Tofu Bake With Vegan Makhani Sauce

What is Makhani

It comes from the Hindi word - Makhan which means butter. The Makhani gravy is creamy and buttery. It's a blend of spicy, sour, salty, bitter, and sweet flavors. This extremely flavorful orange tomato-based gravy mainly uses dairy products like milk, butter, and cream. 

Murg Makhani that's also known as Butter Chicken and Paneer Makhani are some of the popular north Indian dishes that are prepared in this Makhani sauce. You will find these dishes on almost every Indian restaurant menu because it is very popular. 

Tofu or Paneer

Since I enjoy recreating restaurant-style dishes at home, it was about time I created a vegan version of Paneer Makhani for you. Now, tofu is a great alternative to paneer especially if you are following a vegan lifestyle.

Paneer is a milk product, while tofu is a soy product. Paneer when made with full-fat dairy, is very soft due to the high-fat content, whereas tofu can vary from being soft to firm and has a smoother, 'silken' texture. Protein-wise, 100 gms of paneer has 18.3 grams of protein while 100 gms of tofu has only about 6.9 grams of protein.

But due to the high amount of fat paneer has, tofu is still a better choice for people who are on a weight loss plan. Personally, I have always preferred paneer over tofu because I feel it has more flavor. However, over the last few years, I have begun to love tofu too, especially the way I make it! 

If you have ever cooked with tofu, you would know the struggles of draining the water from it! I have tried all sorts of tips and tricks in the book. Wrapped it in a clean towel and stacked some heavy objects onto it, like textbooks or a cast iron pan. While they have worked, it's just a very messy and very trying process.

Pressing the tofu squeezes excess water out so that the tofu can suck up more of the marinade and become more flavorful! Therefore, it is an important step when cooking with tofu and it's important to do it right. Even the firm and extra-firm tofu require some pressing in order to be effective in most recipes. 

What happens if you don't press the tofu

You will not get a firmer end product, and tofu will not hold its shape better. The flavorless water in it will not allow the flavors of the marinade to soak in. Enter Tofuture! It's a unique and stylish Tofu Press that I feel is a must-have in every kitchen that cooks tofu! It has a compact and modern design. 

Having this in the kitchen is such a savior. Easy and effortless to use and does the job well. This Tofu Press removes water from shop-bought tofu to make the tofu firm and tasty. I love that this kitchen tool is made from BPA-free plastic and is dishwasher-safe. The press also comes with grooved handles on either side for an easy grip. Definitely a good buy! Do check it out. You can buy it on Amazon as well!

Why make this

Tofu is a good source of plant-based protein (especially for vegans) and contains all nine essential amino acids. It is also a valuable plant source of healthy fats, iron, calcium, and minerals. The traditional Paneer/Tofu Makhani is prepared a little differently. Paneer or tofu is cut into cubes and dropped into this delicious gravy and served. However, I wanted to create a vegan holiday feast and that is why I decided to make a crispy baked tofu recipe with makhani sauce. 

My recipe is a take-off on these popular Makhani dishes and it makes for a great vegan holiday option! Here the baked tofu is cooked with the savory and flavorful makhani sauce, making it a new way of serving Tofu! Although it is your typical quick dinner recipe and needs a bit of prep work, it's totally worth your time and effort. Try this Indian vegan tofu recipe this holiday season and wow your guests with an amazing dish! 

Since we are making crispy baked tofu, it's important that it holds its shape and absorbs the flavors well. Therefore, before we begin the recipe, tofu needs to be prepped. Drain the water from the tofu packet. 

Place it inside the Tofuture and press it as shown in the video. Refrigerate it for 30 minutes or until dry. You can also leave it overnight. Once pressed, remove the tofu and pat dry. Drain out the water that's collected below and the tofu is ready for use. Whenever you plan on making Tofu Makhani Bake, prep tofu this way, on the previous day. 

This Indian vegan Tofu recipe is divided into two parts. The first step is to prepare the Makhani sauce.

1. Heat a pan and add oil or vegan butter. Once, it's hot enough, add and fry cumin seeds, green chilies, ginger, garlic, onions, poppy seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and cashews.
2. Fry for 1-2 minutes. Then add chopped tomatoes, garam masala, paprika, turmeric, tomato ketchup, sugar, salt, and dried fenugreek leaves. Cook till the tomatoes turn soft and pulpy. Take it off the flame and allow it to cool down. Discard the bay leaf and cinnamon stick. 
3. Transfer all the contents to a blender and blitz to make a smooth puree. Add ¼ cup of water if needed. Alternatively, you can also use a hand blender to make a puree. 
4. Pass this puree through a sieve. Do not throw away the pulp. 
5. Transfer the makhani puree to the same pan and bring it to a boil. 
6. Add vegan cream and give it a good mix. Check the taste and add more seasoning if necessary. 

The consistency of this Vegan Makhani sauce should be thick and creamy. Do not thin it down. Transfer it to a bowl and keep it aside for now. 

Now comes the second part of this dish - to make the crispy baked tofu. Cut off the edges of the pressed tofu to give it a clean shape. This is an optional step though. 

1. Lightly saute the discarded tofu along with sliced onions and mushrooms in the same pan along with the discarded pulp. It just gives the veggies so much more flavor rather than adding them raw plus there is zero wastage! 
2. Dip the prepared tofu in the makhani sauce and place it in a greased baking dish. Stuff all the sides with the sauteed veggies. 
3. Make diagonal slits all over the tofu in opposite directions, so you get a criss-cross pattern. Stick a clove where the slits cross.
4. Garnish with chopped cilantro, nutritional yeast, black sesame seeds, and vegan cheese, and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. Once it's golden brown, take it out, and remove the cloves using kitchen tweezers. 

Serving Suggestions 🍽

Drizzle some lemon juice, and vegan cream over it if needed, and then immediately serve this crispy baked tofu. Cut and take a generous helping of this tofu Makhani Bake and pair it with naan, roti, or any other flatbread. It will also taste great with some Jeera Rice or just plain steamed rice. This crispy baked tofu dipped in the makhani sauce is so flavorful that you will be wiping out the bowl clean

If you want to go low on carbs, serve it with cauliflower or even with some cooked quinoa. Serve this Tofu Makhani Bake at a family dinner on Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Diwali, or on any other occasion. The crowd will love it. It's the perfect centerpiece for a holiday feast that even non-vegans will love! If you're lucky enough to have any leftovers, it makes for a great sandwich when sliced cold and smeared with extra chutney. 

Top recipe tips 💭

It's OK to skip adding the dried fenugreek leaves if unavailable. But it does help in creating that authentic taste. You may swap it with 1 teaspoon of mustard powder. It's not an exact substitution but it works. Inserting cloves is purely for aesthetic value. You can skip that step if you want. Use almonds instead of cashews if you want to go nut-free, or just skip the nuts and use coconut cream or silken tofu.

Feel free to add more veggies along with mushrooms and onions while baking. You can add bell peppers, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, etc. Instead of tofu, you can also use cauliflower florets, eggplants, potatoes, or sweet potatoes in this recipe. 

Select a baking dish that's slightly bigger than the size of the tofu. This allows the sauce to go up around the sides of the tofu and saturate its interior. You can also add some water or vegetable stock to adjust the consistency of the Makhani sauce. For those of you who are not vegan, you can make this same dish using paneer and regular cream and cheese.

Tofu Tikka Masala is another popular Indian vegan tofu recipe that you can make. 

Recipe FAQs 📖