Indian Tofu Kadai Recipe

This Indian Tofu Kadai is easy and spectacular! Make this restaurant quality dish with little effort & pantry staples. Pan-fried crisp tofu & veggies are tossed in a spicy and flavorsome masala for a mouthwatering dish. Serve it over plain steamed rice, fried rice, Quinoa Fried Rice or any flavored rice. It also goes well with noodles, Chapati, Naan or Parathas.

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About Tofu Kadai

Tofu Kadai looks much similar to this restaurant Tofu Tikka Masala but differs in many aspects. This Tofu stir fry actually is a cross between a kadai and jalfrezi, both Indian dishes popular on the restaurant menus. Kadai Paneer and Vegetable Jalfrezi are two such vegetarian foods made with Indian cheese and mixed vegetables.

Here in this recipe, we use extra firm tofu along with spices, herbs, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers (or your favorite veggie) and soya sauce.

The use of curry leaves and soya sauce makes this a fusion dish and enhances the flavors but can be left out if you do not prefer.

We first make a spicy and tangy masala with tomatoes and spices. Tofu is pan-fried until crisp and then added to the masala/sauce. Onions and bell peppers add volume and flavors to the dish. Both these can be replaced with carrots, mushrooms or broccoli.

This Indian style tofu is really quick and is ready under 30 mins. Most of this time goes in preparing the ingredients & cooking just takes about 10 mins.

I first shared this recipe in 2013 March and have upgraded this slightly for a saucier dish. The spice levels are moderate & have included soya sauce in the newer recipe. Feel free to leave out that but it does make a huge difference to both – tofu and the masala/sauce.

What kind of Tofu to use?

For this recipe you will use extra firm tofu or frozen tofu. I prefer to use frozen for the best texture and flavor. Frozen tofu is just the regular extra firm tofu that is frozen.
Freezing changes its texture and makes it sponge-like with larger holes. These holes in the frozen tofu help absorb the masala and flavors better.

You can always buy the frozen ones from the Asian stores/ supermarket or buy the fresh extra firm tofu and freeze it. I usually drain and rinse the fresh tofu before freezing it.

For this recipe we use 7 to 8 ounces (200 to 250 grams) extra firm tofu. If frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator and press down in between your palms to squeeze out the excess water. Wrap in a few kitchen tissues to get rid of any more moisture. Cube them to 1 by 1 inch cubes of ½ to ¾ inch thickness.

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Photo Guide

How to make Indian Tofu Kadai (Stepwise Photos)

Preparation

1. Prepare the following:

• 1½ cup fresh tomatoes pureed or chopped (3 medium, 350 g)
• ¾ cup onion (diced, layers separated, 1 medium)
• 1 cup bell peppers (¾ inch diced or mushrooms/ carrot/ broccoli)
• 1 teaspoon chopped ginger or ginger garlic paste
• 1 sprig curry leaves (pat dry, leave out if you don’t have)

2. You will need the following spices:

• 1 to 1½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (adjust to taste)
• 1½ to 2 teaspoons garam masala or kadai masala (divided, adjust to taste)
• 1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
• 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (optional, dried fenugreek leaves)
• 1 tablespoon soya sauce (or tamari, optional)
• 1 teaspoon sugar (optional, to balance the flavors)

Make the Masala

3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or a pan on a low to medium flame. Add the curry leaves and ginger. Stir fry until aromatic for a minute, without burning.

4. Stir in red chili powder and half of the garam masala. Make sure your pan is not too hot at this stage.

5. Add the tomatoes and mix well.

6. Raise the heat to medium and cook partially covered until soft, thick and oil begins to separate. If your chopped tomatoes lack enough moisture you may splash little water as it cooks.

Pan-fry Tofu & veggies

7. Heat a teaspoon of oil in a non-stick or cast iron pan. Place the tofu in the pan and let fry on a medium heat until crisp and golden.

8. Turn them to the other side and fry here as well. Transfer to a plate.

9. To the same pan, add 2 teaspoons oil and add the onions and bell peppers. Saute on a medium high heat until partially cooked yet crunchy, for 3 mins.

