Creamy Vegan Mango Tofu Curry (High Protein & Easy to Make)
In today’s column, Seiran Poon switches things up a little and talks about fruit for a change! Her creamy vegan mango tofu curry recipe is an excellent example of showcasing this fruit’s potential in a savory dish.
Table of Contents
Sweet Meets savory – Why Mangoes are The Perfect Fruit For Curries
This week’s ‘All About the Veg’ is all about the fruit! It’s no wonder that mango, with its characteristic floral fragrance, and sweet, soft, and juicy flesh, is one of the most popular fruits in the world. Nothing beats the first bite of a juicy ripe mango; it’s a joy for all your senses. They’re also full of vitamins and fiber.
Mangoes were first grown in India over 5,000 years ago, so sharing a delicious Indian-style recipe for this week’s column seems fitting. And even though the star ingredient is mango, it’s not a particularly fruity dish.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Mango Tofu Curry
We’re cooking this creamy vegan mango tofu curry with lots of aromatic Indian spices and creamy coconut milk that complements the sweetness of the mango really well. We’re also adding spinach to get our greens in, and a squeeze of lime will help balance the sweetness. I’m using Kashmiri chili for moderate heat in this recipe, which I find works very well with mango curry. But you can always add more or use other chili powders for more heat.
How To Pick The Perfect Mango
Before jumping into the recipe, I just want to share a tip on picking a ripe mango. There are so many different varieties of mangoes, so judging ripeness based on color is not always accurate; instead, it’s better to feel the mango. If it’s perfectly ripe, it will give a little. You don’t want it to be too soft or mushy. If it’s hard, it’s not ripe; however, unripe mangoes can ripen if you place them on the kitchen counter for a few days.
This dish is truly a family and friends’ favorite. I love serving it when having guests over, and the feedback is always something like, “this could be served at a restaurant!”. The best part is that it only takes something like 30 minutes to prepare this flavorful dish. I hope you’ll enjoy it!
Vegan Mango Tofu Curry – RECIPE CARD
Use this recipe card to save, pin, or print this creamy vegan mango tofu curry recipe. For additional information about this dish, be sure to read the full article above.
Creamy Vegan Mango Tofu Curry
Ingredients
For the Curry
- 1 large mango - ripe, peeled and cut into chunks (can be substituted with frozen and thawed mango, but fresh ripe mango is preferred)
- 5 fl.oz water
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 garlic cloves - minced
- 1 inch ginger - minced
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 14 ounces unsweetened coconut milk - canned
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 pinch salt - or more, to taste
- 4.5 ounces fresh spinach
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro - (coriander leaves) roughly chopped
- 1/2 lime - juiced, or more to taste
For the Tofu
- 14 ounces extra firm tofu - pressed for 1-4 hours or overnight & drained (see notes)
- 1 ½ tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 pinch salt - or more, to taste
Toppings
- 1 handful Cilantro - (coriander leaves), or to taste
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened dairy-free yogurt
- 2 teaspoons nigella seeds - or to taste
To Serve
- 4 servings Basmati rice - cooked, or Indian Naan
Instructions
To Make the Tofu
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF/200ºC.
- Cut the tofu into cubes or small chunks. Drizzle with oil, then toss with garam masala, turmeric, cornstarch, and salt until well coated.
- Spread out evenly on a lined oven sheet and bake for 15 minutes, then flip and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until golden brown.
To Make the Curry
- While the tofu is baking, blend the mango and water until smooth, and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large pan, add cumin seeds, fennel seeds, and cinnamon stick, and cook for 1 minute over medium-high heat without burning them. Add the ginger and garlic, stir fry for 1 minute, then add coriander, ground cumin, turmeric, and chili powder, and stir-fry for another 30 seconds.
- Add the mango puré, coconut milk, garam masala, and salt, and stir well. Let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add some water if needed.
Assemble and Serve
- Add spinach, coriander, and lime juice. When spinach is just wilted, add tofu, stir well and adjust seasoning (salt/lime/chili) to taste if needed and then remove from heat.
- Serve with Basmati rice and/or Indian naan and top curry with coriander leaves, vegan yogurt, and nigella seeds.
Equipment
Notes
- To press tofu, use a tofu press or place tofu in a shallow bowl or plate, place an inverted plate on top and a heavy object on top. If pressing overnight, place in the fridge.
Recipe, text, and photography by Seiran Poon.
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More Vegan Recipes You Might Like
If you enjoyed this vegan mango tofu curry recipe, you might also like the following vegan recipes. For more recipes by Seiran Poon, be sure to browse her other All About the Veg! Recipes and check out her blog and social media channels.
- Thai Curry Udon Noodle Soup
- Spinach Chickpea & Tofu Curry
- Vegan Sweet Potato Coconut Curry
- High Protein Vegan Pumpkin Curry with Tofu
Thank you for sharing such a delicious-looking recipe! I always struggle to find flavorful tofu dishes. This looks so good! I might even add some chickpeas to mine for extra protein.