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This Crispy Sesame crusted Tofu is Quick and super delicious! Tofu cubes are tossed in the peanut sauce then coated in sesame seeds and baked until crispy. Serve over greens dressed in peanut sauce, in a wrap or over noodles! Peanut-free  & soy-free version included.

I’ve developed a full-blown obsession with these sesame-coated tofu bowls!

I don’t know whether it’s the nutty, crunchy sesame-crusted baked tofu that does it for me or the totally addictive peanut sauce…it’s most likely the combination of both because I would not want to do without any of these additions.

I love that the sesame-crusted tofu is baked in the oven and turns out super crispy without having to add any flour or breadcrumbs the to coating.

Before coating the tofu in sesame, we toss the tofu cubes in some of our peanut sauce to allow the seeds to stick to them properly. This works way better than egg wash AND adds a bunch of flavor to our baked tofu.

These bowls are perfect for meal prep and the spicy peanut dressing keeps in the fridge for a whole week.

More bowl recipes:

Berbere Chickpea Bowl

Vietnamese Inspired Caramelized Pork Bowls with Lentils

Vegan Pizza Bowl

Spicy Maple Mustard Tofu Bowl with Sweet Potatoes

Cajun Roasted Vegetable Bowl with Garlic Sauce

26 Vegan Bowl Recipes

Ingredients:

• For the tofu, I recommend you use firm or extra firm tofu and we will need to press it for at least 15 minutes
• for the sauce, we mix smooth peanut butter with soy sauce, sesame oil, sambal oelek, ginger garlic paste, and hot water for thinning it out
• some of the peanut sauce is thickened with cornstarch or tapioca starch to make the coating for the tofu
• the breading is gluten-free, made with a mix of black and white sesame seeds
• For the bowl, use your favorite greens, then bell pepper, cucumber or carrots, quinoa, and any other crunchy veggies

Tips:

• You can also use the tofu to make wraps,  add some greens or lettuce to a tortilla wrap and add the tofu and other veggies of your choice and a good drizzle of the peanut sauce and serve.
• To make it peanut free use sunflower seed butter.
• To make Soyfree: Omit the soy sauce and add 1/4 tsp salt. Use chickpea tofu or pumpkin seed tofu.

How to make Sesame Tofu Bowls:

Make the peanut sauce; In a medium bowl add all the peanut sauce ingredients and mix really well until combined and set aside. Add more hot water a tbsp at a time if needed to make a drizzle-able sauce.  (You can also blend them in a small blender.  You can add whole garlic clove and 1/4 inch ginger instead of mincing)

Press the tofu if you haven’t already then cut it into rectangles or squares. In a small bowl add 1/4 cup of the prepared peanut sauce and the cornstarch and mix really well.

Add the tofu to the sauce and make sure all the sides are coated really well.

In another shallow bowl add the sesame seeds and transfer the coated tofu to the sesame seeds bowl to coat on all sides. Repeat with all the tofu slices. You might need more sesame seeds depending on the size of the tofu slices.

Place the coated tofu on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Preheat your oven to 400ºF (205ºC).

Bake the tofu in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. Check at the 18-minute mark if the tofu is done otherwise bake for 2-4 more minutes.

Remove the tofu from the oven and set aside.

Prepare your bowl by adding the greens, sliced bell peppers, cucumber, peanuts, etc.

Pace the cooked tofu on top of the bowl. Drizzle with peanut sauce.

Storage

Refrigerate the sesame tofu and dressing and bowl ingredients separately. Reheat the tofu in the oven or microwave. Let the cold dressing come to room temperature to use. Or add some hot water to the dressing, mix and use

 

Spice up your dinner routine with this flavorful Berbere Sheet Pan Dinner! Veggies, beans and tofu cubes are seasoned with a bold Ethiopian spice blend, baked until caramelized, then drizzled with a creamy lemon tahini dressing. Glutenfree Nutfree, Soyfree substitute option.

Everyone loves a sheet pan dinner. Everything we love about a one-pot dinner flipped onto a sheet pan. I mean, what’s better than dumping some ingredients onto a sheet pan, popping it into the oven, setting a timer, and letting the oven do its magic while you move on to more fun things.

This vegan sheet pan dinner can be left completely unattended apart from the odd peek through the oven door. Clean-up is minimal as well because, again – just one pan.

