Published: by Denise Perrault · 4 Comments
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This mixed vegetable tomato curry with tofu recipe features a flavorful curry paste with Indian spices, creamy tomato sauce made without coconut milk, plus crispy oil-free tofu for a delicious vegan dinner.
I don't normally make curry paste for Indian recipes unless I'm making roasted cauliflower vindaloo, but it's definitely what gives this delicious mixed vegetable curry a unique flavor.
And the tomato sauce? It's a simple blend of tomatoes, a little broth, and white beans. Yes, the secret to creamy vegan mushroom gravy gets a nod from tofu vegetable curry.
Mixed vegetables make delicious curry recipes, including classic Thai vegetable curry, veggie mango sauce curry, cauliflower curry with chickpeas, and massaman curry with veggies.
There are distinctive differences between Thai and Indian curries. And the best part? They can be made with a variety of wholesome vegan ingredients.
Table of Contents
- ⭐ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- 📋 Recipe Ingredients
- 📖 Recipe Variations
- ⏲️ Step-by-Step Instructions
- 🔪 Pro Tips
- 🍴 Serving Suggestions
- 💭 Frequently Asked Questions
- 🥘 More Vegan Recipes with Veggies
- 👩🏻🍳 Recipe
⭐ Why You'll Love This Recipe
- A healthy, low-fat meal made without added oil, cashew cream, light coconut milk, or heavy cream.
- Layers of flavor made as spicy as you like it.
- Use a variety of different vegetables, including frozen mixed veggies. It's a great way to use leftover vegetables, too.
📋 Recipe Ingredients
Tofu. Crispy tofu is optional for this recipe. Use firm or extra-firm tofu. I have instructions for oil-free baked tofu and making tofu in the air fryer included in the recipe card.
Red onion. Use a large red or white onion (substitute). Dice half a cup for the curry paste and slice the rest to use in the veggie curry.
Frozen green peas. You can also substitute a mix of frozen peas and carrots.
Cauliflower. Use a small head of cauliflower. Cut the florets into small pieces. Frozen or 3 cups of broccoli and cauliflower mix is a great alternative.
Green beans. Trim fresh green beans into bite-sized pieces or use frozen runner or French beans.
Cannellini beans. White beans are soft and have a mellow flavor, making them perfect for blending curry sauce.
Curry powder and garam masala. These are your main spice powders with half a teaspoon turmeric powder. Use my recipe for the best garam masala blend. It elevates the simplest spinach red lentil curry to new heights of Indian cuisine pleasure.
Red chili. I used 2 red chilies with the seeds removed. Adjust to your taste. Green chili or jalapeno are great substitutes. Skip the fresh chili and add a little cayenne pepper or chili powder if desired. If you use hot curry powder, this might be all the heat you need.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.
📖 Recipe Variations
White beans are used to make a creamy curry sauce that skips coconut milk. If you insist, use light coconut milk or try the plant milk plus coconut extract hack I use for creamy mango and vegetable Thai curry.
⏲️ Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the tofu and cut it into small cubes. Bake or air fry.
Step 2: Blend the curry paste ingredients to a smooth paste.
Step 3: Make the tomato puree in a blender or food processor.
Step 4: Cook the fresh veggies and mix with the curry paste.
Step 5: Stir in the tomato puree and cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes.
Step 6: Mix in the frozen peas, tofu, and cilantro. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until heated through.
🔪 Pro Tips
- I used a spice grinder to make the curry paste. If you use the same blender for the tomato puree, clear out what you can of the paste. The flavors all get mixed in the end.
- Add a little water to the curry paste if it's slightly dry.
- Mix in any frozen vegetables along with the peas in step 6.
- Let the curry simmer for at least 15 minutes before adjusting any spices or adding liquid. Zucchini, in particular, has a lot of excess moisture.
🍴 Serving Suggestions
Mix veg curry and brown rice is a satisfying and healthy meal. Serve it with a bread side dish like baked veggie pakora or Indian bread. I made this as a 'fancy' meal for friends and added quick pineapple chutney - it was a huge hit!
💭 Frequently Asked Questions
How long does tomato and vegetable curry last?
Store leftover tomato and vegetable curry in an airtight container, separately from rice. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove on low heat with a little water added to keep it from scorching. I recommend reheating rice in a steamer basket.
Can I use fresh tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes for curry sauce?
You can substitute 2-3 cups of fresh chopped tomatoes for canned for the curry sauce. Add a tablespoon of tomato paste to bring out the sweet tomato flavor.
