Instant Pot Tofu Curry (Indian)

A bowl of Instant pot tofu curry is on the plate.

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5 from 10 votes

This Instant Pot Tofu Curry can be made in just 20 minutes and is packed with taste, protein, and flavor!

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Vegan

Allergen: Dairy free, Gluten free

Difficulty: Easy

Servings:

Calories: 208kcal

Author: Uma Raghupathi

Equipment

Instant Pot

Ingredients

14 oz firm tofu
2 large bell pepper chopped
1 red onion chopped
2 medium size tomatoes
½ teaspoon red chili powder
½ teaspoon Garam Masala
1 teaspoon coriander powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon cumin powder
2 tablespoon olive oil
¼ teaspoon fenugreek dry leaves
2 teaspoon cilantro optional
2 tablespoon cashews
½ inch ginger
2 garlic cloves finely chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

First, wrap the tofu in a clean kitchen towel or paper towels and set it on a plate. Place a heavy object, like a can of beans, or cast iron pan on top of the tofu and let it sit for 15 minutes.
14 oz firm tofu
This will help remove excess water from the tofu so that it can better absorb the flavors of the curry sauce. Then, cut the tofu into small cubes.
Prepare the tomato puree - Add the chopped tomatoes, ginger, 4-5 tofu cubes, and soaked cashews (soak in warm water for 10 minutes to soften) and blend into a smooth puree.
2 medium size tomatoes, 2 tablespoon cashews, ½ inch ginger
Then Start by pressing the saute button on your Instant Pot. Add the oil to the pot and heat until hot. Then, add the chopped garlic and onions and cook until they're translucent. (see above for step by step pictures)
2 tablespoon olive oil, 2 garlic cloves, 1 red onion chopped
Next, add the chopped bell pepper (make sure it matches with cubes of tofu) spices and continue to cook in saute mode for a minute.
2 large bell pepper, ½ teaspoon red chili powder, ½ teaspoon Garam Masala, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder
Next, add cubed tofu and tomato puree. Then add ¼ cup of water. Stir well and make sure all the tofu is coated with the sauce. (see above for step by step pictures)
Now, close the Instant Pot lid and make sure the valve is set to "sealing." Cook on high pressure for 0 minutes(yes, zero minutes!).
Once the Instant Pot is done cooking, Open it after natural pressure release.
Add Kasuri methi and stir well.
¼ teaspoon fenugreek dry leaves
Now, Instant Pot Tofu Curry is ready to serve! Serve it over steamed rice or phulka roti.

Video

Notes

Always scrape the bottom of the Instant Pot after adding the spices. This will prevent the "burn" sign from coming on.
I like to add a little bit of sugar to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes. But this is optional. You could also add brown sugar at the end if you prefer it sweeter.
Add more water if the curry is too thick for your liking.
You can skip the bell peppers if you want. Substitute them with variations like baby corn or bamboo shoots.
The pressure cooking time setting is zero minutes only when you use a natural pressure release option. Do not use that setting and the quick-release option.
If you want a little bit of heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or red chili flakes to the curry.

Nutrition