My recipe for Indian restaurant style tofu makhani with chunks of creamy tofu in a delicately spiced, richly flavored curry sauce.
Table of Contents
If you love Indian food, you are likely familiar with dishes like dal makhani and paneer makhani with their signature orange, velvety sauce. I created this tofu makhani in 2011 to riff off those dishes, while keeping this recipe fully vegan.
This is an easy recipe that takes just 30 minutes to make, and it's perfect for anyone who doesn't have hours to create a complicated, restaurant-style dish. If you don't eat tofu, you can use this sauce with any protein, including beans and lentils.
I build layers of flavor in the makhani sauce with spices, fresh tomatoes and onions. Tomato paste adds umami. Makhani sauce is so called because it gets its creamy texture from "makhan" or butter. Cream is also added toward the end of cooking. For this vegan makhani I use cashew cream and vegan butter with fantastic and authentic tasting results. The tofu, my substitute for paneer, absorbs the creamy sauce and becomes deliciously soft and puffy.
The flavor of this makhani is a pleasant surprise: complex, creamy and mildly, delicately spicy, not fiery hot as curries can often be. Serve it for dinner with vegan naan or roti, or with basmati rice with vegan cucumber raita on the side.
Unbelievably delicious with depth and layers of flavours coming through - the best ever! - Susan
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Recipe card
Tofu Makhani
Ingredients
Marinated tofu
- 14 ounces extra-firm tofu (press out all water and cut the tofu into four slabs)
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder (or paprika)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
Makhani curry
- 1 teaspoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
- 4 green cardamom pods
- 4 cloves
- 10 black peppercorns
- 1-inch piece cinnamon
- 1 onion (diced)
- 1 large tomato (diced)
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ to 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder (or paprika)
- ¼ cup raw cashews
- 2 cups water (or vegetable stock)
- 2 tablespoons kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves. Crush them between your palms when you add them to the sauce)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter
- 2 tablespoons cilantro (chopped, for garnish)
Instructions
Prep tofu
- Place spices for tofu marinade -- turmeric, ground coriander, ground cumin and Kashmiri chili powder or paprika -- in a bowl along with lemon juice.
- Whisk to mix.
- Add tofu slices to the bowl and coat each slice on all sides with the marinade.
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat (use an enameled pot or non-stick pot to ensure tofu doesn't stick). Add the tofu slices and sear them on all sides until a light crust forms. This should take no more than two minutes per side.
- Remove the tofu to the bowl you made the marinade in and let it cool enough to handle, then cut the tofu into ½-inch cubes. Set aside.
Make makhani curry
- In the same pan or Dutch oven that you fried the tofu, heat a teaspoon of oil over medium heat. Add the whole spices: peppercorns, cinnamon bark, cloves and cardamom. Saute for a minute.
- Add the onions along with a pinch of salt. Sauté the onions until soft, not brown, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, ginger garlic paste, ground coriander, ground cumin and Kashmiri red chilli powder or paprika to the pot. Mix and cook, covered, until the tomatoes break down and are very soft, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in the cashews and continue sauteing for a couple of minutes.
- Add a cup of water, mix, and turn off heat. Once the mixture has cooled a little, remove it to a blender.
- Blend it into a smooth sauce. You can also do use an immersion blender to blend the curry in the pot itself. Pour the blended sauce back into the pot. Stir in sugar and kasoori methi.
- Bring the sauce to a boil over medium heat. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. The gravy will thicken, so add another cup of water to thin it out. Stir in the tofu cubes and warm through for 2-3 more minutes.
- Stir in the vegan butter, add cilantro, and turn off heat.
Notes
- You can use vegetable stock instead of water to make the curry, adding another layer of flavor to the tofu makhani.
- Soy-free: Use the makhani sauce with chickpea tofu or another protein that is soy-free, including vegan chicken chunks. You can skip the meat substitutes and use veggies like mushrooms or eggplant.
- 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.
- Nut-free: Use pumpkin seeds instead of cashews.
Nutrition Information
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Recipe first published December 13, 2011. Updated and re-published on July 19, 2024.
Julie
Hello, I'd like to make your recipe and I have a question about it. When I'm making the curry paste in the processor am I supposed to grind up all the whole spices, like the cardamon and cinnamon bark, or do I take these out. Sorry if the answer seems obvious. I did try to use Google to find an answer but there were differing options. Thank you for for help. Best wishes, Julie.
