Serve the tofu makhani with vegan naan or roti. Tofu is a fantastic substitute for the Indian cottage cheese, paneer, in creamy Indian curries like tofu curry and vegan butter chicken. This tofu makhani, which I first created and shared with you in 2011, is another recipe that showcases the versatility of this marvelous, protein-rich ingredient.
What is makhani?
Indian-restaurant patrons are likely familiar with dishes like chicken makhani, dal makhani and paneer makhani, with their signature orange, velvety sauce. I created this tofu makhani to riff off those dishes, while keeping this recipe fully vegan. The word “makhan” translates from Hindi and Punjabi to butter, and a “makhani” is a butter-based dish. Makhani curry gets its silky texture from a combination of cream and a bit of butter added at the end of cooking. The flavor is a pleasant surprise: the curry is mildly, delicately spicy, not fiery hot as curries can often be, and extremely creamy. For my dairy-free tofu makhani, I substitute the cream and butter with cashew cream and vegan butter. This results in a makhani that’s very authentic tasting. Although Indian cooks often add color to achieve the vibrant orange-red color of a makhani sauce, all of the color in this recipe comes from a combination of tomatoes, tomato paste and Kashmiri chilli powder, a pepper powder known for its mild heat and brilliant red color (much like paprika).
A simple but craveable Indian curry
This tofu makhani is an easy recipe and it’s just perfect for anyone who loves Indian food but doesn’t have hours to create a complicated, restaurant-style dish. The dish is ready in just over 30 minutes. A complex but mild curry. There are layers of flavor in the makhani curry sauce, achieved by the use of a few spices, fresh tomatoes and onions. Tomato paste adds umami. Serve it for dinner or to guests. Everyone will be impressed, guaranteed. As easy as it is, this tofu makhani is also delicious enough to make everyone think you spent hours making it! The makhani is gluten-free and I have suggestions below on making it soy-free and nut-free.
How to make tofu makhani
Tweaks for special diets
Soy-free: If soy-free, use this makhani sauce with chickpea tofu or another protein that is soy-free, including vegan chicken chunks. Or you can skip the meat substitutes and use veggies like mushrooms or eggplant. Nut-free: Use the same quantity of pumpkin seeds instead of cashews to make the sauce. Low-carb: This recipe has just 13 net carbs, making it a great inclusion in a low-carb, high-protein diet. If you are looking for more protein, use high-protein tofu instead of extra-firm. Serving the tofu makhani with quinoa will bump up the protein and fiber content of the meal.
More delicious Indian tofu recipes
Vegan Malai Kofta Tofu Tikka Masala Vegan Tofu “Prawn” Patia Tofu Paneer 65
Recipe card
For the tofu marinade
Tofu. Extra firm tofu is the best choice for this recipe. The tofu becomes porous after the water is pressed out, absorbs the orange curry sauce and becomes puffy and creamy. Super firm tofu (also known as high protein tofu) would work at a pinch, but it is rather dense and will not absorb the sauce as well. Spices: ground coriander, ground cumin, Kashmiri red chilli powder (or paprika), and turmeric Lemon juice. A makhani sauce includes ingredients spanning every flavor - sweet, tangy, bitter, salty and umami - which makes it so aromatic and appetizing. The lemon adds tang, along with tomatoes and tomato paste used in the sauce.
For the makhani curry sauce
Whole spices: green cardamom pods, cloves, peppercorns and cinnamon. You need just a small quantity of each because the sauce needs to be mild, not spicy-hot. The spices get blended up in the sauce. Powdered spices: ground coriander, ground cumin and Kashmiri chilli powder (or paprika) Onions. You can use red onions, which I typically recommend for Indian recipes, but yellow or white onions work well in this sauce too. Onions add both a bit of heat and sweetness to the makhani. Ginger garlic paste. Ginger and garlic, the holy trinity of north Indian cooking along with onions, add more complexity and flavor to the tofu makhani. Tomatoes and tomato paste. You will need just one large tomato for this quantity of makhani. The tomato paste adds tang and umami as well as some of that desirable color to the curry. Herbs: kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) and fresh cilantro (for garnish). The kasoori methi contributes a mild, rich bitterness, which you won’t notice in the dish after the flavors have melded. Raw cashews. This is the “cream” for the recipe. You don’t need to make a separate cashew cream because the cashews just get blended up with the rest of the sauce ingredients, keeping this recipe simple. Sugar. Just a teaspoonful, to add some sweetness. You won’t notice it but it will make all the difference. Vegan butter. A bit of vegan butter at the end ties all of the makhani flavors together.
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You can also serve tofu makhani with dal tadka and basmati rice. Serve vegan cucumber raita on the side. For a true dhaba experience, sip on vegan mango lassi alongside the makhani. And I can’t think of a better dessert to pair this dish with than my Indian-inspired cardamom turmeric cake.
