My Indo-Chinese chilli tofu recipe features crispy-edged tofu cubes, bell peppers, baby corn and scallions in a glossy, sweet-spicy-tangy sauce that's perfect over a bowl of rice or noodles.
Table of Contents
What is chilli tofu?
Chilli tofu is my vegan take on the popular Indo-Chinese restaurant dish chilli paneer, which features cubes of paneer, an Indian cheese, and crunchy vegetables in a simple but mouthwatering sauce flavored with ginger, garlic, soy sauce, cumin and coriander. I swap out the paneer for tofu to make this vegetarian dish dairy-free without losing any of the flavor.
This is one of those recipes you have to try at least once. Indo-Chinese food is one of the most delicious cuisines there is, created by Chinese migrants who have made the city of Kolkota their home since the late 18th century. These enterprising cooks appealed to Indian tastebuds by marrying sauces, ingredients and techniques from their native land with Indian spices and local ingredients like paneer. They spun off dishes bursting with umami, including vegetable Manchurian, hakka noodles and Schezwan fried rice.
Chilli paneer was one of my favorite dishes to order when we ate out at one of Bombay's many, many Indo-Chinese restaurants, usually with a plate of veg fried rice. So after going vegan it was also one of the first dishes I veganized. I shared this chilli tofu post with you all the way back in 2012 and when I updated it for you recently with new photos I realized I didn't need to tweak the recipe at all because it was perfect as it was. The only small change I did make was to replace extra firm tofu in my original recipe with high protein tofu.
Tofu is the perfect substitute for paneer in Indian recipes because it has a similar look and texture and it soaks in all of that delicious, gingery, garlicky sauce like a sponge (the tofu, ironically, also takes the dish closer to its Chinese roots). Tossing the tofu with a bit of cornstarch and other seasonings and then pan-frying it in a little oil makes it crispy at the edges. When the silky brown sauce wraps itself around the tofu you are treated to an explosion of flavors and textures.
In India you can order dry and saucy versions of chilli paneer. My version of chilli tofu is dryer because that's how my family likes it but you can make it saucy with a simple tweak. I'll show you how in the FAQs below.
I can't wait for you to try it! Here's the recipe.
Five-Star Reader Review
Vaishali, this was the best tofu recipe I've ever tasted. Everyone in our house just loved it. THANKS SO MUCH!
- Renee
Recipe card
Chilli Tofu
Ingredients
- 14 oz high protein tofu (or extra firm tofu. If using extra firm tofu press out the water. Cut the tofu in ½-inch cubes).
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil (or any oil of choice)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon garlic (grated)
- 1 teaspoon ginger (grated)
- 1 large green bell pepper (thinly sliced)
- 1 medium onion (thinly sliced)
- 1 jalapeno pepper (or any moderately hot chili pepper, minced)
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ to 1 teaspoon red chilli powder (like cayenne or paprika)
- 8 oz baby corn (canned. Drain out all the water in the can)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari)
- Salt to taste
- 3 scallions (spring onions, trimmed, green and white parts finely chopped)
- 2 tablespoons cilantro (finely chopped)
For the marinade:
- 1 teaspoon garlic (crushed into a paste)
- 1 teaspoon ginger (crushed into a paste)
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (or tamari)
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or sugar)
- ½ cup water
For the corn starch slurry
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- ½ cup water
Instructions
Make corn starch slurry
- Make the slurry by whisking ½ teaspoon cornstarch with ½ cup water. Set aside.
Marinate tofu
- Mix the marinade ingredients - garlic, ginger, corn starch, soy sauce and maple syrup - with ½ cup water water. Use a whisk or fork to make a smooth paste.
- Place the tofu cubes in the marinade and toss with a spoon to coat them evenly.
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a nonstick or cast-iron pan. Add the tofu cubes to the pan.
- Stir-fry the tofu cubes over medium-high heat until they are golden-brown. Remove to a plate.
- To the same wok, add the remaining tablespoon oil. Turn the heat to high and when the oil shimmers, add the cumin seeds and sauté them about 30 seconds until they release their aroma.
- Add the onions and bell peppers to the wok along with the ground black pepper, ground coriander and red chilli powder. Mix and continue to stir-fry over high heat for a couple of minutes until the bell peppers are tender but have a good bite.
- Add the tofu cubes to the wok along with the baby corn. Add the corn starch slurry to the wok along with the soy sauce or tamari. Mix well.
- Stir fry the chilli tofu for a couple more minutes, stir in the scallions, and add more salt if needed. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot.
Nutrition Information
To print recipe card without images, uncheck "instruction images" after clicking the "print recipe" button.
My top tips for the best chilli tofu
- Use high protein tofu. High protein tofu has a dense texture and a richer mouth-feel, so it works better as a paneer substitute in this recipe. If you can only lay your hands on extra-firm tofu, make sure you press out all the liquid from the tofu and pat it dry with paper towels before cutting it into cubes.
- Green bell peppers work best. Green bell peppers are savory while bell peppers of other colors, including red, yellow and orange, tend to be sweet. This is the reason you'll find green bell peppers are the most widely used in classic Indian recipes and especially in Indo-Chinese recipes.
- Make it spicier. If you love spicy dishes, dial up the heat in this chilli tofu by adding a finely minced jalapeno pepper or any green chilli pepper along with the onions and bell peppers.
How to make chilli tofu (with photos)
Make the corn slurry
Make sure there are no lumps when you mix the cornstarch into the water. It helps to place the cornstarch in a bowl, add a little water, whisk, then trickle in more water slowly, whisking all the time, until a smooth slurry has formed.
Mix ingredients for tofu marinade
Make the marinade as smooth as possible using a fork or whisk.
Toss tofu in marinade
Ensure the tofu cubes are evenly coated.
