These baked curried tofu cubes are seasoned with a marinade of garlic powder, curry powder, and a beneficiant quantity of freshly squeezed lemon juice. They’re properly spiced and surprisingly tangy! I like to make use of tremendous agency tofu for its density and substance.
There’s really no extra helpful recipe to meal prep than an excellent, versatile protein. These savory, tangy baked curried tofu cubes have develop into one in all my favorites.
In my meal prep cookbook The Vegan Week, there’s a complete chapter dedicated to proteins. I wrote within the intro to that chapter that “I’ve realized to make plant proteins the spine of my meals.”
This wasn’t at all times the case. I’ve at all times been capable of embody the opposite two macronutrients—carbohydrates and fat—into my meals effortlessly.
Deciding on and getting ready a plant protein supply, nonetheless, was much less intuitive. That is most likely as a result of I’d grown up consuming carbohydrates and fat (grains, olive oil, nuts, and so on.), whereas I hadn’t grown up consuming tofu, tempeh, seitan, and even many beans.
The RD in me understood that every one three macronutrients are key gamers in balanced meals. Over time, I skilled myself to make it possible for every do-it-yourself breakfast, lunch, and dinner plate would come with a top quality protein. That is nonetheless a guideline once I menu plan.
Inside the world of plant proteins, tofu is a favourite; I really like its capacity to take in taste, its vary of form and texture.
Balsamic tofu cubes and teriyaki tofu cubes are already staples in my house. Just lately, I questioned if I would combine issues up slightly, with a brand new marinade or spice mix.
These baked curried tofu cubes have been what I got here up with. There are just a few dishes that I imagined including them to from the beginning: tandoori cauliflower bowls, creamy curried quinoa, or spiced potatoes, lentils and peas.
However I’ve discovered that the cubes are helpful in lots of different methods; I really like placing them into pita pockets together with sautéed spinach or roasted broccoli. And so they may give a vigorous increase to an in any other case easy bowl of rice and beans.
The cubes even make an excellent savory snack.
A gently spiced—and really tangy—marinade
The flavour profile of those curried tofu cubes is an efficient instance of a contented culinary accident.
Whereas I meant for the recipe to be seasoned with curry powder, I didn’t intend for it to be as citrus-forward as it’s.
Pondering again to the paneer-inspired baked tofu that I included in my e book Energy Plates, I added lemon for acidity. When my first batch emerged from the oven, they have been much more tangy than I assumed they’d be, and I anxious that I’d overdone it.
I made a decision that I actually favored the lemony taste, although it hadn’t deliberate on it. It retains the tofu cubes lifted and introduced, with a pleasant distinction to the earthiness of their spices.
Should you don’t love tangy flavors, you possibly can cut back the 4 tablespoons of lemon juice to a few.
As for the spices, most spice blends labeled “curry powder” within the US are much like the curry powder that have been concocted by British colonizers within the 18th and nineteenth centuries. Usually, one of these curry powder comprises some mixture of turmeric, coriander, cinnamon, cumin, fenugreek, black pepper, and cardamom.
Curry powder can have warmth, however it’s often much less sizzling than madras curry or vindaloo curry powders. (For extra rationalization and historical past, this text is useful.)
In my kitchen, I like to make use of the Burlap and Barrel “curry,” and I additionally like Merely Natural’s curry powder. You’ll be able to select a mix with extra warmth, if you happen to like.
In case you have garam masala at house, relatively than a curry powder, that mix will work nicely within the recipe.
Baking tofu
There are in fact so some ways to organize tofu: sautéing, scrambling, frying, and extra. However my favourite preparation technique has at all times been baking.
Until I’m making a pudding, sauce, or soup, I like for my tofu to be good and agency. I’m not an enormous fan of the crispy-style tofu that includes dredging in cornstarch; I discover that texture to be unpleasantly tough and sponge-like.
Through the years I’ve discovered that oven-baking can protect tofu’s firmness and density, give its edges a touch of crispness, and assist to lock in taste. That is the form of tofu that I like to eat.
Baked tofu might be ready in slabs, slices, or cubes. So far as kinds of tofu go, agency, further agency, and tremendous agency tofu are all applicable for oven baking.
Tremendous agency is simply what it seems like: an particularly stable and dense sort of tofu. This number of tofu has develop into well-liked comparatively just lately. Its compressed texture quantities to excessive protein content material.
Tremendous agency is now one of many tofu varieties that I prepare dinner with most frequently. It’s at all times what I attain for once I make smoky tofu or my lemon marinated baked tofu, and I feel that it really works particularly nicely for these baked curried tofu cubes.
