Dairy-free Tofu Butter Masala Recipe

Vegan Tofu Butter Masala Recipe

"Delicious vegan version of Paneer Butter Masala. Whip up an unforgettable experience for your family and friends with this easy recipe!

Whole Food Plant Based Tofu Butter Masala Recipe

Course: Course 2: Vegetable Dish for Lunch & Dinner Meals, Side dish for Course 3: Grain Dishes
Cuisine: North Indian Recipe
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

1. 1 1/2 cup OR 200g packet Tofu
2. 4 Tomatoes
3. 1 Onion red
4. 1 cm piece Ginger Peeled
5. 1/2 Green Chili
6. 5 cloves gGrlic Peeled
7. 1 tbsp Date Syrup
8. 1 tsp Garam Masala
9. 1/2 tsp Black Pepper Powder
10. 6 tsp Miso Paste (Healthy Salt Alternative. See Nutrition Science Highlights below)
11. 1 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
12. 1/2 Lemon
13. 1/2 cup Cashews soaked
14. 2 tbsp Coriander Leaves Chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Chop tofu into squares and steam or boil until cooked.
2. Grind tomatoes, onions, chili, ginger, and date syrup together until smooth and cook in a saucepan or thick bottomed kadai / wok.
3. While tofu butter masala gravy is being cooked, peel and mash/grind garlic to a paste. Keep aside for ten minutes, then add to the gravy.
4. Once cooked, remove from stove, mix in steamed tofu, garam masala, black pepper powder, miso paste, and nutritional yeast. Squeeze lemon and mix well.
5. Grind cashews with just enough water to make cashew cream using a high powered blender. If using a regular mixie, pre-soak for 15 to 20 minutes before grinding.
6. Mix cashew cream into the gravy. Garnish Tofu Butter Masala with fresh coriander leaves and serve fresh!

Nutrition Science Highlights for Whole Food Plant Based Tofu Butter Masala Recipe

1. Why Miso Paste? Miso paste is fermented & salted soya bean paste. American Heart Association Maximum recommended maximum daily salt intake of 3.75 grams per person to minimise risk of high blood pressure, stomach cancer and chronic kidney disease. In addition to helping us restrict salt intake, replacing salt with miso paste also helps by neutralising the negative effects of salt by soya phytonutrients. You can easily make fresh miso paste at home by mixing 100 grams of cooked soya paste with 10 grams of salt, or 10 tablespoons of cooked soya paste with 1 tablespoon of salt. If making at home, ensure to use immediately, or freeze in batches to use later. Or, simply use 3.75 grams of salt or less per day per person and add 18 to 20 grams (dry weight) of soya beans in any dishes, spread through the day!
2. Is tofu healthy? Although tofu is technically a processed food (Soya fiber is strained out while making tofu), it is still beneficial for health! That's how amazing legumes are. Eat as much as you like, as long as it isn't roasted and browned, because that has carcinogenic compounds. Whole soya is even healthier than tofu!
3. Why oil-free tadka? Tadka, thaaLippu, oggaraNe. Tempering spices in oil is quintessential to Indian cuisine. This practice may have started as a compromise when whole nuts were unavailable, and indeed, is more common in inland, drier areas where nuts do not grow easily, all year round. You can enjoy the taste and fragrance, though, by just dry roasting the spices you require, without the oil, or even better, mixing spice powders directly into your dish!