Introducing the Indian-favourite Paneer Makhani in a completely vegan friendly version, using tofu instead of dairy.
Questa ricetta è disponibile anche in italiano
One of my favourite Indian dishes ever along with Dahl is Paneer* Makhani.
It is a dish that originates in the north Indian region of Punjab and is extremely warming and hearty like many Indian dishes. Perfect on a cold day, as a snack, starter or a main.
This dish usually uses the *Indian cheese paneer but for this vegan version it is easy and actually tastier in fact to use tofu. Makhani means buttery in the Indian tongue and this dish is just that, a rich gravy style sauce that is made of butter and tomatoes.
There seem to be variations of this dish even within India itself so experimenting a little seems almost expected and this dish in its design is very flexible.
This is the version I make according to my taste.
I, in fact, use just unsweetened soy milk to make it lighter, that adds creamy texture and cuts up the spiciness of the chillies. Feel free to substitute with actual soy cream (that you can easily homemade by simply blending soy milk plus double the amount of vegetable oil and a pinch of sea salt), for an even rounder and creamier taste. And I've used curry powder instead of garam masala because I'm personally not keen of how the second tastes like. If you like it and you want to make this recipe the traditional way, just substitute the curry powder with garam masala, and don't forget to pair it with some good Naan Bread, both homemade or store-bought (make sure it is SFV)
How to make Vegan Tofu Makhani
Ingredients:
280 g Firm Tofu (10oz)
400 g Chopped Tomatoes (1 can)
100 ml Soy Milk (½ cup + 1 tbsp)
2 tablespoon Vegetable Oil or Vegan Butter
1 tablespoon Golden Syrup
1 inch Fresh Ginger
2 Garlic Cloves
½ tablespoon Hot Paprika
½ tablespoon Chilly Flakes
1 teaspoon Curry Powder
½ teaspoon Onion Powder
½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
1-2 Bay Leaves
Salt
Pepper
Method:
1. Grate the garlic clove and the ginger and heat in a pan with oil and bay leaves until starts to sizzle.
2. In the meantime pour the chopped tomatoes into a blender and blend until smooth.
3. Add the tomatoes to the pan, cover with the lid and cook for 15 minutes. Note: if the sauce reduces add ½ glass of filtered water.
4. Season with salt and pepper, and add syrup and all the remaining spices.
5. Press the tofu, then cut it into cubes of roughly ½ inch per side.
6. Add tofu into the sauce. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
7. Pour soy milk (or cream), stir well and heat for a couple of minutes.
8. Serve the vegan tofu makhani warm accompanied with vegan naan, rotis, or rice and cumin seeds (jeera rice).
Shirley P.
Thank you so much for sharing, made this for lunch today, so delicious!
Adriana Z.
Thank you for the feedback. I'm so happy you enjoyed it 🙂
Mr Twiki
gnaaaaaam che aquolina!!
avegtastefromatoz
Eheh, grazie mille!
Lo adoro anche io. Lo faccio almeno due volte al mese e talvolta anche una volta a settimana.
Buona domenica 🙂 🤗