Warm, richly spiced, and built for a satisfying meal, Schezwan Tofu “Paneer” Indo-Chinese is a vegan, vegetarian Chinese, Indian-Chinese main made with firm or extra firm tofu, black pepper, and Kashmiri chili powder in about 30 minutes. The recipe lays out the ingredients and each cooking step clearly, so you can adjust seasoning, texture, and serving size for your own kitchen.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Chinese, Indian-Chinese

Ingredients

For the tofu

  • 14 ounces firm or extra firm tofu (pressed for at least 15 minutes and then sliced into shapes that you like)
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder (or use paprika)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch (or other starch such as tapioca or arrowroot)
  • 1 teaspoon oil

For the stir fry

  • 1 teaspoon oil
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion (chopped into 3/4” squares or petals or thick slices)
  • 1/4 cup chopped celery (optional)
  • 1/2 or 1 bell pepper (chopped into 3/4” squares or thick slices)

For the Schezwan sauce

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or use tamari for gluten free)
  • 1 tablespoon ketchup
  • 4 to 5 tablespoons Schezwan sauce (or schezwan chutney (see recipe notes for a quick recipe))
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch (mixed with 1/2 cup of water)

For garnish

  • green onion, sesame seeds, pepper flakes

Method

Make the tofu first.

  1. Press and slice the tofu, if you haven't already, and add to a bowl.
  2. In a small bowl, mix the black pepper, Kashmiri chili powder, cornstarch, and salt. Mix really well, then sprinkle all of that over the tofu. Toss well to coat.
  3. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add the coated tofu and cook until most of the edges of the tofu are golden. Flip the tofu after a few minutes to continue to cook the other edges of the tofu. It will take 5 to 7 minutes.
  4. Then remove the tofu from the skillet into a bowl.

Now, make the stir fry and Schezwan sauce.

  1. Add another teaspoon of oil and heat over medium heat. Then, add in the garlic and mix in for a few seconds until it's starting to get translucent.
  2. Increase the heat to medium high. Add in the onion, celery, bell pepper, and a good pinch of salt and cook for 2 minutes.
  3. Add in all of the sauces, except the cornstarch mixture, and bring to a boil. Half a minute
  4. Mix the cornstarch into the water, and add that to the skillet. Mix well, and bring to a boil, then add in the crisped up tofu, tossing well to coat. Switch off heat and let the mixture sit for a few minutes.
  5. Garnish with green onions, sesame seeds, and pepper flakes and serve over rice, noodles, or quinoa.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.