Ok, we have one more dish because we make a little tahini sauce on the side to drizzle the sheet pan dinner with after cooking. While the tahini sauce is optional, it is totally recommended because the creaminess of the tahini really lifts the whole dinner to a completely new level of delish.

What makes this sheet pan dinner exceptionally good is the use of berbere – a spicy Ethiopian spice blend that contains over a dozen different ingredients.

Amongst them are red chili peppers, fenugreek, and ginger, as well as other warming spices like coriander, cardamom, allspice, cumin, peppercorns, cloves, and cinnamon.

You can find berbere in the spice or international section of any well-stocked supermarket or get it online or make your own!

More vegan sheet pan dinners:

Sheet Pan mediterranean dinner with roasted root veggies  

Sheet Pan Thanksgiving Dinner (Vegan)

Sheet Pan Veggie Dinner with miso maple dressing 

 Sheet Pan Fajitas Dinner with Chipotle Garlic Sauce 

Sheet Pan Cheeseburger Veggie Dinner with Garlic Mayo Dressing

 

Ingredients:

• veggies: cremini mushrooms, zucchini, bell pepper, and broccoli
• our protein of choice here is tofu along with white beans
• spices: Ethiopian spice mix berbere, paprika, thyme, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder
• for the tahini dressing, we mix tahini with warm water, lemon juice, salt, dill ad garlic powder for flavor

Tips:

• Make pita wrap or tortilla wraps – You can also add these veggies in a pita wrap and add some lettuce and tahini dressing.
• Make a bowl: add these veggies to a bowl with some cooked grains if you like.
• You can use other spices like garam masala, baharat, curry powder etc
• This recipe is nut-free, and gluten-free. To make it soy-free omit the tofu and add some more veggies of choice, more mushrooms or more beans.

How to make Vegan Berbere Sheet Pan Dinner:

Chop or cube all the veggies and the tofu if you haven’t already.

Then add them to a big sheet pan or baking dish (11×13 inches or larger size).

Then drizzle the lime juice and oil onto the veggies and toss to coat well. If the veggies are not fully coated then add some more lime juice and another teaspoon of oil and toss.

In another bowl mix all the spices and sprinkle all over and toss well so all the veggies, tofu and beans are coated with the spice mixture.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF (205ºC) and place the baking pan in the preheated oven.
Bake for 25-30 minutes.

At about the 18-20 minute mark check the veggies if they are getting evenly cooked and the edges are not getting scorched. If the broccoli or mushrooms are not cooked through let them bake for another 10 minutes or so.

Meanwhile make the tahini dressing. Add the tahini, 2 tablespoons of water, lemon juice, dried dill, salt and garlic powder to a bowl. Mix really well.

Add more water as needed to make a creamy thick dressing. Taste and adjust salt, tang and flavor.

Once the veggies are done cooking, remove from the oven and plate them in your serving bowls and drizzle with the tahini dressing.

Ways to serve berbere sheet pan dinner:

You can also add these veggies in a pita wrap and add some lettuce and tahini dressing. To make a wrap you can use tortillas. Or you can add these veggies to a bowl with some cooked grains if you like.

Storage

Refrigerate the roasted veggies and bean mix in a closed container for upto 3 days. Refrigerate dressing separately. Reheat the veggies in the oven or microwave , then dress and serve.

Saag Cornbread Casserole – a fragrant Indian mustard greens stew baked in the oven and topped with a cornbread topping. So flavorful and comforting. Baked Sarson da saag Makki roti casserole. Nutfree Soyfree recipe.  Oil-free and gluten-free versions are included.

I am back with another Indian-inspired casserole dish! To help you try Indian flavors and foods in a a simpler format. Saag Cornbread Casserole – flavorful, super nourishing and oh-so satisfying.

Saag is a dish from the northern part of India that uses greens. It can use different types of greens that are locally available. The most common version uses either all mustard greens or a mix of mustard greens and spinach or bathua (a type of amaranth) leaves. It is often slow cooked for a while then mashed and cooked again to make a spiced mashed greens stew that is served topped with vegan butter, Indian pickle and with flatbread.

Saag is usually served with a maize flour/fine cornmeal based flatbread (called Makki ki roti).

