Tofu stands in for the cheese in this vegan version of chilli paneer. Made with a fiery sauce and seared peppers and onions, this spicy Indian-inspired meal will knock your socks off!
- ½ cup tomato paste
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup soy sauce or tamari
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 tablespoons sambal oelek, or to taste (sriracha works as a substitute)
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons canola oil, or high-heat oil of choice, divided
- 1 pound super firm tofu*, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
- ½ medium red onion, sliced and separated into strips
- Salt, to taste
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 scallions, chopped
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Stir the tomato paste, vinegar, maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, sambal oelek, and cayenne pepper together in a small bowl.
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Place a medium skillet over medium heat and coat the bottom with 1 tablespoon of oil.
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Give the oil a minute to heat up, and then add the tofu in an even layer.
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Cook the tofu for about 8 minutes, flipping once or twice to achieve browning on multiple sides.
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Drizzle the lemon juice over the tofu, flip a few times and cook for about a minute more, until most of the liquid has evaporated.
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Remove the tofu from the skillet and transfer it to a plate.
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Raise the heat to high and add the remaining tablespoon of oil.
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Add the bell peppers and onion. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, until the onion begins to brown and the pepper becomes tender-crisp.
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Lower the heat back to medium. Return the tofu to the skillet and stir in the sauce.
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Flip everything a few times and cook for about 1 minute more, until the sauce is heated throughout.
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Remove the skillet from heat.
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Season with salt to taste, and sprinkle with scallions and cilantro.
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Serve.
*This is a firmer variety than extra firm tofu. Look for brands such as Trader Joe's and Nasoya.
If you can't find super firm tofu, use extra firm tofu. Press it for at least 15 minutes, then prebake it. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cut your tofu into cubes and arrange them on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Brush the tofu with half of the lemon juice and bake for 15 minutes. Flip the tofu, brush with the remaining lemon juice, and then bake for 15 minutes more. Proceed with the recipe as written, although you may be able to cut down on the cook time in step 4, and you can skip adding the lemon juice in step 5, since you've already added it.