Can you make the curry paste ahead?
The Indian curry paste can be made several days ahead or you can freeze it for 3 months. This is great for making a double batch.
🥘 More Vegan Recipes with Veggies
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👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Mixed Vegetable Tomato Curry with Tofu Recipe
Mixed vegetable tomato curry with tofu recipe features a flavorful Indian-spiced curry paste, creamy sauce with no coconut milk, and crispy oil-free tofu.
Author: Denise Perrault
Rate this Recipe:
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Diet Low Fat, Vegan
Servings 6
Calories 200 kcal
Ingredients
Ingredients for Crispy Tofu
- 14 ounces. tofu - firm or extra-firm
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce - or tamari
- ½ teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Ingredients for Mixed Vegetable Tomato Curry
- 1 large red onion - dice ½ a cup and slice the rest
- 2 cloves garlic - minced or pressed
- 1 tablespoon ginger - minced or grated
- 1-3 medium red chilies
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup - or 1 pitted date
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups cannellini beans - or other white beans, 15-ounce/400 gram can, rinsed and drained
- 1 can tomatoes - 15 ounces/400 grams
- 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
- 3 cups cauliflower florets - 1 small head, cut into small bite-sized pieces
- 1 medium zucchini - courgette, diced or cut into half moons
- 1 ½ cups green beans - fresh or frozen, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- 1 cup fresh cilantro - chopped
Instructions
How to make crispy tofu
Press firm or extra firm tofu in a tofu press, or wrap it in paper towels, place it between something flat, and weigh the top down.
Cube the tofu and place it in a bowl. Toss the cubes with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce (or Tamari) and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice (or lime juice).
Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C). Toss the tofu with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
To air fry, Preheat the air fry to 375 F (190 C). Air fry the tofu for 10-12 minutes. Toss the tofu after 7 minutes.
How to make mixed vegetable tomato curry
Dice a quarter of the red onion (½ cup) to make the curry paste. Slice the rest and set aside.
Place the diced red onion (½ cup), garlic, ginger, red chilies, maple syrup, lemon juice, curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, and salt in a blender or spice grinder. Blend into a smooth paste. Remove from the blender if used for tomato puree. Add a little water if the curry paste is too dry.
Combine the white beans, tomatoes, and vegetable broth in a blender or food processor.
Heat a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Cook the onions first. Stir them for 2-3 minutes until they start to soften.
Stir in the fresh vegetables: cauliflower, zucchini, and green beans. Cook the vegetables for another 3-4 minutes, then mix in the curry paste.
Add the tomato puree. Mix well. Adjust the heat so the curry is simmering. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the cauliflower is tender.
Stir the ingredients, then add the frozen peas (and other frozen vegetables if using), chopped cilantro, and tofu. Continue simmering for another 5 minutes.
Taste and adjust the spices or add more lemon juice if desired.
Video
Notes
- Use a variety of different vegetables, including frozen mixed veggies. It's a great way to use leftover vegetables, too.
- When it comes to the vegetables, add the fresh tomatoes with the tomato puree and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the frozen at the end of cooking with the frozen peas.
- Store leftover tomato and vegetable curry in an airtight container, separately from rice. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove on low heat with a little water added to keep it from scorching. I recommend reheating rice in a steamer basket.
- The Indian curry paste can be made several days ahead. You can freeze it for 3 months. This is great for making a double batch.
Nutrition
Calories: 200kcal (10%)Carbohydrates: 32g (11%)Protein: 14g (28%)Fat: 4g (6%)Saturated Fat: 1g (6%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 1079mg (47%)Potassium: 654mg (19%)Fiber: 8g (33%)Sugar: 12g (13%)Vitamin A: 1422IU (28%)Vitamin C: 59mg (72%)Calcium: 187mg (19%)Iron: 4mg (22%)
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Jesse-Gabriel
Richtig gut dazupassen würde auch frische Kokosnuss geraspelt.
Yumi!
Grüße,
Jesse-GabrielReply
Denise
Auf jeden Fall frische Kokosnuss!
Reply
Alida Lanzon
Can't find arrowroot and date paste. Can I leave them out
Reply
Denise
Hi Alida, try using cornstarch as a substitute for the arrowroot. That is probably the best substitute. The date paste is used to sweeten the curry, so either you can leave that out or use a different type. Perhaps maple syrup or agave syrup.
Reply
