Tofu Butter Chicken Style
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Tofu cooked like butter chicken with rich spices and creamy tomato sauce. Onion, garlic, ginger soften in butter, spices bloom releasing aroma. Tomatoes and cream add depth. Tofu blanched then seared until golden crust. Sauce blended smooth, simmered thick. Garnished with cilantro, served with rice or naan. Adapted for vegetarian diets, no nuts, gluten, or eggs. Perfect texture balance, spicy and creamy harmony.
Prep:
25 min
Cook:
35 min
Total:
60 min
Servings:
4 to 6 servings
#vegetarian
#Indian fusion
#tofu
#curry
#creamy sauce
#spices
#comfort food
Tofu slathers in buttery tomato sauce packed with zing from garlic, ginger, and a kick from red pepper flakes. I’ve swapped garam masala for curry powder here—makes a brighter punch. Boiling tofu first? Crucial move to firm up cubes and cut that raw soy taste. Then the golden crust, painstaking but worth it—no mush allowed. Cream stirs in last, sauce turns silky, red-orange gleam catching your eye. Smell shifts from sharp spices to mellow richness. Add cilantro; freshness pops. Eat with rice or naan; dipping is a must. Keeps well—just mind when reheating; creamy sauces can split. Learned this after botched leftovers. Texture and timing—my mantra.
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) fresh ginger, minced
- 1 ml (1/4 tsp) crushed red pepper flakes
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 8 ml (1 1/2 tsp) smoked paprika
- 8 ml (1 1/2 tsp) curry powder
- 1 ml (1/4 tsp) ground nutmeg
- 1 (398 ml) can diced tomatoes
- 375 ml (1 1/2 cup) water
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) tomato paste
- 180 ml (3/4 cup) heavy cream or 15% cooking cream
Tofu
- 650 g (1 1/3 lb) firm tofu, large cubes
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 10 g (1/4 cup) chopped fresh cilantro
About the ingredients
Butter is your best friend, but unsalted lets you control salt more precisely. If dairy’s no-go, coconut cream is an interesting swap, though watch for sweetness. Fresh ginger—preferably grated, not powdered—gives sharp aroma that dried ginger can’t mimic. I upped paprika slightly; some days yours may vary—adjust the spice mix to your nose and mood. Canned tomatoes vary; some are more acidic. A pinch of sugar can balance if your batch tastes sharp. The tofu needs blotting dry like crazy; moisture kills browning and makes the dish soggy. I usually press mine in a tofu press or wrapped in towels under a can for 10 mins before boiling for better texture. Cilantro finish essential—skip and dish feels lonely.
Method
Sauce
- Heat butter in large skillet over medium heat. Toss in onion, garlic, ginger, crushed red pepper. Sizzle until softened, about 5 minutes, watch edges brown slightly. Sprinkle smoked paprika, curry powder, nutmeg; stir 1 minute until fragrant, biff! smells sharp, earthy. Add canned tomatoes, water, tomato paste. Bring to boil, then simmer gently 12 minutes. The sauce thickens, edges bubble and darken.
- Remove from heat. Smash sauce with potato masher until smoothish, a bit rustic, chunky bits lose. Back on low, swirl in cream. Simmer 4 minutes, sauce velvety. Adjust salt and pepper to balance brightness and spice. Keep warm.
Tofu
- While sauce simmers, drop tofu cubes in boiling salted water for 6 minutes—firm but no rubber. Drain, pat dry thoroughly with paper towels.
- In a separate skillet on medium-high, melt butter. Lay tofu cubes single layer. Let them brown until nice golden crust forms, no flips too soon. Turn gently, brown all sides, total about 8 minutes. That crust means texture contrast—no soggy tofu here!
- Add tofu to warm sauce, nestle cubes carefully. Simmer together 4 minutes so tofu sucks up flavors.
- Sprinkle chopped cilantro on top. Serve with basmati rice or warm naan bread if you want. Veg on side—steamed greens or roasted cauliflower punch.
