Paneer ghee roast is a popular dish from Mangalorean, South Indian cuisine. This vegan version pairs roasted vegetables and tofu with a bold onion, chili, and black pepper sauce. It’s delicious served as a curry, bowl, or wrap. Gluten-free and nut-free with an easy soy-free option.
Paneer ghee roast is a bold, spicy South Indian dish known for its fiery color, deep roasted flavors from spices and it is roasted in ghee (which is clarified butter). Traditional versions often use Byadgi chilies, but since they can be harder to find, this recipe uses Kashmiri chili powder instead.
Mangalorean cuisine comes from the coastal city of Mangalore and reflects influences from the states of Karnataka, Kerala, and their Portuguese cooking traditions. While many classic Mangalorean dishes are centered around meat or seafood, this vegan version swaps tofu for paneer and adds roasted vegetables for extra flavor, texture, and heartiness.
I have been exploring many regional and specific Indian cuisines to bring you these curry recipes, make vegan versions of them, and use them as inspiration.
For this ghee roast, instead of marinating a meat substitute and cooking it in the sauce, I toss tofu and vegetables in the marinade and roast them until flavorful and caramelized. Then I pair them with a delicious, super spicy ghee roast-style sauce for a veggie-forward vegan take on paneer ghee roast.
You can serve this ghee roast different ways—not just in a curry format. Of course, you can mix it all together, like other Indian curries. But you can also layer this into a bowl by spreading the sauce on the bottom, topping it with roasted vegetables and tofu and the sauce, then drizzling it with some yogurt and adding fresh, crunchy veggies.
The yogurt is definitely needed with the sauce, because it is going to be spicy.
To adjust the heat level, reduce the black pepper and Kashmiri chilies. Depending on the brand, Kashmiri chilies might be super mild or have more heat. Depending on your preference, you can add more heat by adding cayenne. The black pepper gives this vegan paneer ghee roast a latent heat, so you shouldn’t add cayenne immediately. Taste the sauce first, then adjust.
I also use some whole spices in this recipe. If you don’t have them, you can use ground versions, which are mentioned in the recipe notes.
Why You’ll Love Paneer Ghee Roast
- super hot and spicy, veggie packed entree
- versatile! Serve as a curry, a layered bowl, or a wrap
- make-ahead friendly. Flavor deepens with time.
- naturally gluten-free and nut-free with easy soy-free option
For the Tofu and Vegetables
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Make the spice paste.
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Add the cumin seeds, fennel seeds, black peppercorns, and fenugreek seeds to a small skillet over medium heat. Toast them until the fennel seeds start to change color, about 30 seconds to 1 minute, depending on your stove and skillet. Remove from heat. Toasting is optional, but it brings out the flavors of the spices.
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Add the toasted spices to a blender along with Kashmiri chili powder, coriander powder, garlic, tamarind, yogurt, salt, and about ¾ cup of water. Blend the mixture until the spices are broken down. Blend for 1 minutes, let the mixture sit for 2–3 minutes, then blend again for another 30 seconds or so. The paste is also your marinade for the tofu and veggies. (You can also grind these spices in a coffee grinder and then blend).
Prepare the tofu ‘paneer’ and vegetables
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Preheat the oven to 410°F (210°C).
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Tear the pressed tofu into bite-sized pieces. You want the tofu and cauliflower to be similar sizes. Cut the potatoes slightly smaller, because they take longer to cook. Chop the carrots small, because thicker cut carrots will take much longer to cook. Chop the mushrooms to be the same size as the potatoes. In a bowl, add the chopped vegetables and Tofu.
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Add half of the spice paste mixture to the bowl with the tofu and vegetables. Add a little salt and 2 teaspoons of the oil. Toss well to coat everything with the marinade. Spread the mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked.
Meanwhile, make the sauce.
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Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the remaining oil. Once hot, mix in the onions, curry leaves, and salt. Let it sit undisturbed for 1 to 2 minutes, then stir. Add splashes of water to help the onions cook evenly. You can also cover the skillet with a lid after the first 4 minutes or so to help the onions cook faster. You want to stir the onions frequently to prevent burning and sticking.
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Once the onion turns golden brown, reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining spice paste. Rinse the blender with a few tablespoons of water and add that to the skillet, as well. Mix well, bring to a boil, and simmer for another few minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt, more yogurt for more creaminess and to control the heat, more water for saucier and/or lemon juice for tang. You can also adjust the consistency, adding water to make it saucier. Bring to a boil and let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
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When the veggies are done, remove them from the oven, and serve. There are several ways to serve this. To serve as a curry: Fold the roasted tofu and vegetables into the sauce, lightly toss to coat, cover with a lid, and simmer for a minute. Serve with rice, quinoa, naan, flatbread, or sourdough. To serve as a layered bowl: Layer rice or quinoa and the roasted tofu and veggies, drizzle the sauce, and sprinkle with seeds of choice, like sesame seeds or hemp seeds. To make wraps: Add roasted tofu and veggies to pita or naan, drizzle with sauce and yogurt, and top with crunchy cucumber and lettuce.
This has amazingly deep flavors that meld and get stronger as the sauce sits. Depending on how sensitive you are to the heat from black pepper, the sauce may seem like it mellows or gets hotter with time.
This recipe is naturally gluten-free, and it’s nut-free as long as you use a nut-free non-dairy yogurt. For a soy-free version, replace tofu with chickpea tofu, pumpkin seed tofu, seitan, jackfruit, white beans, or chickpeas. If you use beans, marinate and roast them with the veggies, then add them into the sauce.
When doubling or tripling the recipe, do not fully double or triple the heat level. For doubling, for example, instead of using 4 tablespoons Kashmiri chili powder, use 3 1/2 tablespoons. The same goes for the black pepper.
Calories: 240kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Sodium: 656mg, Potassium: 889mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 3891IU, Vitamin C: 170mg, Calcium: 161mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
