Vegan Madras Curry Tofu Casserole

Dinner just got easier with this Madras Curry Tofu Casserole! A simple one-pot meal with baked tofu in a flavorful Indian gravy! Serve with rice and store leftovers for meal prep! 

Madras Curry Tofu Casserole – a celebration of two of my favorite things, Tofu and Madras curry, combined into a warming, comforting one-pot dinner that basically cooks itself! Easy prep work and next to no dishes to clean. What’s not to love?

Homemade madras curry powder and a simple madras sauce that you can use with tofu, veggies or chickpeas/beans!

What is Madras Curry Powder?

You might already know that there is no such thing as “curry powder” in Indian cuisine as each curry dish has its own combination of spices that makes it unique. There’s more – every family also has their own recipes for spice mixes, so even classic Indian curries can taste vastly different from household to household.

Curry powder is a western blend which came about to approximate a general North Indianish curry. Madras curry powder came about to approximate the spicier southern Indian cuisines (chettinad, Andhra etc ). For spicier curries, Madras curry powder is a great place to start your Indian cooking journey! You can control the heat, it is earthy, and oh so fragrant.

I love making my own spice mixes, and I recommend you give my Madras Curry mix a try! There is nothing like the smell of freshly ground cumin, coriander, and cardamom wafting through your kitchen. And I guarantee it will take this Tofu Casserole to a whole new level.

MORE DELICIOUS TOFU RECIPES FROM THE BLOG:

More Indian DISHES TO TRY

Ingredients:

• tofu – for this recipe we need extra firm, or firm tofu, pressed for 15 -30 minutes, then cubed.
• Madras curry powder – you can use my recipe (see recipe card) or use a storebought blend
• garlic and onion – always needed when making an Indian gravy
• curry leaves – dry or fresh ones! They are incredibly aromatic, providing a fresh, citrusy flavor to our dish
• tomato = I use both puree and fresh tomatoes for the gravy
• mushrooms are my favorite veggie to add to this casserole as they pack some serious umami and go so well with the curry powder blend
• coconut milk lends some creaminess and richness to our gravy

Tips:

• You can use other types of plant-based protein in this recipe. You can add in a can of chickpeas or 2 to 3 cups of vegetables instead of using tofu for soyfree
• This dish would also be very yummy with some fresh spinach added to the mix
• If you cannot find curry leaves, leave them out or add a bit of Lime zest and 2 bay leaves .

How to make Madras Curry Tofu Casserole:

Make your madras curry powder by grinding all the spices together. Grind only one red chili if you’re not sure about the heat and you can use the other chilies whole in the dish. Grind up in the spice grinder and set aside.

In a casserole dish, add tofu and toss it with a teaspoon of oil. Bake at 400 degrees f(205 c)  for 10 minutes. Remove the dish and move the tofu so there’s enough space for the onions.

Add in the onions, 2 teaspoons of oil, garlic, curry leaves. Sprinkle the spices on the onion mixture as well as the tofu mixture. Mix the onions so the spices are coated all over and put the baking dish back in the oven to bake for another 11 minutes or until the onions are starting to turn translucent.

Remove the baking dish then add in the tomato, tomato puree, coconut milk, salt and mix in. Add in the mushrooms and mix in.

Then put the baking dish back in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. You can cover the baking dish with parchment after the first 10 minutes so that the sauce doesn’t evaporate or burn too much.

Check if the mushrooms are cooked and the sauce is thickened to preference. Otherwise, bake for another 10 minutes or so.

Remove the dish from the oven and carefully taste. Adjust salt and flavor if needed. Serve with rice, dosas or
rotis. Garnish with cilantro and lemon juice.

REHEATING AND STORING:

Leftovers of this tofu casserole will stay good in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat your casserole leftovers, place them in a microwave-safe bowl, cover, and microwave for 2 minutes.

MAKE A BIG BATCH!

You can easily double this curry casserole recipe, just use a slightly larger casserole dish. However, you might need to add a few minutes to the cooking time.