Spiced Cauliflower and Tofu in Green Masala Sauce. Baked Cauliflower and Tofu in green cilantro sauce. The sauce paste can be made ahead and stored. Vegan Gluten-free Nut-free Recipe. Can be soy-free with chickpea tofu or chickpeas or beans or other veggies

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 15 minutes
  • Cook time: 35 minutes
  • Total time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Gluten-free, Indian, Vegan

Ingredients

Cauliflower and Tofu:

  • 1/2 large head of cauliflower chopped into small florets
  • 7 oz tofu (pressed for 5 mins in paper towels and cubed, or use 1 cup more cauliflower, veggies or cooked chickpeas)
  • 2 tsp oil
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch or other starch
  • 1/2 tsp each of salt (, turmeric, ground cumin, coriander, garam masala)
  • 1/4 tsp or more cayenne and black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp or more paprika

Green Sauce mix:

  • 1 cup packed cilantro
  • 1/2 cup baby spinach
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 1 inch ginger
  • 1/2 hot green chile
  • 2 tsp lemon juice

Masala Sauce:

  • 1 tsp oil
  • 1/2 medium onion (finely chopped)
  • 1/2 tsp each of ground cumin (garam masala, and turmeric)
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/3 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp sugar (or other sweetener)
  • 1/2 cup non dairy milk (almond, cashew or coconut)

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F / 220ºc. Chop the cauliflower and tofu and add to a bowl. Drizzle oil and mix and rub in. In a bowl, mix the starch, spices and salt and mix well. Sprinkle all over the cauliflower and tofu and toss. Sprinkle some more paprika over the cauliflower and tofu for additional color and toss to coat. (Add 1 tbsp nutritional yeast for cheesier flavor). Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile. Blend all the ingredients under green sauce with few tablespoons of water until smooth.
  3. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and pinch of salt and cook until translucent.
  4. Add spices, mix and cook for a minute. Pour the sauce from the blender jar into the skillet. Use a few more tbsp of water to rinse and get all the sauce from the jar and pour into the skillet. Add salt and sweetener. Bring to a boil. About 5 minutes. At this point you can store the sauce for use later (refrigerate for upto 3 days).
  5. Add the baked cauliflower and tofu to the sauce. Add salt and non dairy milk, toss well. Taste and adjust salt and heat. Cover and bring to a boil. Let it sit covered for another 2 minutes before serving. Garnish with pepper flakes and serve with vegan Naan, flatbread or rice.

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.