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    Home > Indian Vegan Recipes > Tofu Recipes

    Chilli Tofu

    Posted: Jul 11, 2012 ยท Updated: Nov 21, 2021

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe

    This succulent, saucy and spicy vegan Chilli Tofu is based off an Indo-Chinese recipe, and flavored with tamari, ginger, garlic, coriander and cumin, making it the perfect blend of these two distinctive cuisines. Serve with rice or lo mein or Mandarin pancakes for a tasty dinner.

    Photo of Chilli Tofu in a white long bowl with scallions


    I love it when I can find irony in the most unlikely places-- like my Chilli Tofu.

    My Chilli Tofu is based off an Indo-Chinese recipe called Chilli Paneer. This is a spicy, saucy blend of Indian spices and Chinese condiments, and the star, of course, is the paneer, an Indian cottage cheese that's usually sold in blocks, just like tofu.

    Paneer is a bland cheese that soaks up the flavors of the curries and gravies it is added to, as does tofu. They even have similar textures but the tofu, of course, is far healthier. I've posted other recipes before that use tofu instead of paneer, like my Vegan Palak "Paneer" and Tofu Makhani.

    Now here's the fun part. While substitutions usually have the effect of taking a dish away from its roots, this time, as I swapped the tofu for the paneer for my Chilli Tofu recipe, I realized that the modification makes this dish even more Chinese. Get it?

    Chili Tofu in a bowl with cilantro and scallions

    So here's my recipe for Chilli Tofu in all of its modified glory-- a surefire winner that would give the original a run for the rupee any day. It's a healthy, protein-rich, low-fat dish full of flavor and zest, and it would pair perfectly with some Mandarin Pancakes or with some white rice.

    Enjoy, all!

    Looking for more vegan Indo-Chinese recipes?

    • Garlic Fried Rice
    • Vegan 'Egg' Fried Rice
    • Veg Hakka Noodles
    Indo Chinese style Chili tofu in a white, long, rectangle bowl
    A close up shot of rich brown Chilli Tofu, Indo-Chinese style

    Chilli Tofu

    This succulent, saucy and spicy dish of Chili Tofu is based off an Indo-Chinese recipe, and flavored with tamari, ginger, garlic, coriander and cumin, making it the perfect blend of these two distinctive cuisines. Serve with rice or lo mein or Mandarin pancakes for a tasty dinner.
    5 from 20 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Review Recipe
    Course: Main
    Cuisine: Indo-Chinese, nut-free
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Keyword: Chilli Tofu
    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Cook Time: 25 mins
    Total Time: 35 mins
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 238kcal
    Author: Vaishali ยท Holy Cow! Vegan Recipes

    Ingredients 

    • 14 oz extra-firm tofu (swaddle the tofu block in paper towels and place in a colander for 30 minutes with a heavy weight on top, like a saucepan, to press our any water.). Cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes and coat with the marinade (recipe below).
    • 1 large green bell pepper (sliced. You can use other colors, but I just love the flavor of green pepper in this dish)
    • 1 serrano pepper (or any other moderately hot chili pepper, minced)
    • 3 teaspoon vegetable oil
    • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
    • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
    • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 1 large large onion (thinly sliced)
    • 1 teaspoon garlic (grated)
    • 1 teaspoon ginger (grated)
    • 1 teaspoon cornstarch (mixed into ยผ cup water)
    • 1-2 tablespoon tamari (can use soy sauce instead)
    • Salt to taste
    • 2 tablespoon cilantro (finely chopped)

    For the marinade:

    • 1 teaspoon garlic (crushed into a paste)
    • 1 teaspoon ginger (crushed into a paste)
    • 2 teaspoon cornstarch
    • 1 teaspoon tamari (can use soy sauce instead)
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    Instructions

    • Mix the marinade ingredients with enough water to make a paste. Toss the tofu cubes in it to coat.
    • Heat 2 teaspoon of the oil in a nonstick or cast-iron pan. Saute the tofu cubes on all sides until they are golden-brown. Remove to a plate.
    • Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil and add the cumin seeds. When they sputter, add the ginger and garlic and onion.
    • Saute until the onion becomes transparent. Now add the coriander powder, black pepper, and minced green chilli. Toss to coat with the spices and then add the green pepper.
    • Stir-fry until the bell pepper starts to soften but still has a good bite to it. Now add the tofu cubes and toss them with the spices. Add the tamari or soy sauce and the cornflour mixed with water (this will give the tofu a nice glaze). Stir until well mixed and remove from the heat.
    • Toss in the coriander and serve hot.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 238kcal | Carbohydrates: 13.3g | Protein: 22.4g | Fat: 11.9g | Sodium: 396mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 3.6g | Sugar: 2.2g | Vitamin A: 700IU | Vitamin C: 56.9mg | Calcium: 160mg | Iron: 4.1mg
    Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment and recipe rating below!
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    About Vaishali


