delicious. Will make again! I didn’t have dried Fenugeek leaves so used a fresh kale leaf instead. I like recipes like this that allow me to use some of the spices that have been languishing too long in my pantry.
Buck says
This was fantastic! I have tried making curry at home several times in the past, but it never turned out well. I had resigned myself to having to go out to eat if I wanted some indian food. This recipe changed that. I was able to make a delicious curry at home that tasted close to the real thing!
Cedric says
This came out so so yummy. Love it. Thanks.🙂🙂
Vaishali says
Great to hear!