Notes
- Using curry powder instead of garam masala brings a different mild earthiness; less complex but more versatile. Careful with butter quantity—too much kills the spices, too little burns them fast. If no fresh ginger, frozen works fine, adjust quantity to taste. For cream, heavy cream gives richer mouthfeel; 15% is lighter but still creamy.
- Tofu texture is critical—firm, not soft or extra-firm unless you press well to dry. Water in tofu kills browning. The initial boiling firms it internally and removes beany taste.
- Blending sauce is more than aesthetics—it smooths sharp tomato seeds, creates uniform texture; rustic bits tolerated if you prefer chunkier. Toast spices briefly—very important for aroma, don't rush or they burn bitter.
- Avoid overcrowding tofu in pan or it steams, no crust. Dry tofu well or butter splatters aggressively.
- Leftovers reheat gently on low to avoid curdling cream. Taste after reheating; sometimes need a splash of cream or water to loosen if thickened too much.
Cooking tips
Start the sauce first; onion and garlic frying until translucent is where flavor foundation builds. If you skip sautéing the spices, powder stays raw, harsh. Pay attention to smells—smoked paprika adds warmth but can burn fast. I use a potato masher to break up the tomatoes in the pan—no blender needed, saves dishes, and I keep some texture because sauce should feel homemade, rustic. Boiling tofu is a subtle step—too long and it falls apart; too short and beany flavor remains. Dry well or tofu heats in water, no sear crust. Searing means patience—don’t flip too soon or cubes stick. When browning, you hear quiet crackles, edges darkening, smell like toasted nuts. Adding tofu to sauce lets flavor penetrate; don’t rush here. Simmer lightly just enough, overcooking tofu makes it rubbery.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Butter quantity critical here—too much kills spice bloom, not enough burns them fast. Use unsalted butter to nudge salt control. Toast smoked paprika quick, watch smell change—burnt bitter easily. Fresh ginger grated, not powdered, lifts aroma sharpness; if frozen, adjust amount downward.
- 💡 Press tofu dry hard, moisture ruins sear crust. Blanch in boiling salted water 5-6 mins firms inside, cuts beany taste but not too long or mushy. Pat cubes super dry after draining. Cook tofu in single layer, no crowding or it steams—lose crust, lose texture contrast.
- 💡 Sauté aromatics low-medium. Onion, garlic, ginger soften slow, edges just golden not burnt. Add spices after softened onions, cook about 1 minute stirring. Smell changes sharply, earthy notes; don’t rush, stay near stove. When sauce thickens, mash with potato masher gently—leave some rustic bits.
- 💡 Simmer sauce on low after cream addition—4 minutes enough to marry flavors but keep cream smooth. Adjust salt late. When adding tofu, nestle cubes, simmer few minutes so tofu soaks sauce. Avoid long simmer after tofu in or rubbery texture sets in.
- 💡 Reheat leftovers gently on low heat to avoid cream splitting. If sauce thickens too much, add splash water or cream to loosen. Cilantro chopped fresh, sprinkled last, brightens aroma and balance. Skip cilantro, sauce feels flat or lonely.
Common questions
Why blanch tofu first?
Firms cubes, removes raw beany taste. Helps hold shape during sear. Not too long or tofu softens. Critical step before searing.
Can I substitute dairy cream?
Coconut cream works, sweeter profile changes balance. Use less or skip sugar. Heavy cream richer mouthfeel; 15% lighter keeps sauce less heavy but still creamy.
What causes soggy tofu?
Moisture is enemy. If tofu not pressed dry, water steams cubes instead of browning. Overcrowding pan leads to steam, no crust. Pat dry thoroughly, cook in batches if needed.
How to store leftovers?
Refrigerate in sealed container. Reheat on low, stir often. Sauce thickens when cold, add splash water or cream while warming to loosen texture. Avoid high heat to stop cream from splitting.
