Step 1

Bake the tofu: Press the tofu for atleast 15 mins. Then use your hands to tear the tofu into bite sized pieces so that they are organically shaped. Add to a bowl.

Step 2

Mix the garlic powder, paprika and poultry seasoning(if using) into the corn starch. Then sprinkle all over the tofu, toss well to coat. Spread this tofu on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then bake at 400F (205C) for 20-25 minutes.

Step 3

Crush the spices. Add the cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom pod, black peppercorns to a mortar and pestle and crush to make a coarse mixture. You can also put them in a spice blender and pulse. We want the spices to be coarsely broken down and not powder.

Step 4

Make the sauce: Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot add the crushed spices, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and cook until the bay leaves start to turn brown and the spices are fragrant.

Step 5

Then add the onion and a good pinch of salt and cook until the onion is golden. Depending on your pan you might need to sprinkle a little bit of water every now and then to deglaze, as well as to help the onions brown. Sometimes the onions don’t have enough moisture so you’ll want some moisture for the heat conduction from the pan into the onions and they’ll brown evenly. (5-8 mins)

Step 6

Once they are starting to get golden, add in the green chili and the ginger garlic paste, then mix well and continue to cook for a minute or two, then add in the garam masala and Kashmiri chili powder or paprika.

Step 7

Stir really well, then add the tomatoes, salt and mix well and cook until the tomatoes are really jammy. Add sprinkles of water in between to help the tomatoes cook evenly. 5-7 mins. Mash the large pieces and continue to cook. Once the tomatoes are jammy, add ½ a cup to ¾ of water and mix well.

Step 8

Once the mixture starts to come to a boil, taste and adjust the salt and flavor in the sauce. Then add the baked tofu and toss well to coat.

Step 9

Let it simmer for a minute or two then switch off the heat. We simmer the tofu just for a minute so that it stays somewhat crisp. Garnish with cilantro, and serve with some flat bread, Naan, garlic bread or rice.