Should you can’t discover tremendous agency tofu, that’s no downside. Additional agency tofu, which is fairly simple to supply, will even work nicely for the recipe.
Find out how to make baked curried tofu cubes
Along with being lemony, salty, and spiced, these curried tofu cubes are simple to make.
Like most of my baked tofu recipes, this one advantages from planning. The cubes will develop extra taste with an extended marinade. Should you can bear in mind to marinate them in a single day, that’s ultimate, although a minimal of 4 hours will do the trick.
The 1st step: whisk collectively the marinade
The marinade is a reasonably simple combination of freshly squeezed lemon (or lemon + lime) juice, avocado oil, garlic powder, curry powder, and salt.
Should you’re questioning why I take advantage of the garlic powder, relatively than minced garlic, it’s just a few causes. For one factor, powdered garlic whisks actually simply into marinades. It’s one thing I at all times have in my pantry, whether or not I’ve a recent bulb of garlic or not.
And at last, the powder stands up nicely to a sizzling oven, whereas minced garlic can simply burn when it’s utilized in a marinade like this one.
Step two: marinate the tofu
The tremendous agency tofu for this recipe must be reduce into 3/4-inch / 2.5-cm cubes.
After this, I like to recommend arranging them in a single layer (or as near a single layer as you possibly can) in a bigger, flat storage container with a lid.
Pour the marinade over the cubes, cowl the container with its hermetic lid, and provides it a mild shake to disperse the marinade.
You’ll be able to marinate the tofu for as few as 4 hours or as much as in a single day. The longer the higher.
I like to recommend shaking the container gently at the least as soon as throughout the marinating time, to make sure that the curried tofu cubes are absorbing seasoning evenly.
Step 3: bake
Lastly, it’s baking time.
I like to recommend lining your baking pan with parchment or foil. Switch the tofu items to the baking sheet, however don’t toss the marinade: you’ll want it for basting the cubes midway by way of roasting.
Switch the baking pan to a 400°F / 200°C oven. Bake the curried tofu cubes for twelve minutes, then take away the pan from the oven.
Use a basting brush to brush the cubes gently, flip them, then brush the opposite facet.
Return the sheet to the oven. Bake the cubes for an additional 7-10 minutes, or till they’re calmly browning and crisping at their edges.
That’s it! Plant protein, able to get pleasure from nonetheless you want for days to come back.
Meal prep and storage
Should you don’t use your curried tofu cubes in a recipe straight away, then you possibly can retailer them for as much as 5 days in an hermetic container within the fridge. The tofu may also be frozen for as much as six weeks, then defrosted in a single day within the fridge earlier than reheating.
Yields: 4 servings
- 1 block tremendous agency tofu, reduce into 3/4-inch / 2.5cm cubes (1 lb / 455g)
- 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (or 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice + 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice; 60 mL)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons delicate curry powder of selection (substitute a sizzling selection or an equal quantity of garam masala if desired)
- 1/2 teaspoon effective salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated black pepper
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Switch the tofu to a large hermetic storage container, ideally in a single layer. Whisk the lemon (or lemon + lime) juice, oil, garlic powder, curry powder, and salt collectively, then pour this combination over the tofu. Cowl the container and shake gently to disperse the marinade. Switch the tofu to the fridge. Permit the tofu to marinate for at the least 4 hours or as much as 24. If attainable, gently shake the tofu once more at one level throughout its marinating time, in order that the cubes marinate evenly.
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Line a baking sheet with parchment or foil. Preheat the oven to 400°F / 200°C. Switch the tofu items to the baking sheet, reserving the marinade. Switch the sheet to the oven. Bake the tofu for 12 minutes. Take away the sheet from the oven. Use a basting brush to softly brush the cubes with extra of the reserved marinade, then flip or stir the cubes, in order that they do not solely prepare dinner on one facet the complete time. Brush the opposite facet (now the highest facet) of the cubes. Return the sheet to the oven. Bake the cubes for an additional 7-10 minutes, or till the curried tofu cubes are calmly browning and crisping at their edges.
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Serve the tofu or retailer for as much as 5 days in an hermetic container within the fridge. The tofu may also be frozen for as much as 6 weeks, then defrosted in a single day within the fridge earlier than reheating. Get pleasure from!
Along with being flavorful and nutrient-dense, the cubes have a sunny golden shade that may uplift many a meal.
I discover that recipes for vegan fundamentals, like this one, are those that give again essentially the most over time. I hope you’ll agree!
xo
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