This is a vegan version of chicken barra, a creamy chicken dish from North Indian Mughlai cuisine. You can find it in some restaurants in India, You’ve got to try making this for it unique flavor and texture. It has a creamy silky sauce made with crispy onion and cashews, the protein is marinated in the sauce and roasted! Gluten-free, options for soyfree and nutfree

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 30 minutes
  • Total time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Main, Main Course
  • Cuisine: Indian, north indian

Ingredients

For Crispy Onions

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced red onion
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Blended Sauce

  • all of the crisped onion from above
  • 1/2 cup non-dairy yogurt
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Kashmiri chili powder (or use paprika)
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon chaat masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro
  • 1 green chili, so much as serano (or use 2 tablespoons bell pepper for less heat)
  • 1 teaspoon lime juice
  • 1/4 cup raw cashews, (soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, then drained. Use 1/3 cup for creamier.)
  • 1 cup water

For the Tofu

  • 2 teaspoons oil
  • 14 ounces firm or extra firm tofu (pressed for at least 15 minutes and then torn into bite-sized organic shaped pieces)

To Add Later

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder (or use paprika)
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
  • chopped cilantro, chopped red onion, and lime juice (for garnish.)

Method

Cook the onion.

  1. Heat a large skillet over high heat, and add the tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and a good pinch of salt, Mix really well, then spread it out in the skillet. Continue to cook the onion, stirring frequently after the first 2 to 3 minutes, so that the onions cook evenly and start to scorch and crisp up a little bit. This can take anywhere from 5 to 8 minutes. Also, if your onion is scorching too much, you can reduce the heat to medium high.
  2. Once the onion is done cooking, cool it for a few minutes, then add to a blender jar along with the yogurt, salt, all of the spices, ginger, garlic paste, cilantro, green chili, lime juice, cashews and water. Blend for a minute, then let it sit for 5 minutes, and then blend again for half a minute. Then rest it for another 2 to 3 minutes, and blend again for half a minute, and repeat this until the mixture is really smooth. If the mixture is too thick, you can add another 1 to 2 tablespoons of water.

Cook the tofu.

  1. Press and tear the tofu into organic pieces, if you haven't already, and add to a bowl. Add 1/3 of the blended mixture to the tofu, and toss well to coat. Let it sit for a few minutes, and then heat the same skillet over medium-high heat and add the 2 teaspoons of oil.
  2. Once the oil is hot, drop the tofu pieces into the skillet. You don't want to drop in any excess marinade, just drop the tofu pieces on the skillet, and keep cooking until the tofu is golden brown on most of the edges. Flip the tofu over after the first 2 to 3 minutes, and continue to cook until tofu is golden brown on most of the edges. Then, remove if from the skillet. Or bake the tofu, if you prefer. Drop the tofu pieces on a parchment lined baking sheet, and bake at 415° F (213° C) 20 to 25 minutes. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes to brown some of the edges of the tofu.

Make the sauce.

  1. Add the leftover marinade into the skillet, add another 1/2 to 1 cup of water(use it to rinse out the blender and bowl), all of the spices, and the tomato paste,if using it. Mix well and bring to a boil.
  2. Taste and adjust salt and flavor, and once the sauce is boiling evenly, switch off the heat and add the crisped up tofu to the sauce. Don’t forget to turn off the heat!
  3. Serve without folding in the tofu, and garnish the tofu barra with some cilantro, onion, and a squeeze of lime juice or just lime wedges on the side. Serve with flatbread or rice or make wraps with the tofu and drizzle sauce and top with lettuce, tomato, and onion.
  4. Store: refrigerate the cooked tofu and sauce separately for upto 3 days. Reheat on the stove or microwave, lightly fold in and serve.

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.