D04 · Dinner · West Bengal
Chilli Tofu with Vegetables
Kolkata's Indo-Chinese chilli dish, made with lightly coated, pan-seared tofu instead of deep-fried paneer: glossy, garlicky, hot and sour, ready in 25 minutes.
- Region
- West Bengal (Kolkata Indo-Chinese)
- Diet
- Strictly vegetarian, egg-free
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Time, as written
- Press 15 min · Prep 10 min · Cook 15 min
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Status
- Adaptation — tofu in place of paneer; pan-seared, not deep-fried
- Good for
- Quick weeknight dinner
Nutrition
High protein| Per serving | kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Sat fat | Fibre | Sugars | Protein per 100 kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chilli tofu only (about 280 g) | 305 | 21 g | 17 g | 16 g | 3 g | 5 g | 5 g | 7.0 g |
| Dinner plate: chilli tofu, 40 g raw rice (steamed) | 445 | 25 g | 49 g | 16 g | 3 g | 6 g | 6 g | 5.5 g |
Headline figures are for the full plate as served, with its stated roti, rice or bhakri; the dish alone is shown in the table.
Tier: High protein. Soy and chilli sauces are high in salt: about 0.5 g sodium per serving from the sauces, so no extra salt is added. Tofu, soy sauce and cornflour use label or USDA values. Values checked against IFCT 2017 on 14 Oct 2026.
Values are estimates calculated from the listed ingredients and quantities (IFCT 2017 and product labels), not laboratory measurements. How the numbers were calculated.
Ingredients
Sauce
Plate
Method
Press tofu between kitchen towels under a heavy pan for 15 minutes; cube.
Toss tofu with 10 g cornflour. Sear in 6 g oil in a wide non-stick pan on medium-high, turning, for 6–7 minutes until golden on all sides. Remove.
Turn the heat to high. Add the remaining oil, garlic, ginger and chillies; stir 30 seconds.
Add onion and capsicum; stir-fry 2 minutes so they stay crunchy.
Add soy sauce, chilli sauce and vinegar, then the cornflour slurry. Stir until the sauce turns glossy and thick (about 1 minute).
Return the tofu, toss to coat, and finish with spring onion and pepper. Serve at once with rice.
Protein optimisation
- Where the protein comes from
- Tofu supplies 19 g per serving; vegetables and soy sauce 2 g; rice 3 g on the plate.
- Boost
- Add 100 g edamame or green peas with the capsicum (+3–5 g protein, +50–60 kcal per serving).
Variations, serving and storage
- Regional
- Kolkata gravy style — add 150 ml water with the slurry for a saucier dish to eat with hakka noodles.
- Substitution
- Paneer for tofu (chilli paneer; adds about 70 kcal and 8 g fat per serving); tamari for a gluten-free version.
- Lower-sodium
- Use half the soy sauce and add 1 tsp extra vinegar.
- Storage
- Best fresh; 1 day refrigerated.
- Food safety
- Keep opened tofu in fresh water, refrigerated, and use within 3 days.
- Meal prep
- Chop vegetables and press tofu ahead.
Allergens
Soy (tofu, soy sauce); gluten (most soy sauces contain wheat)
Labels: High protein · Quick · Dairy-free · Whey-free