Crispy Tofu Dal
This one has become a proper staple in our kitchens and we genuinely can't stop making it. A rich, warming dal with crispy grated tofu on top that gets golden and almost meaty in the oven; it's the kind of plant-based dinner that makes you forget you ever wanted anything else. The spices are deep and fragrant, the lentils are creamy and comforting, and that tofu topper adds this incredible crunch that takes the whole thing to another level. It takes a bit of time but trust us, every single minute is worth it.
Before You Start
- Preheat oven to 200°C
- Blender
- Box grater
- Large baking tray lined with parchment paper
- Press tofu for 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 large onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 30g fresh ginger
- 30g fresh coriander
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 packet of silken tofu
- 200ml water
- 150ml oat cream
- 2 250g pouches pre-cooked Beluga lentils
- 1 block of firm tofu
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- oat cream
- Juice of 1 lime
- red chilli
- fresh coriander
- Plant-based Naan bread or Roti
Method
Marinade tofu topper
- Press the tofu for 10 minutes to drain some of the liquid
- Using the large holes on your box grater, grate the tofu
- Toss the tofu in the garam masala and turmeric
- Drizzle over the vegetable oil
- Set aside to soak up the flavour
Prep the veg and blend the tofu
- Peel and finely chop the onion
- Peel and finely grate the garlic cloves
- Use a spoon to peel the skin off the ginger, and grate
- Rip the leaves from the coriander, finely chop the stems, roughly chop the leaves and save for later
- Chop red chilli
- Whizz the silken tofu in your blender until smooth and creamy
Make the base
- Heat the oil in the pan on a medium to low heat
- Once hot, add the onion and fry for 5-7 minutes until soft and translucent
- Add the garlic, ginger, coriander stems to the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes until fragrant, making sure they don’t burn
- Next, add the garam masala, ground coriander, chilli powder, ground cinnamon, salt, bay leaves and cook gently for 1 minute
- Stir through the tomato puree, silken tofu, lentils, water and cream
- Increase the heat and bring to the boil
- Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally
- You may need to add more water to loosen it
Bake the tofu
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper
- Spread the marinated tofu evenly on the tray
- Whack in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, stirring half way through
- The tofu is ready when it is golden and crispy
- Remove from the oven and set aside
Serve
- Squeeze the lime into the Dahl
- Divide between bowls, top cream, with crispy tofu, chopped coriander, red chilli
- Scoop up the curry with your naan breads
Tips & Variations
- Press your tofu properly: Even 10 minutes of pressing makes a real difference here. The drier the tofu, the crispier it gets. If you have time, press it for 20 minutes and you'll be even happier with the result.
- Spice it your way: We love it with a good kick but if you're cooking for people who don't love heat, just ease back on any chilli and let the garam masala do the heavy lifting. It's still absolutely delicious.
- Make the dal ahead: The dal itself actually gets better the next day as the flavours deepen. Make a big batch, keep it in the fridge, and just crisp up fresh tofu when you're ready to serve.
Why This Works
The trick is grating the tofu on a box grater instead of slicing it. You get way more surface area, which means way more crispiness, and the garam masala and turmeric marinade gets right into every little piece. That contrast between the crunchy spiced tofu and the silky dal underneath is what makes this recipe absolutely sing.