Weeknight dinner made easy with this delicious and flavorful tofu curry! Tofu is pan-seared to perfection and cooked in a warming blend of curry spices for a one-pot meal that minimizes dishes and maximizes flavor.

The Best Tofu Curry Recipe

We’re big fans of tofu in this house. While we are meat eaters, we try to minimize our meat consumption both for environmental and cost purposes. Plus we all love tofu around here! Paired with this warming curry sauce, this tofu curry is truly one of our favorite weekday meals around here.

What makes this tofu curry recipe the best is definitely the texture of the tofu. The extra step of pan frying the tofu cubes gives them a crispiness that pairs perfectly with the flavors of the curry spices. This recipe is also fully vegan and can easily be made gluten-free by using tamari in place of soy sauce.

I personally love to meal prep this curry tofu as I find the taste of the sauce only improves with time. You can also simmer your sauce for a little extra time to get that deep flavor as well. I’m just impatient and want to dig in as quickly as possible. I know you will too!

Ingredients in Tofu Curry

• Tofu – Squeeze out any remaining liquid between paper towels or a dish towel. Chop into 1 inch cubes.
• Olive oil – avocado oil or another vegetable oil works great.
• Yellow onion – you could also use a white onion if that’s what you have.
• Garlic – try to use fresh garlic cloves if you can.
• Ginger – Fresh ginger root, peeled and finely minced or grated.
• Spices – Curry powder (which is a blend of a bunch of different spices) plus cumin, coriander and salt and pepper.
• Crushed canned tomatoes – a small 15 oz can is all you need. Some brands are 14 or 14.5 oz cans which is totally fine.
• Coconut milk – use full fat coconut milk for a richer flavor.
• Soy sauce – or use tamari if gluten-free. Use low-sodium soy sauce if you’re looking out for salt levels.
• Baby spinach – see below for more vegetable substitution ideas.
• Rice – For serving. I like basmati rice or jasmine rice best but you can use whatever you have on hand.

How to Make Curry Tofu

STEP 1: COOK TOFU

Heat olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add tofu in a single layer and cook for 3 minutes per side to brown. Try not to move tofu around so it gets a nice crispy texture. Repeat in batches if necessary. Remove tofu from skillet and set aside.

STEP 2: COOK AROMATICS + SPICES

Add onion and garlic to skillet and cook for 3-5 minutes or until onions are translucent and lightly browned. Add in ginger and spices and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.

STEP 3: SIMMER SAUCE + SERVE

Stir in crushed tomatoes, coconut milk and soy sauce and bring to a simmer. Once simmering reduce heat to low and add tofu back to skillet. Cook on low for 15-20 minutes or until desired flavor and consistency is reached. Stir in baby spinach and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve warm over rice and/or with naan.

Easy Swaps and Substitutions

Add in or swap veggies – I like using spinach in this recipe because you can really pack a lot in but feel free to replace with a different vegetable or add in whatever vegetables you have on hand. Red bell pepper, cauliflower, peas or even sweet potato make great additions!

Swap the protein – using tofu is obviously what makes this recipe vegan but you could swap in a meat-based protein by cooking it first or using pre-cooked. Chickpeas are also a great substitutions for tofu if you’re avoiding soy.

Make it green tofu curry – this is a yellow tofu curry but you could make it green by replaced the curry powder with 1-2 tbsp green curry paste or even red curry paste if that’s what you have on hand.

Use cauliflower rice – swap the rice for cauliflower rice for a low-carb option.

Storing Leftover Curry Tofu

Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat on stovetop or in microwave. Serve with rice and naan.

More Tofu Recipes:

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