Stir-fry the tofu cubes
The cubes should brown and sizzle, with crispy edges. It helps to keep the cubes moving in the wok or skillet.
Add spices, veggies and tofu
Make sure you add the cumin to the oil first so it blooms and scents the rest of the oil with its aroma. Then toss in the onions, bell peppers and spices and stir-fry them for a couple of minutes until the bell peppers are just beginning to get tender before adding the baby corn and tofu cubes.
Finish with scallions and cilantro
Make sure the tofu and veggies are all mixed together before stirring in scallions and cilantro for that fresh flavor finish.
Recipe FAQs
You can substitute any quick-cooking veggie used in Chinese cuisine, including sugar snap peas, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, water chestnuts and bamboo shoots.
To make the chilli tofu saucier, add a cup of water instead of half a cup when making the corn slurry.
We ladle chilli tofu over vegetable fried rice or rice. It's also delicious with these Chinese longevity noodles or cuddled into Mandarin pancakes.
You can store the chilli tofu in the fridge up to five days. Reheat in a saucepan or in the microwave before serving.
Recipe posted on July 11, 2012. Updated and re-published on January 4, 2024.
Gerry says
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.
Vaishali Honawar says
So great to hear!
Judith says
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.
Vaishali Honawar says
Sounds delicious! So happy you made it.
James says
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.
Vaishali says
Start with 1 tbsp and add more if needed. You want a paste thick or thin enough to coat the tofu.
James says
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. 😉 Thanks so much for getting back to me, I appreciate it. 🙂
vyjayanti balakrishnan says
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
katherine fragen says
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?
Vaishali says
Thanks for your kind words, Katherine. You could definitely try these spices with eggplant-- would work very well, I think.
Indumathi K says
Love love this recipe! Delicious! Thanks a ton! 🙂
Sujata says
Hi Vaishali , I cannot see the marinade ingredients. Could you kindly reply with the ingredients, please ? Thanks.
Vaishali says
Hi Sujata, the marinade subheader was lost during reformatting-- I've put it back there, so it should be clearer now. Cheers.
Renee says
Vaishali, this was the best tofu recipe I've ever tasted. Everyone in our house just loved it. THANKS SO MUCH!
Barb says
This recipe sounds delish! Can you clarify what "cornflour" is? Is it just finely ground corn meal?
Vaishali says
It's cornstarch!
Isha says
238KCAL? OR 238 CAL??????
janette says
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!
Meera says
Hi vaishali,
I tried this recipe. It came out well...
But I used dark soy sauce, coriander powder and pepper powder as the amount mentioned. It tasted like it was more of spices...
So the coriander powder and pepper powder, do we need to use the 1 tbsp coriander seed and grind it? Similarly is it fine to use 1 tsp pepper seed and grind it?
And how much dark soy sauce is to be used?
Vaishali Honawar says
Hi Meera, always feel free to reduce the spices to suit your tastebuds, and the same goes for the condiments like soy sauce. Start out by adding a little, taste, and add more if needed. J definitely like tons of coriander and pepper in this.
Glad you tried this!
Maria says
Thanks for this! I came across it while looking for an Indo-Chinese tofu recipe. I made it low FODMAP by replacing the green bell pepper with red and the onion and garlic with chives and asafoetida (hing), and it still tasted great!
Vaishali says
Maria, those sound like great and creative variations. So glad you tried the recipe-- and liked it. 🙂
Anonymous says
I wonder when did u add salt to it.. sorry if I missed it
fbarawr says
Wonderful indian-style tofu recipe. This one's going to my journal. I added a little more minced chilli and some lemon juice and it was PERFECT! Thank you 🙂
Anonymous says
Amazing recipe!! Could I ask how you got your dish to be so colourful (red!)? Mine came out to be brownish (which I think is due to soy sauce). Did you add any food colouring to get that? Thanks. 🙂
Vaishali Honawar says
No, no food coloring here. It might just be the browning of the tofu.
ricetteveg.com says
Wow! Amazing! 😀
Anonymous says
Thanks for the deliciuos recipes. Makes being a vegan so easy.
Eleanor says
I made this a couple of nights ago and it was delicious. After marinating, it's quick and easy too. I bounced it back from Chinese to Indian by having it with a dollop of mango chutney - very nice!
Rebecca @ Happy Vegan Journey says
So happy you're back! xox
cumincoriandercardamom says
🙂 i couldnt help but smile at the thought of Taking Chilli panneer from indo chinese and making it chinese by replacing it with Tofu. lovely recipe
Sangita Kalarickal says
This looks soooo good, am going to try it tonight! Thanks, Vaishali!
Spice up the Curry says
chili tofu looks delicious... awesome photos
Priya says
Mouthwatering here, wat a terrific and super tempting dish..
Kumudha says
Chilli tofu looks so good.
Minnie(@thelady8home) says
Wow! That looks SO delicious! Your Poppy looks very beautiful.
Mel says
This looks fantastic and sounds so delicious, I'll have to try it out soon. I made your palak "paneer" recipe for a family curry night recently and everyone loved it.
Sending more love and hugs to Lucy, you and Desi. I'm thinking of all of you everyday. xx
Vani Doraisamy says
Man, your poppy is something to die for. What a brilliant hue! Lots of love to Lucy, praying for her.
Tibik says
I know what is for dinner tonight. Can you clarify how long the Tofu should be marinated? Thanks
Vaishali says
Glad you asked that-- I forgot to add it. I actually didn't let the tofu stand in the marinade this time because I was running short, but if you have the time let it stand for at least 30 minutes to even several hours.
Chitra Vivek says
I am gonna try this over the weekend.
dspu says
Ah, block of tofu and a green pepper in the fridge, and a hungry Mrs Spud on the train home, sounds like a winning combination for tonight :o)
Spud