    Hi! I am so happy you're here. I'm Vaishali, and I've been sharing recipes for delicious vegan food at Holy Cow Vegan since 2007. Every one of the more than 1,000 recipes on this blog has been tried and tested -- and loved -- by my family and I. I hope you will find something here to share with your loved ones. Thanks for stopping by!
    Read more about me here.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Gerry

      July 26, 2021 at 7:13 pm

      Love this recipe. It has become one of our favorites. I sometimes substitute green beans instead of green pepper and triple up on the marinade.

      Reply
    2. Judith

      June 06, 2021 at 2:36 am

      5 stars
      Hi Vaishali - your Chilli Tofu made a delicious wintry Sunday lunch. I added sliced button mushrooms before returning the tofu to the pan. Served with wholemeal spelt flatbread.

      Reply
    3. James

      August 31, 2019 at 8:27 pm

      Roughly how much water did you put to make the marinade? I really want to try this but I'm cooking impaired. ? Just an approximation would really help. Thanks.

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        August 31, 2019 at 8:41 pm

        Start with 1 tbsp and add more if needed. You want a paste thick or thin enough to coat the tofu.

        Reply
        • James

          September 01, 2019 at 3:58 pm

          I've never cooked tofu before, so this was all new to me. I've had chilli paneer lots of times, and this version came out pretty good. I think once I've practised a little, it'll be perfect. ๐Ÿ˜‰ Thanks so much for getting back to me, I appreciate it. ๐Ÿ™‚

          Reply
    4. vyjayanti balakrishnan

      July 05, 2019 at 1:34 am

      Hi
      tried the tofu recipe but wondering how i got a brownish colour whereas yours looked red and seemed as if some red sauce was added please advice as yours looks more appetising

      Reply
    5. Kripa

      April 28, 2019 at 10:37 am

      Hi,
      I tried this recipe but mine did not turn out like the picture, i.e it did not look red, did you put colour?

      Reply
    6. katherine fragen

      April 29, 2018 at 4:18 pm

      thank you for your recipes! this looks amazing - i am going to make it this week. you're blog is such a saving grace for me. my husband and i watched "what the health"and literally became vegan overnight. we are working on the conversion without becoming too redundant in flavors and recipes. having said that, this looks like it could be amazing for eggplant in place of tofu. what do you think? suggest?

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        April 30, 2018 at 4:15 pm

        Thanks for your kind words, Katherine. You could definitely try these spices with eggplant-- would work very well, I think.

        Reply
    7. Indumathi K

      March 09, 2018 at 12:56 pm

      5 stars
      Love love this recipe! Delicious! Thanks a ton! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
    8. Sujata

      July 24, 2017 at 9:03 am

      Hi Vaishali , I cannot see the marinade ingredients. Could you kindly reply with the ingredients, please ? Thanks.

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        July 26, 2017 at 5:15 pm

        Hi Sujata, the marinade subheader was lost during reformatting-- I've put it back there, so it should be clearer now. Cheers.

        Reply
    9. Renee

      May 19, 2017 at 9:51 pm

      5 stars
      Vaishali, this was the best tofu recipe I've ever tasted. Everyone in our house just loved it. THANKS SO MUCH!

      Reply
    10. Barb

      September 10, 2016 at 7:42 am

      This recipe sounds delish! Can you clarify what "cornflour" is? Is it just finely ground corn meal?

      Reply
      • Vaishali

        September 10, 2016 at 1:21 pm

        It's cornstarch!

        Reply
      • Isha

        October 28, 2021 at 4:01 am

        238KCAL? OR 238 CAL??????

        Reply
    11. janette

      January 29, 2015 at 11:08 pm

      Delicious! The spices were well balanced and so interesting. Did not have bell pepper or chilies on hand, so added a little red pepper flake for some heat. Looking forward to making it again soon!

      Reply
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    Hi, I'm Vaishali! I cook, eat and share easy, tasty and nutritious plant-based recipes from my Washington, D.C. kitchen, but I never fight a craving for samosas or French fries. 

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