Baked Tofu: Next to cauliflower and broccoli, tofu is my husband's favorite. I'm in the constant look out for tofu recipes. Actually he would eat anything vegetarian if it's healthy. For me the criteria is, it has to taste good. So I experiment with tofu recipes to satisfy both our needs.
So far our favorite is tofu paratha. I drain the tofu well, grate it, add some Indian spices and divide the mixture into small balls. Then proceed to prepare the parathas as usual, using the tofu stuffing.
The Tofu Mango Pudding did not get his vote. The truth is he is not a "dessert" person. My son, my mother and I loved it very much.
Paneer is my most favorite and his least favorite. He doesn't eat it because of the fat content and caloric value. I wish I have the self control like him, I would be 30 pounds lighter! Because he doesn't eat paneer and I love dishes made with paneer I try to make tofu recipes Indian style. Over the years have tried a variety of Indian tofu recipes substituting tofu for paneer.
The key is to use extra-firm tofu so that it would hold it's shape. Also draining the water is a crucial step. Another important procedure is marinating the tofu with spices and herbs for it to soak the taste and flavor in few Indian tofu recipes. Once these three are taken care, you can prepare almost any recipe using paneer with tofu in Indian style. Tofu sides, tofu snacks, tofu desert, you name it you can make it.
Recently I was going through a South Indian cookbook and found a recipe for paneer tikkis. The original recipe mentioned to grill it in a convection microwave oven. Of course I had to use tofu and because I did not have that sort of microwave oven I had to use my regular oven to make this baked tofu recipe. I also mixed up some spices that I had in my kitchen counter and this baked tofu Indian style turned out very tasty.
Want to make something similar? A healthy, quick, no fuss snack? Then try this baked chickpeas recipe too.
Recipe
Indian Style Baked Tofu Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Packet (14Oz) Extra Firm Tofu
For The Marinade:
- 3 Tablespoons Oil
- 1 Tablespoon Curry Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Red Chili Powder
- A Pinch Turmeric Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Salt (As Per Your Taste)
- Juice Of ½ Lemon Lemon Juice
- As Needed Red Food Color (Optional)
Instructions
- Open the tofu packet and drain the water. Wrap the tofu in paper towels and place some weight on it and leave it for 30 minutes. After draining the water cut the tofu into cubes of 1cm thickness. I got around 20 pieces.
- Take a 1 gallon ziploc bag and add all the ingredients required for the marinade in the bag.
- Whisk it with a fork and add the tofu cubes in the bag. Remove the air out and close the bag and toss it well to coat all the tofu pieces with the marinade.
- Leave it in the fridge for 30-45 minutes.
- Meanwhile preheat the oven at 425F/220C for 15 minutes.
- Grease a baking sheet lightly, place the tofu pieces and bake it for 25-30 minutes, turning once in the middle.
- To have a crispy outer, broil it for another 8-10 minutes.
My Notes
- If you are a paneer fan like me you are not going to like the tofu tikkis immediately. For those who have not tasted tofu before, though they both look alike, the taste is totally different. So don't expect the taste of paneer tikka. Try to appreciate the taste of tofu and then you would love it. After eating 3-4 pieces, I started liking it. Now this is my husband's favorite.
- The marinading can be done in a bowl too. I saw the ziploc bag method in Food TV, so I thought of giving it a try. It's definitely easy and no clean up. Simply toss the bag in the trash later.
Taste & Texture
- We don't eat very spicy foods. So taste the marinade to check the spices and add accordingly to suit your taste. Since tofu is bland, it definitely requires more seasoning than you would normally use.
