This mild and creamy vegan tofu korma curry is full of flavour and the perfect way to save some money on take out! Plus it tastes so much better when it's fresh and homemade!
For added flavour and texture it's topped with some toasted cashews and lots of fresh coriander!
Serve it with rice, alongside other curries. onion bhajis and naan!
How to make vegan tofu korma:
The key to any good korma is a flavourful korma paste. This is made up of red onion, garlic, ginger, tomato paste, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, garam masala, turmeric, ground cumin, ground cardamom, cinnamon and chilli.
First the cumin seeds and coriander seeds get toasted in a dry frying pan until fragrant and golden brown and then these are whizzed up with the remaining ingredients in a blender. It will be a gorgeous orange/red colour and smell amazing.
Once the paste is made it then gets cooked with cashew cream and coconut milk. Typically korma paste is cooked with dairy yoghurt and cream but you don't need them to make a deliciously creamy sauce!
To make the cashew cream blend cashews and water in a high speed blender until creamy.
If you don't have a high speed blender you'll need to soak the cashews in hot water for half an hour so they soften.
Tofu is a great ingredient in dishes like curry as it takes on flavour really well. You want to use a firm or extra firm tofu for this recipe, you don't want it falling apart.
If you can't find any, make sure you get as much water out of it as you can before cooking.
To make the tofu look more like chicken I like to break it up with my hands instead of cutting it. Fry it in some vegetable or coconut oil until slightly crispy and turning golden. Place aside whilst you prepare the korma sauce.
In the same frying pan, place the korma paste along with coconut milk, cashew cream and vegetable stock.
Bring to a gentle simmer and leave it for about 10 minutes until its thickened and is nice and creamy.
Whilst the sauce is simmering, toast the cashews in a dry frying pan until turning brown. Be careful not to burn them, toss them frequently until browned.
Add the tofu back into the sauce to warm through. Add the juice of half a lemon, taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper.
Top with the toasted cashews and some chopped fresh coriander and it's ready to serve! I love serving this vegan tofu korma curry with rice, onion bhajis and garlic naan.
For more curry recipes you may enjoy these!
Roasted Aubergine and Chickpea Curry
Butternut Squash and Red Lentil Curry
Sweet Potato and Coconut Curry Soup
As always if you make this vegan tofu korma curry be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
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Creamy Tofu Korma Curry
Better than takeout vegan tofu korma curry. This fresh homemade vegan curry is flavourful, creamy and dairy free! Topped with toasted cashews.
Ingredients
Korma paste
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon coriander seeds
- ½ red onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- ½ inch ginger
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of hot chilli powder
- 2 tablespoon tomato puree
- 1 tablespoon oil
Other Ingredients
- 500g extra firm tofu
- 1 tin (400ml) coconut milk
- ½ cup cashews
- ½ cup water
- 75ml vegetable stock
- ½ lemon
To Garnish
- ½ cup cashews
- Fresh coriander
Instructions
- In a dry frying pan on medium-high heat fry the coriander and cumin seeds until fragrant. Add to a blender/spice grinder and blend until fine.
- Add them along with the remaining paste ingredients to a blender and whizz until a paste forms. If it's getting stuck in the blades add a splash of water to loosen.
- In a large frying pan heat a tablespoon of oil and add the tofu. Break up into chunks using your hands (for a more meaty look) or cut into 1 inch pieces. Fry for 5-10 minutes until starting to crisp and turn golden. Transfer to a bowl and set aside for later.
- In the same pan, add the curry paste along with the coconut milk and vegetable stock on a low heat.
- Place the cashews and water in a high speed blender until creamy. If you don't have a high speed blender you will need to soak them in hot water for 20-30 minutes to soften them.
- Add to the pan with the curry sauce and bring to a gentle simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile in a fry frying pan on medium heat add the cashews and toast until turning brown. Stir frequently so they don't burn.
- When the korma sauce has thickened and is nice and creamy add the tofu in until warmed through. Add juice of half a lemon, stir and then taste. Season with salt and pepper.
- Top with the toasted cashed and fresh coriander and serve!
