Tofu Tikka is a healthier version of the very famous and much loved Indian Paneer Tikka.
By Sia Krishna
India is the largest milk producing country in the world, and therefore it is no surprising see Indians love for milk and milk produce. We begin our day with strong milky coffee or tea and integrate milk and milk produce in various food recipes. And our meal is incomplete without a glass of yogurt or buttermilk, either spiced with few green chillies, cumin powder etc or sweetened with sugar. Milk, yogurt, buttermilk, ghee, butter and cream are part and parcel of Indian meals. And there is one more milk product which we all love. It is Paneer or Indian cottage cheese used in very famous Paneer Butter Masala (Fried cottage cheese served in creamy and buttery onion-tomato gravy), Malai Kofta (Deep fried cheese dumplings in rich, creamy tomato gravy), Paneer Tikka (grilled paneer cubes marinated in spicy yogurt) and many more.
Tofu Tikka is a healthier version of very famous and much loved Indian Paneer Tikka. There is no compromise on taste or flavour and yet you have this much healthier food to indulge. Firm tofu used in this recipe easily absorbs all lovely flavours of aromatic spices. This recipe uses just bell peppers but you can also use other vegetables like onions, tomatoes, zucchini, mushrooms or fruits like pineapple cut into cubes for different flavours. Thick yogurt or hung yogurt is used for marinating the tofu and bell peppers along with some freshly ground aromatic spices. You can use as little or as many spices as you like. If you don’t have some freshly ground spices in hand, just use some Garam Masala which is easily available at any Indian grocery stores and any other spices of your choice. The end result is smoky, delicious Tofu Tikka that teases and tantalises your taste buds. Serve them as finger foods or as a side dish with fresh Naan or Basmati rice, this Tofu Tikka is a crowd pleaser and sure to win many hearts. Be creative and serve it as a stuffing for sandwich or even wraps (use whole wheat pita bread or tortillas) with few salad leaves, tomato, onion and cucumber slices. You can also arrange them on few salad leaves and drizzle little bit of yogurt and mint sauce or sour cream on top to make a complete, healthy and nutritious meal.
Tofu Tikka
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
Description
Serve them as finger foods or as a side dish with fresh Naan or Basmati rice, this crowd pleaser Tofu Tikka is sure to win many hearts.
Ingredients
- 1 block firm Tofu (About 200 grams), cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2–3 Capsicums/Bell Peppers of any colour (I used combination of red, yellow and green)
- Little oil for pan frying
For Yogurt Marinade:
- cup thick Yogurt/Hung Yogurt
- 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder/Paprika (Adjust acc to taste)
- tsp Turmeric Powder
- tsp Cumin Powder
- tsp /Coriander Powder
- 1 tsp Kasuri Methi/Dried Fenugreek Leaves, crushed
- tsp Garam Masala (Adjust acc to taste)
- tsp Amchur/Dry Mango Powder
- tsp Sugar (Optional)
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Beat the yogurt till lump free and mix in all the spice powders listed above along with salt to taste.
- Add tofu cubes along with bell pepper pieces and mix them well till every piece is coated well with marinate.
- Cover the bowl with cling film or plate and refrigerate. Let the tofu and bell peppers to marinate for at least 30 mins and up to 2-3 hours for all the flavours to blend well.
- Once the tofu and bell peppers are marinated, arrange them in a tooth pick or skewers (first two bell pepper pieces, tofu and another two bell pepper squares) and set them aside.
- Heat tawa/griddle and drizzle little oil on it. Arrange tofu and bell peppers on toothpicks or skewers in a single row and let it pan fry for a minute or two till the tofu turns golden brown. Gently turn them over to other three uncooked sides and repeat. Be careful when turning the Tofu as it can easily break if not done gently.
- Alternatively, you can grill them in an oven. Pre-heat the oven to 200 deg C or 400 deg F. Line the baking tray or sheet with parchment or aluminium foil and arrange the tofu and bell peppers in single layer. Grill them for 15 minutes, turning the pieces once or twice in between.
- Serve this delicious Tofu Tikka as a starter/appetizer/finger food or serve it with any flavoured rice/Indian flat breads with any curry of your choice. Be creative and serve it as a stuffing for sandwich or even wraps (use whole wheat pita bread or tortillas) with few salad leaves, tomato, onion and cucumber slices. You can also arrange them on few salad leaves and drizzle little bit of yogurt and mint sauce or sour cream on top to make a complete, healthy and nutritious meal.
Notes
Marinating the tofu for good 2-3 hours helps in absorbing all the flavours of the spices. So it is recommended that you marinate the tofu and peppers for 2-3 hours in refrigerator or at least for 30 minutes.
If you are not fond of Tofu, simply substitute it with some fresh Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese).
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
Loved the potato curry