Makki/makai ki roti (corn flatbread) is somewhat similar to Mexican corn tortillas but uses maize flour that hadn’t been nixtamalized.  Hence it has a different flavor and texture from corn tortillas. The process for making both the roti and saag can take quite some time, so I converted this delicious Punjabi comfort food staple into a simple casserole dish that you can make in a baking dish!

The greens used in this casserole are chopped up and placed at the bottom of the casserole dish alongside the tempered spices and flavors of Saag. I add some quinoa to increase the protein content of this vegan casserole dish. You can use split red lentils instead or some potatoes.

While our saag casserole bakes, we make a cornbread-type topping using Indian spices and cornmeal instead of making corn flatbread on the side.

Then we layer that cornbread mixture over the pre-cooked greens,  cover it with parchment paper and bake the whole assembled casserole again until the cornbread sets.

I love to serve this as is or with some vegan butter on top. It’s hearty, delicious and checks all the Makki ki roti and sarson da saag flavor and the ease of a casserole.

More vegan casserole dishes:

Shahi Tofu Kofta Casserole

Jalapeno Chili Cornbread Casserole

Lentil Curry Casserole

Baked Kitchari Casserole (Spiced Lentil Rice Casserole)

South Indian Eggplant Curry Recipe (Baked Casserole)

Madras Curry Tofu Casserole

Baked tofu curry – makhani 

Ingredients:

• for the saag stew, I used a large bunch of mustard greens, but you can use a mix of spinach and mustard greens
• ground spices: cayenne, turmeric, fenugreek leaves, garam masala and cumin
• ginger garlic paste, onion and chili – the Indian trifecta
• quinoa adds protein
• For the cornbread topping, we mix all-purpose flour with cornmeal
• baking powder helps the cornbread mixture rise in the oven
• for seasoning the cornbread, we add Ajwain or carom seeds or cumin seeds
• For the tempering, we fry cumin seeds, chilies, and garlic in oil
• For garnish/topping, I like cilantro, chilies, onions, and vegan butter (to serve)

Tips:

• You can also use other greens instead of mustard greens or only use half the mustard green and replace the other half with chard or amaranth leaves . Spinach has a pretty strong flavor, so I usually avoid using spinach when making mustard greens saag. Some chard and amaranth leaves will work great.
• Quinoa sub: substitute the quinoa with 1/4 cup of red lentils.
• If the greens have dried out too much, before spreading the cornbread batter mix 1/4 cup of water in the greens. And then top it with the cornbread batter.
• To make the cornbread batter even moist, use unsweetened non-dairy milk or coconut milk instead of water.
• To make this recipe oil-free, omit the oil in the casserole dish. Omit the oil from the cornbread as well. To omit the oil in the tempering, dry roast the cumin seeds, then add 2-3 tablespoons of broth. Add the garlic and red chilies and saute.
  The cornbread layer might dry out a little bit if you are not using oil. So brush it with aquafaba (canned chickpea liquid) or non-dairy milk after baking, to moisten it.
• To make this recipe gluten-free, use a 3/4 cup gluten-free flour blend of choice. I like to use 1/2 cup almond flour, 1/4 cup oat flour, 1/4 cup potato starch, and mix and use.  Use 3/4 cup of this flour mixture and add more if needed.

How to make Saag Cornbread Casserole:

Chop the mustard greens if you haven’t already. You can use the entire leaf because the stems are quite tender. Sometimes I cut out a little bit of the bottom stem because they might be a little dirty or thick but the rest of the stem is all edible.

Finely chop the entire leaf and stem.

In a 9×9-inch baking dish add 2 teaspoons of oil and the spices and mix well. Add the ginger garlic paste and onion and mix again.

 

Then add the mustard greens, quinoa, and water and mix well to coat all the mustard greens. Press the greens down to submerge them in the water.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF (205ºC). Cover the baking dish with parchment and bake in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare the cornbread topping. In a large bowl add the all-purpose flour, cornmeal, salt, baking soda, and carom seeds and mix really well.

Add one tablespoon of oil and 3/4 cup of water and mix well. Set aside.

Once the greens are wilted and the quinoa is cooked, remove the baking dish from the oven.

Make the tempering by heating up the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and cook until the cumin seeds change color significantly. Then reduce the heat to medium-low.

Add the red chilies and the minced garlic and mix well for a few seconds. Switch off the heat and mix again for a few seconds so that the garlic is cooked.