Notes
Serve with rice, a side of vegetables and naan! Vegetables can also be added to the sauce or substituted for tofu.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 388Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 316mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 21g
LOOOOVE THIS. Absolutely love this recipe! I didn’t have a lot of the ingredients since I couldn’t find the garam masala seasoning but even with the substitutes this came out absolutely perfect
I've made this so many times now and it's a perfect Korma recipe. I'd never use ready made curry pastes again after making my own. I love preparing the paste with all the amazing spices. I usually add in frozen peas and fresh spinach at the end and extra chilli flakes as I like it spicy 🙂 Thanks for a great recipe.
Hi Lynda, thank you for your comment. So glad you have enjoyed this recipe many times 🙂 those additions sound perfect!! Tamsin xo
I love love love korma! Can’t wait to try this. I’m going to hit my local coop for spices.
Trader Joe’s has Super Firm Tofu.
To get your tofu even more dense, place the tofu, still in the package, in the freezer. About an hour or a day before you use it, remove to thaw (counter or fridge). Remove from package, and press out the water. You’ll notice the difference in texture.
Hi Lee, I hope you enjoy it when you do make it! Yes you're right, it does transform the texture of the tofu! Tamsin xo
Absolutely delicious!! Easy to follow instructions and fantastic end result. Big hit with non vegan family members. Thankyou for a great recipe 💛
Can the coconut milk be excluded and just use cashew cream? Or is there a non-dairy substitute that doesn’t have the strong coconut flavour? Thx!
Hey, cashew cream should work fine it just might be a little thinner, you could also add some unsweetened vegan yoghurt! Thanks, Tamsin xo
This turned out great. Heads up, the ingredients list “tomato sauce” but in the writing piece above the actual recipe, it’s listing “tomato paste.” I used tomato paste and it was great! I used one package of tofu. I think next time I’ll add a sweet potato.
Hi Leah, thank you for letting me know, I will amend it now to say paste. So glad you enjoyed it! Tamsin xo
Brillant receipe. Did this today and will definitely be having it again. Really creamy and the most flavoursome korma I've made. Equally as good as anything I had pre being plant based, home made or in a restaurant. Loving your site and trying out some of your receipes. We had this as a main with the Onion Bhajis and Coriander Dip as a starter, equally a great recipe. Thank you for sharing your talent.
Hi Andy, thank you so much for your lovely comment it made my day. I am so glad you enjoyed the korma and the onion bhajis 🙂 I hope you will enjoy some more of my recipes! Tamsin xo
Just when I thought Tamsin's recipes couldnt get any better, I go and make another one. Had a real craving for a curry tonight and this definitely did it for me!! My other half went as far as saying 'you can make that again'. 5* all round!!
Wow, I tried this recipe for the first time as a step towards eating a more sustainably friendly diet (https://bettermegreen.org/challenge-20-good-food/) and it was sooooo delicious.
I used smoked tofu as thats what I had in the cupboard and it worked really well. Thank you for sharing it!
Hi Charlotte - so glad you enjoyed it, thanks for letting me know! Mmmm smoked tofu sounds so good too! Tamsin xo
I actually used a lot of cremini mushrooms instead of tofu for this recipe as I was already using it for something else. I also used about 3 tbsp of sugar to make a more British version. This was a hit! My friend and family claim to not like Indian food nor anything vegan, but they all raved and raved about how great this was. Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Hi Jess - thank you so much for your comment! Bet it was so delicious with the mushrooms. So glad you all enjoyed it 🙂 Tamsin xo
Can i use whole milk instead of coconut milk?
Hi Pooja, you'll get a much different result with milk as it is much thinner and has a different taste. I would recommend using coconut milk (from a tin) xo
Just made this recipe and it was incredible. So Delicious & creamy. Thank you
Hi Charlotte - thank you, so glad you enjoyed it! Tamsin xo
Is there a way to make this recipe without cashews? I REALLY love tofu and curry, but due to a severe nut allergy if I make this with cashews it would end with a trip to the emergency room. 🙁
Hi Claire, sorry to hear you're allergic to nuts! You could sub with 1/2 cup of extra coconut milk or plant milk. The cashews help to thicken so you may just need to let it simmer for a little longer. Hope that helps! Tamsin xo