10. When you see the tomatoes break down and the masala turns thick, transfer the tofu.

11. Also add in the pan-fried veggies, salt, sugar, kasuri methi and 1 tablespoon soya sauce. Mix well and taste test. Add the rest of the garam masala only if you think it requires. I use ½ tsp more at this stage. If you think your tomato masala is too thick at this stage, you may splash a bit of hot water.

12. Mix well and cover. Simmer for 3 mins & turn off. Rest for a minimum of another 10 mins for the tofu to soak up the flavors.

Serve Indian tofu kadai over steamed rice, flavored rice or with roti, chapati, paratha.

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Recipe Card

Indian Tofu Kadai Recipe

5 from 76 votes

This Indian tofu kadai is simply the best you can make under 30 mins. Crisp pan-fried tofu is tossed in a slightly spicy and tangy flavorsome sauce/masala. Serve this over rice or with noodles, fried rice, chapati, roti or paratha.

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Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time15 minutes minutes

Cook Time15 minutes minutes

Total Time30 minutes minutes

Servings3

AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

• ▢ 200 to 250 grams (7 to 8 ounces) extra firm tofu (cubed)
• ▢ 1½ cup (350 g) tomatoes pureed or chopped
• ▢ ¾ cup (1 medium) onion (diced, layers separated)
• ▢ 1 cup bell peppers (¾ inch diced or mushrooms/ broccoli/carrots)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ginger chopped or ginger garlic paste
• ▢ 1 sprig curry leaves (leave out if you don't have)
• ▢ 2 tablespoon oil or butter (divided)
• ▢ 1 to 1½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (adjust to taste)
• ▢ 1½ to 2 teaspoons garam masala (divided, adjust to taste)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (optional, dried fenugreek leaves)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon soya sauce (or tamari)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sugar (or jaggery, optional, to balance the flavors)

Instructions

• ▢
  Optional – Thaw the frozen tofu in the refrigerator before cooking.
• ▢
  Press down tofu gently in between your palms to remove excess liquid/water.
• ▢
  Wrap in a few kitchen cloth/ tissues to get rid of more moisture. Chop to 1 by 1 inch cubes of ½ to ¾ inch thickness.
• ▢
  Pour half of the oil to a wok or a pan and heat it on a low flame. Add the curry leaves and ginger. Stir fry until aromatic without burning.
• ▢
  Stir in red chili powder and half of the garam masala. Add the tomatoes and let cook partially covered until soft, thick and oil begins to separate.
• ▢
  While the tomatoes cook, heat 1 tsp in a non-stick or cast iron pan. Place the tofu and fry them until golden and crisp. Turn them to the other side with a spoon or spatula & fry until crisp. Transfer this aside to a plate.
• ▢
  Add the rest of the oil and add onions and bell peppers. Stir fry on a high heat until aromatic and slightly soft, for 3 mins.
• ▢
  When the tomato masala turns slightly thick, add the tofu, onions, bell peppers, soya sauce (optional), sugar, salt & kasuri methi (optional). Mix and taste test. Add more salt & rest of the garam masala only if needed.
• ▢
  Mix well. If it is too thick & dry, pour ¼ cup hot water. Stir well and let cook covered for 3 mins. Taste test and adjust salt. If you want squeeze some lemon juice while serving.
• ▢
  Serve tofu stir fry with rice or chapatti/roti & a vegetable salad. Alternately stir in some cooked noodles or pasta for a complete meal.

Video

Watch Indian Tofu Kadai Video

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts

Indian Tofu Kadai Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 181 Calories from Fat 99

% Daily Value*

Fat 11g17%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Trans Fat 0.04g

Polyunsaturated Fat 4g

Monounsaturated Fat 6g

Sodium 1189mg52%

Potassium 551mg16%

Carbohydrates 14g5%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 9g10%

Protein 8g16%

Vitamin A 2777IU56%

Vitamin C 96mg116%

Calcium 49mg5%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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© Swasthi’s Recipes

This Indian Tofu Recipe was first published in 2013 March. Updated & Republished in May 2023.