Shahi Tofu Kofta Casserole
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
1 hr
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Total Time
1 hr 20 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
233 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Indian
Shahi Tofu Kofta Casserole
Description
This casserole recipe begins with pressing extra firm tofu to remove moisture, then crumbling it finely and mixing with almond flour or breadcrumbs, garlic powder, garam masala, ginger, nutritional yeast, cheese, and optional raisins for added sweetness. The kofta mixture is scooped into balls, brushed with oil, and baked until slightly firm. A richly spiced sauce is prepared by sautéing onions, garlic, ginger, and a blend of whole and ground Indian spices including bay leaves, cloves, cardamom, coriander, cumin, cayenne powder, garam masala, and fenugreek leaves. Tomato puree and cashew milk create a creamy, flavorful base.
The baked koftas are combined with the aromatic sauce in a casserole dish and baked together briefly to meld flavors. The dish is garnished with cilantro and optionally additional cream. The casserole offers a complex layering of spice and creamy textures typical in Shahi-style dishes.
Adaptations include soy-free versions using chickpea and potato koftas, nut-free options replacing cashew milk with coconut milk, gluten-free breadcrumb substitutions, and variations that omit onion and garlic for special diets. The sauce can also be made stovetop for convenience.
Ingredients
For the Kofta balls:
- 14 ounce extra firm tofu remove as much moisture as possible, or firm tofu; pressed for at least 15 minutes
- 1/4 cup almond flour or use 3 tbsp breadcrumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced
- 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese you can omit this and add a tbsp of nutritional yeast, vegan
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs less or more as needed, or a mix of breadcrumbs and all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons raisin optional, chopped
For the sauce:
- 2 teaspoons neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
- 1 cup onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced
- 2 bay leaf
- 2 clove whole
- 2 green cardamom pods opened slightly
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne powder or Indian red chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin ground
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek leaves optional but recommended, dried
- 12 ounces tomato puree or unseasoned tomato sauce
- 1 cup cashew milk (1/3 cup raw cashews blended with 1 cup of water or use 1 1/4 cup of full fat coconut milk for Nutfree)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- cilantro for garnish; additional vegan cream; and/or
- cashew cream
- coconut milk
Instructions
- Make the koftas: Press the tofu if you haven't already. Then crumble it up in a bowl. Crumble really well because large pieces of tofu will make the koftas fragile.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients. Then press and mix in with a fork. Use a 3 tablespoon ice cream scoop or cookie scoop and scoop the mixture and press to pack tightly. or use hands to make a ball( adjust the mix with more breadcrumbs or flour if needed )
- Line a large baking dish 10 x 13 inches or similar size with parchment. Scoop the tofu koftas and release on to the parchment lined baking dish. (You can also grease the baking dish and use but I find that parchment is a better option for the koftas to quickly release from the bottom.)
- Brush the koftas with a little bit of oil then bake at 400 degrees F( 205 degrees Celsius) for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, prep your sauce ingredients and set aside. Remove the baking dish from the oven. Move the koftas to one side of the baking dish, remove the parchment.
- Add oil to the other side of the baking dish. Add the onion, ginger, garlic, all the whole spices, all the ground spices and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and mix.
- Even it out with a spatula. Put it back into the oven for baking for 15 minutes.
- Check at 12-14 minutes to see if the onion is golden enough or continue to bake for another 5 or so minutes. The onion should not look raw.
- Remove the dish from the oven and add the tomato puree, cashew milk, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and mix into the onion mixture. Then carefully move koftas the into the sauce mixture and spread them out so that the sauce and koftas distributed well in the baking dish.
- Use a spoon to drizzle some of that sauce over the koftas then put it back to bake. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the sauce comes to a good boil. Then take the dish out of the oven. Garnish with cilantro and and a sprinkle of garam masala and serve.
- You can also add a drizzle of your remaining coconut milk or cashew milk for garnish. Store refrigerated for upto 3 days. Make the Kofta and or sauce ahead and use within 3 days
Notes
- For soy-free, substitute tofu koftas with chickpeas and potatoes (like in Malai kofta recipes).
- Replace cashew milk with full-fat coconut milk for a nut-free version; substitute almond flour with breadcrumbs accordingly.
- Use gluten-free breadcrumbs or a mix of rice flour and tapioca starch to make the dish gluten-free. Adjust starch amounts to achieve proper kofta texture.
- Adapt for no onion garlic diets by using peeled zucchini or fennel and dried fenugreek leaves or asafetida as flavor substitutes.
- To make the sauce stovetop, sauté spices and aromatics in oil or broth, then combine with tomato and milk, simmering before adding koftas.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 233 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 233kcal | 12% |
| Carbohydrates | 25g | 8% |
| Protein | 15g | 30% |
| Fat | 10g | 15% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Sodium | 698mg | 29% |
| Potassium | 484mg | 10% |
| Fiber | 4g | 16% |
| Sugar | 7g | 14% |
| Vitamin A | 481IU | 10% |
| Vitamin C | 13mg | 14% |
| Calcium | 184mg | 18% |
| Iron | 4mg | 22% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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