“Shahi” literally translates to mean royal and denotes the rich creamy Gravy that usually accompanies pieces of deep-fried dairy based cottage cheese in restaurants. My take on this popular recipe lightens the traditional dairy version by, using a mix of cashew nuts and coconut milk and, lightly oven baking the Tofu pieces to golden goodness.
We need,
- Tofu, sliced into triangles or cubes – 1 cup
- Oil – 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon for the marinade
- Coconut Milk – 1 cup
- Cashews, powdered to a fine meal – 1/4 cup
- Warm Water – 1 to 1.5 cup
- Tomato Paste – 2 tablespoons
- Ginger Chilli Paste – 1 teaspoon (Made by grinding an 1″ piece of Ginger with 1 medium green chilli)
- Kitchen King Masala – 2 teaspoons + 2 teaspoons, click here for the recipe
- Salt, to taste
- Fresh Coriander & Mint Leaves – 1/4 cup to make a paste
- Lemon Juice – 1 tablespoon
Directions,
- Prepare a tray with baking paper and preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
- While oven heats up, in a small bowl mix together 2 teaspoons of the Kitchen King spice powder, oil, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of coriander – mint leaf paste as marinade for the tofu. Toss together gently until the tofu is well covered.
- Spread the tofu pieces in a single layer on the baking tray and bake for 15 minutes, or until firm and golden. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
- In a deep sauce pan, heat remaining oil. Add the ginger-chilli paste and tomato paste. Cook on low heat until lightly cooked and the raw smell disappears.
- Season with salt and, mix in powdered cashew nut meal. Gradually add in coconut milk to make a thick gravy. Add warm water to adjust the consistency of the gravy to resemble thick tomato ketchup.
- Carefully add the tofu pieces into the pan. Spoon the gravy over all the pieces and simmer on low heat for 8 – 10 minutes.
Serve warm with Roomali Roti or Jeera Rice. Please click on the dishes to see their recipes. Happy cooking 😊