Add the tempering to the greens in the baking dish. And gently mix in but not too much.

Top the greens with the cornbread mixture. If the cornbread mixture is too thick then add some water, one tablespoon at a time until you achieve a thinner and easier-to-spread batter.

Then spread the cornbread mixture over the greens and (optional) top it with sliced jalapenos/ green chilies and sliced onion. Cover again with parchment and bake for 15-17 minutes or until the cornbread is cooked through.

Remove the baking dish from the oven, let it cool for a few minutes, and squeeze a little bit of lemon juice on top.

Garnish with pepper flakes and cilantro and serve topped with a vegan butter on each of the cornbread portions.

Storage

Store the casserole dish covered in the fridge for upto 3 days. Or store individual portions in a closed container refrigerated for upto 3 days.

This easy recipe for Black Pepper Cauliflower is a vegan spin on black pepper chicken. Bake the cauliflower, make the sweet and spicy pepper sauce, combine and your meal is ready. Nut-free & glutenfree!

Craving takeout? Make Black Pepper Cauliflower! Ever since  General Tso Cauliflower and Cauliflower Wings recipes became viral on social media, we all know that cauliflower is a fantastic veggie to carry all these delicious sweet and sticky sauces we love and usually get delivered from our local takeout favorite.

This recipe for Black Pepper Cauliflower is a new favorite and a vegan spin on black pepper chicken. Bake, make the sauce, combine and yummy! Your meal is ready.

Unlike many other cauliflower recipes, this one does not require frying. We simply toss the cauliflower florets in cornstarch and some spices – freshly ground black pepper obviously being the most important one – then bake them.

While the cauliflower bakes we make our spicy, sticky sauce, then toss everything together.

For the sauce, we rely on the magic sweet-salty combination of soy sauce and maple syrup along with white pepper, ginger and red chili for a bit of heat. You will love the combination of spicy, sweet and salty in this dish.

I like to add some chopped celery stalks for some fresh crunch.

You can serve the Black Pepper Cauliflower as is, or with rice, or as a topping for bowls or as a filling for lettuce wraps.  Any way you serve it up will be delicious.

More cauliflower dishes:

Baked Gobi Manchurian; Cauliflower Manchurian

Sticky Sesame Cauliflower

Bbq Cauliflower Wings

 Nashville Hot Cauliflower Bites

Spicy Baked Cauliflower Bites with Celery Ranch. 

Ingredients:

• cauliflower florets – a small head of cauliflower makes enough
• the cauliflower is seasoned with  soy sauce, ketchup, and oil as well as garlic powder and ground black pepper
• cornstarch helps turn the dry and liquid seasoning ingredients into a breading that coats the cauliflower
• For the sauce we sautee ginger, garlic and chili
• veggies:  red onion and celery provide some crunch
• soy sauce and maple syrup are added to achieve that sweet and salty
• black pepper and white pepper are added for heat
• a cornstarch slurry helps thicken the sauce
• garnish: Green onion and sesame seeds

Tips:

• This recipe is nut-free and gluten-free.
• To make it without cornstarch use another starch such as tapioca starch or potato starch.
• If you don’t have dried red chilies, add 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes.
• for the chilies, you can use California red for less heat or use Chinese, Indian or Thai for spicier

How to make Black Pepper Cauliflower

Chop up the cauliflower into small to medium size florets and add to a large bowl.

In a small bowl combine the soy sauce, ketchup, oil, salt, garlic powder, and black pepper. Pour the mixture over the cauliflower and toss to coat really well.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of cornstarch over the cauliflower and toss again until all the cauliflower florets are coated.

If there’s any sauce in the bowl then add some more cornstarch. The cauliflower florets should not be wet but also should not have any dry patches of cornstarch.

Once all the cauliflower florets are evenly coated, transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet and spread them around so they are not touching each other.

Bake at 400ºF (200ºC) for 24- 28 minutes. Check at the 24 minute mark if the cauliflower florets are done, otherwise bake for 5 more minutes or so.

Meanwhile make the sauce: Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil and once the oil is hot add the garlic, ginger and dried red chilies and stir for a few seconds then add in the onion, celery and a good pinch of salt.

 

Mix really well and cook until the onion just starts to turn translucent. Then add in the soy sauce, maple syrup, black and white pepper and mix in. Mix the cornstarch in the 1/2 cup of water. Then pour that mixture into the pan and mix well. Once the sauce comes to a boil, switch off the heat.

