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5.0 from 24 votes

Tofu 65 (Vegan Paneer 65)

Easy Tofu 65. Tofu Paneer 65 is a spicy, sweet, savory Indian entree with influence from chinese flavors. Serve it with rice or as is. Vegan Nut-free Recipe. Gluten-free Soy-free options

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 180 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

For the Tofu:
  • 14 oz firm or extra-firm tofu , pressed for 15 mins
  • 3 tbsp all purpose flour , use rice flour for gluten-free
  • 3 tbsp corn starch
  • 6 fresh or frozen curry leaves , chopped (see notes)
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp minced ginger
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp soy sauce , tamari for gluten-free
  • 1/3 tsp salt
  • 3-4 tbsp water
For the Sauce:
  • 2 tsp oil
  • 1-2 hot green chilies , such as serrano , sliced thin
  • 10 curry leaves fresh, frozen or dried
  • 4 cloves garlic , finely chopped
  • 1/2 green bell pepper sliced
  • 1/2 small red onion sliced
  • 1 tbsp sriracha or sambal oelek or a mix of both (use less for less heat)
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce , tamari for gluten-free
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup water

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large bowl, add flour, cornstarch, curry leaves, paprika, cayenne, garlic, salt and ginger. Add lemon, soy sauce and water to make a thick batter.
  2. Add tofu and toss to coat. Spread on parchment lined baking sheet or dish, Spray oil, bake at 400 deg F (205 C) for 20 mins.
  3. Sauce: Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add chilies and cook for a minute, then add curry leaves and garlic and cook for 1 minute or until just about translucent.
  4. Add onion and bell pepper and cook until onion is golden on some edges. Add sauces, black pepper, salt and sugar and mix well.
  5. Mix cornstarch in 1/2 cup water. Add the water cornstarch slurry to the pan and bring to a boil to thicken.
  6. Fold in the baked tofu lightly and take off heat. Garnish with cilantro or green onion and serve over rice or grains.Store: Refrigerate the cooked tofu 65 for upto 3 days. Make ahead: You can bake the battered tofu ahead. The sauce tends to thickene on sotring, so make the sauce fresh and add baked tofu or baked veggies to serve.

Notes

  • Soy-free: To make this without Tofu, use cauliflower for Cauliflower 65(bake cauliflower for 30 mins) or seitan or rehydrated soycurls for chickin 65.
  • Use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
  • Gluten-free: Use rice flour in the batter instead of all purpose flour. Use tamari instead of soy sauce.
  • Scale up: This recipe is easily doubled. Just use lesser heat ingredients when scaling and add more as needed.
  • More Sauce: this is a sticky sauce version(dry-ish tofu 65). For saucier, double the sauce ingredients. Use 1.25 cups of water. 
  • Curry Leaves: fresh curry leaves can be found in Indian stores. Fresh and dried curry leaves can be found on amazon and some grocery stores. You can freeze fresh curry leaves for upto 1 year and use then instead of fresh. They retain more flavor than dried. Omit if you cant find them. 
  • Nutrition is for 1 serve, does not include rice

Nutrition Information

Calories 180kcal (9%) Carbohydrates 19g (6%) Protein 11g (22%) Fat 7g (11%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Sodium 653mg (27%) Potassium 58mg (2%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 395IU (8%) Vitamin C 98mg (109%) Calcium 149mg (15%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 180

% Daily Value*

Calories 180kcal 9%
Carbohydrates 19g 6%
Protein 11g 22%
Fat 7g 11%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Sodium 653mg 27%
Potassium 58mg 1%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 3g 6%
Vitamin A 395IU 8%
Vitamin C 98mg 109%
Calcium 149mg 15%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.