Vaishali
Hi Julie, good question and yes, you need to blend up all the spices--they add wonderful flavor.
Leslie
Hi, I’m about to try this and notice you mention cumin in the marinade but don’t list it in the marinade ingredients. And there is lemon juice in the ingredient list but not in the instructions. Could you clarify for me, please?
This may be impertinent, but is it possible in future to mention ingredients in your text in the same order they appear in the ingredient list? I’m not a great cook, so I find it stressful trying to reconcile the differences.
Looking forward to trying this this week if I hear back on the cumin and lemon. Thanks for the work you do. We’re going to India in October and am enjoying learning more about the cuisine.
Vaishali
1 tsp cumin. The lemon is in the instructions--in step 1 for marinating the tofu.
Tanya
This is going to be my supper for tonight...looks absolutely delicious with some naan....can't wait!!!!
Vaishali
Awesome, hope you love it! ❤️
Sonal
We've been making this recipe for years now, it is one of our family's favorite dinners, and made it again when saw your recipe yesterday. So delicious, best makhani ever!
Vaishali
Hi Sonal, that's so wonderful to hear. Happy you've enjoyed making this tofu makhani.
Jane Clark
Absolutely agree with you!
Jane
Vaishali
Aww, thanks Jane. ❤️
Rose
I have always been intimidated by those decadent creamy orange restaurant-style curries, but this turned out absolutely wonderful! I am sure I will make it again.
I've made a few of your other curries (sambar, avial, pav bhaji, etc.), and I would like to thank your blog for introducing me to so many wonderful Indian dishes, and for veganizing so many classics! It's rare to find cultural recipes presented in a manner that is both authentic and accessible, not to mention vegan-friendly. I also really enjoy the personal experience and context you provide for each dish. (Your pav bhaji post paints such a vivid picture; I think about those Mumbai street vendors every time I make the recipe.)
Much love from a random college student who is addicted to her local Indian grocery store. 🙂
Vaishali
Thanks for the lovely message Rose. Makes me so happy to read it! ❤️
Susan
Unbelievably delicious with depth and layers of flavours coming through - the best ever ! Can anyone tell me what other dishes such as vegetable or rice dishes would go well with this ?
Vaishali
Hi Susan, Jeera rice or plain basmati rice would be great with this. I love serving potato or milder veggie dishes with recipes like this. Here are some suggestions, including my jeera rice, how to cook basmati rice post, indian style potato salad with turmeric and green peas, and easy pan-roasted zucchini. Search them using the search box.
Susan
Thank you for info about the accompanying dishes, that's great advice. I am preparing this for a dinner party so I want to make sure it all goes well together ! Warmest wishes, Susan
Vaishali
💕
Nadav
This is so good I made it twice in the same week.
Cant wait to try more of your recipes
Vaishali
So happy you loved it!
Vandini
I have only just started cooking and I tried this recipe Didn't have all the ingredients from your list. I didn't use cashew, used water instead of vegetable stock and honey instead of maple syrup. It turned out so good. Thank you
Vaishali
Hi Vandini, that's so great to hear. Happy you tried it!
El
This looks delicious! Is there something i can substitute for the cashews? Nut allergy 🙁 Doesn’t have to be vegan.
Dave fryett
Would this work with whole black urad?
Vaishali
Yes it absolutely will! Make sure you cook the lentils separately and then add.
John Kaplan MD
The 3rd ingredient on the Tofu states "3 cloves". Do you mean 3 whole dry cloves or is it garlic you are referring to? Dr John
John Kaplan MD
I meant Curry ingredients.
Vaishali
It's three dry cloves!
Rebecca
Hi Vaishali.
There is only 1 word to say, Fabulous.
Ellen
This looks delicious and I'd like to try it! Please clarify-the ingredients for marinating the tofu are
1 tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp cayenne
⅛ tsp turmeric
1 tbsp lemon juice
Salt to taste
This seems like it's not enough to cover and marinate the tofu.
Vaishali
Hi Ellen, that should be enough. Just rub it lightly into the tofu pieces.
Anonymous
is extra firm tofu recommended for this dish vs the super firm that you recommend in other tofu dishes like tofu saag?
thanks,
N.
Vaishali
Hi, you can use super firm here! It wasn't available at the time I posted this makhani recipe, but would work just as well as the extra firm. 🙂