Take the cauliflower out of the oven and add  to the sauce. Toss to coat really well.

Garnish with some green onion and sesame seeds and serve as it is or with some rice or quinoa for added protein.

This makes a light dinner as is over rice or a side salad. For heartier meal, serve over quinoa or replace half the cauliflower with tofu  to make black pepper cauliflower tofu.

Store refrigerated for upto 3 days.

 

This rich and creamy Caramelized Onion Dal is the perfect comfort food for a cold day! It is bursting with flavor from caramelized onions and whole spices which are tempered in oil! Serve with rice for a delicious Indian meal.

Coming at you with a simple lentil dal that is bursting with flavor. This is another dal that I just made one night when I was craving a light dal and rice meal.

This caramelized onion dal is a creamy concoction of two types of lentils – red and yellow ones – which are cooked on the stove or using an Instant Pot and then simmered along with fragrant seasoned oil – tadka (tempering).

The caramelized onions add a whole bunch of umami flavor while the cumin and black pepper mixture added to the tempering provide some heat and a refreshing flavor!

To take this dish to the next level of deliciousness we serve this lentil dish drizzled with another round of tempering. This second mix of whole spices fried in oil until sizzling and aromatic gets folded through the creamy dal just before serving

Use whatever lentils you have on hand. I used a mix of yellow and red lentils. You can cook them on the stovetop or in the instant pot.

More daal recipes:

Dhaba Style Butter Dal (vegan)

Sabut Moong Dal  Creamy Green Mung Beans

Vegan Handi Lentils (Creamy Indian Dal)

Masoor Dal Tadka (Indian Split Red Lentil Dal)

Spicy Urad Dal (Black Gram Lentil Dal)

Ingredients:

• For the lentils, I used a mix of red lentils and yellow lentils(masoor dal and moong dal). You can use all red or all yellow or any lentils you have on hand
•  fresh tomato adds acidity and sweetness
• spices: For the tempering, we fry crushed cumin seeds and black peppercorn in some oil then add garam masala
• as with most daal recipes, fresh ginger, garlic, and chili are added to the tempering after the whole spices
• curry leaves add a nutty and earthy flavor to this daal – use dry or fresh or frozen

Tips & Substitutions:

• If you cannot find curry leaves , leave them out and add 2 bay leaves and lime juice
• To make this without onion and garlic: use neutral veggies such as peeled and chopped zucchini, summer squash or opo squash(lauki) , or chopped celery or fennel instead of onion. Add a generous pinch asafetida or 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves as a substitute for garlic.

How to make caramelized onion dal:

Cook the lentils: To cook the lentils in the instant pot, wash the lentils really well and drain. Add the to the instant pot with the rest of the ingredients and pressure cook for 7 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes and then open the lid.

To cook the lentils in a saucepan add the washed and drained lentils with all the ingredients for the lentils to a saucepan, partially cover, and cook. You might need to add 1/2 cup more water if the lentils thicken too much.

For the tempering spices; add the cumin seeds and black peppercorns to a mortar and pestle and crush them. You can also use a spice grinder to turn them into a coarse mixture and set them aside.

For the first tempering, heat the oil in a medium skillet. Once hot, add half of the crushed cumin and peppercorn mixture then add the onion and a good pinch of salt and cook until the onion is translucent.

Then add the garlic, ginger, green chili, and the rest of the salt and continue to cook until the onion is golden. Add the garam masala and curry leaves and cook for another half a minute or so.

Transfer the cooked lentils to a serving bowl.  add this onion mixture to the lentils. (Or transfer cooked lentils to the skillet with the onions). Gently stir but don’t mix the onions in completely.

Make the second tempering: Heat the oil in a small skillet, once hot add the remaining cumin seeds/ peppercorn mixture and cook until the mixture becomes fragrant. Then pour it over the dal/cooked lentils. Garnish it with cilantro and lemon juice.

Storage:

Store in a closed container for upto 3 days. Freeze for up to a month. To make ahead: keep the tempering separate and heat and add just before serving

What to serve with this caramelized onion dal

Serve with flatbread, roti , naan or with rice. and a side or cauliflower potatoes, crispy cumin potatoes or green bean carrots. and a side salad-  Kachumber Salad.