Indian Tofu Lunch—Lunch for 2
Enjoy a delicious Indian-inspired lunch with this easy recipe for Indian Tofu Lunch. Featuring extra-firm tofu, yogurt, olive oil, and spices cooked with basmati rice and topped with fresh cilantro leaves, this healthy dish is sure to be a hit!
Do This With That Stuff
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- Cut the tofu into cubes and place in a bowl. Add the yogurt, olive oil, garam masala, cumin, turmeric, coriander, garlic, ginger, and onion to the bowl and mix until the tofu is evenly coated.
- Spread the tofu cubes onto a baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the cooked basmati rice. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the baked tofu cubes to the skillet and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Serve the tofu and rice with fresh cilantro leaves sprinkled on top. Enjoy!
Obvious and Not So Obvious Variations and Pairings
🍬 Sweet
Add a pinch of sugar, replace the olive oil with honey, or top with a drizzle of maple syrup.
🧂 Salty
Increase the garam masala, cumin, and turmeric to enhance the salty notes. Add a pinch of sea salt to the dish. Replace the plain yogurt with a Greek yogurt.
🍋 Sour
Increase the amount of yogurt, add a squeeze of lemon juice, or add a tablespoon of white vinegar.
☕ Bitter
Add a pinch of chili powder to enhance the bitter notes. Replace the olive oil with a tablespoon of ghee. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice for a zesty flavor.
🍄 Umami
Add 1 tsp of miso paste to the marinade, replace the yogurt with 1/2 cup of tamari, add 1/2 cup of mushrooms to the skillet.
🌶️ Spicy
Increase the amount of garam masala, cumin, and turmeric to enhance the spicy notes. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper for an extra kick.
🍸 Alcoholic
- Riesling: This light, crisp white wine would pair nicely with the dish due to its fruity and floral notes, which would complement the spices in the dish.
- Mango Margarita: The sweet and tart flavors of the mango margarita would pair well with the savory and spicy flavors of the dish.
- Ginger Beer: The spicy and sweet notes of the ginger beer would pair nicely with the spices in the dish and the ginger in the ingredients.
🥛 Non-Alcoholic
- Mango Lassi: This creamy and sweet yogurt-based drink would pair well with the savory and spicy flavors of the dish. The sweetness of the mango would balance out the heat of the garam masala and the creaminess of the lassi would complement the creamy yogurt in the dish.
- Coconut Water: The light and refreshing flavor of coconut water would be a great accompaniment to the flavors of this dish. The sweetness of the coconut water would contrast the savory flavors of the dish and the natural electrolytes in the coconut water would help to hydrate.
- Lemonade: The tart and sweet flavor of lemonade would be a great pairing for this dish. The acidity of the lemonade would cut through the richness of the dish and the sweetness would balance out the spices.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Artificial Intelligence created this—this means it may or may not be correct or accurate. If following a specific diet is critical to your health and well-being due to ailments or health conditions, please consult your doctor before trying any of these variations.
🍞 Keto
Replace basmati rice with cauliflower rice, use avocado oil instead of olive oil, and omit the yogurt.
🫒 Mediterranean
Replace yogurt with Greek yogurt, replace olive oil with extra-virgin olive oil, add olives, tomatoes, and feta cheese to the dish.
🥬 Vegetarian
Replace the yogurt with a vegan yogurt, replace the olive oil with vegetable oil, omit the cilantro leaves.
🥕 Vegan
Replace the yogurt with vegan yogurt, replace the olive oil with vegan butter, and replace the cilantro with vegan-friendly herbs.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Artificial Intelligence created this—this means the following may or may not be correct or accurate. If following a specific diet is critical to your health and well-being due to ailments or health conditions, please consult your doctor before trying any of these variations.
🍭 Diabetes
Replace olive oil with a low-fat cooking oil, reduce the amount of yogurt, and replace basmati rice with a low-GI alternative.
🩸 High Blood-Pressure
Replace olive oil with avocado oil, reduce garam masala to 1/2 tsp, omit cumin, reduce turmeric to 1/4 tsp, reduce coriander to 1/8 tsp, reduce garlic to 2 cloves, reduce ginger to 1/2 inch, reduce onion to 1/4 cup, reduce cilantro to 2 tbsp.
🧀 High Cholesterol
Replace olive oil with vegetable broth, replace yogurt with low-fat Greek yogurt, omit the cilantro.
🫀 Heart Disease
Replace olive oil with a heart-healthy oil such as avocado oil, reduce the amount of salt used, and replace yogurt with a low-fat alternative.
🫘 Kidney Disease
Replace olive oil with a low-sodium vegetable broth, use low-sodium soy sauce instead of yogurt, and omit the salt.
🧀 Liver Disease
Replace olive oil with vegetable broth, reduce garam masala and cumin, omit turmeric and coriander, replace garlic and ginger with garlic powder and ginger powder, and omit cilantro leaves.
🌾 Celiac
Replace the plain yogurt with a gluten-free yogurt, replace the basmati rice with a gluten-free rice, and omit the cilantro leaves.
🐄 Lactose Intolerant
Replace the yogurt with a lactose-free alternative and omit the cilantro leaves.
🌾 Gluten Intolerant
Replace plain yogurt with gluten-free yogurt, replace basmati rice with gluten-free rice, and omit cilantro leaves.
🌾 IBS
Replace olive oil with coconut oil, replace yogurt with a dairy-free alternative, replace basmati rice with quinoa, and add probiotic-rich foods such as sauerkraut or kimchi.
Beti’s Reflections
Are you in the mood for something delicious and easy to make? Look no further than this amazing Indian Tofu Lunch recipe! I had the pleasure of discovering this dish on a recent trip to India and it’s become a staple in my kitchen.
This quick and easy meal is an explosion of flavors and textures. The main ingredients are extra-firm tofu, plain yogurt, olive oil, garam masala, cumin, turmeric powder, ground coriander, garlic, ginger, and onion. The tofu cubes are then baked in the oven and mixed with cooked basmati rice. Topped with fresh cilantro leaves, this Indian-inspired dish is the perfect way to tantalize your taste buds.
To make this delicious lunch, start by preheating your oven to 400°F. Cut the block of extra-firm tofu into cubes and place in a bowl. In the same bowl, add the plain yogurt, olive oil, garam masala, cumin, turmeric powder, ground coriander, minced garlic, grated ginger, and diced onion. Mix everything together until the tofu is evenly coated. Spread the tofu cubes onto a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
While the tofu is baking, cook the basmati rice in a skillet according to the package instructions. Once the tofu is done baking, add it to the cooked rice and mix together. Serve the Indian Tofu Lunch in a bowl and top with fresh cilantro leaves.
The combination of extra-firm tofu, yogurt, olive oil, and spices creates a great base for the dish. Cooking the basmati rice in a skillet with the baked tofu cubes gives it a nice crunch, and topping it off with fresh cilantro leaves adds the perfect finishing touch.
This healthy Indian-inspired lunch is sure to be a hit with everyone in the household. It’s full of flavor and texture, yet it’s simple to make. Plus, it’s a great way to mix up your meal plan and enjoy something special without too much effort. Enjoy!

Human Interaction
Editors Note:
This recipe has not yet been reviewed by human editors.
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