No tomato Indian Lasooni Chicken Curry made vegan by using crispy baked tofu instead! The creamy red sauce uses blended roasted red bell peppers instead of tomatoes. Nut-free + soy-free option.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 20 minutes
  • Cook time: 40 minutes
  • Total time: 60 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

For the Tofu

  • 14 ounce firm or extra firm tofu
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder or paprika or use ¼ teaspoon cayenne
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons corn starch

For the Red Sauce

  • 1/3 cup raw cashews (soaked for at least 15 minutes in hot water, see notes for Nutfree option)
  • 1/3 cup of roasted red bell pepper
  • 1 cup water

For the lasooni sauce

  • 2 teaspoons oil
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 inch cinnamon stick
  • 8 cloves of garlic finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons dried fenugreek leaves
  • 1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder or use ¾ teaspoon paprika
  • 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¾ cup of chopped white or red onion
  • 1 inch ginger (julienned. Reserve some of it for garnish)
  • ½ to 1 cup of water or non dairy milk
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Cilantro and pepper flakes for garnish

Method

  1. Bake the tofu, press the tofu for at least 15 minutes then tear it into organic bite-sized pieces and add to a bowl.
  2. In another small bowl mix the garlic powder, Kashmiri chili powder, salt and cornstarch. And sprinkle this mixture all over the tofu. Toss well to coat, then spread the tofu on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake at 400F (205C) for 20 minutes or until the tofu cubes are somewhat crisp. Or pan fry for 8-10 mins, tossing once in between. See notes for soyfree protein options.
  3. Make the red pepper sauce blend. Blend the roasted bell peppers, cashews and water until the cashews break down completely. I usually blend it for a minute then let it sit for 2-3 minutes then blend again for 30 seconds and then let it sit for another minute and then blend again.
  4. Make the sauce, heat a large skillet over medium heat, and add oil. Once the oil is hot add the cumin seeds and mix. Let the cumin seeds roast really well and change color significantly and get very fragrant. 2-3 mins
  5. Then add in the other whole spices, that’s the bay leaves, cinnamon sticks and mix in. Mix for a few seconds. Once the bay leaves have started changing color, add in the garlic, fenugreek leaves, Kashmiri chili powder and give it a good mix for a few seconds.
  6. Then add in the white pepper, black pepper, onion and a good pinch of salt and mix. Then cook this mixture until the onion and garlic are both golden.
  7. Deglaze the pan in between if the spices are starting to scorch a little bit. Use 1 tablespoon of water at a time to deglaze. The deglazing also helps conduct the heat to evenly brown the onion.
  8. Once golden, add in the blended roasted bell pepper sauce and half the ginger and mix in and bring it to a good boil. 4-5 mins. Add more water as needed for the desired sauce consistency.
  9. Add baked tofu to this sauce and toss gently to coat the tofu, simmer for 1 or 2 minutes, taste and adjust carefully. Taste and adjust salt and flavor then switch off the heat. Let the tofu sit in this sauce for another 5 minutes before serving.
  10. Garnish with cilantro, ginger and pepperflakes and Serve with flat bread, naan, roti or rice. If you don’t like fresh ginger, then don’t use it as garnish

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.