Salli Boti
Salli Boti is a Parsi (western Indian) wedding curry made vegan with tofu. Crisped tofu is folded in a tangy spicy sauce and topped with airfried crispy potato strips! serve with rice, or roti.
Servings: 4
Equipment
- air fryer optional
Ingredients
For the Potato Salli
- 2 medium potatoes yellow or russet, peeled and chopped into slightly thicker than matchstick-sized strips
- 1 teaspoon oil
- generous pinch of salt
For the Tofu Meat
- 14 ounces firm or extra firm tofu pressed for at least 15 minutes and torn into 3/4” organic shapes
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder or cayenne for more heat
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
For the Sauce
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 green cardamom pod partially opened
- 1 1/2 cups chopped red onion
- 1/2 teaspoon salt divided
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste or mince 3 cloves of garlic and 1/2” piece of ginger
- 1 cup chopped tomato
To Add Later
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 cup non-dairy yogurt or use non-dairy cream of choice, like cashew cream
- 1/2 to 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 cup water or non-dairy milk
- chopped cilantro, lemon juice, chopped or pickled onion for topping
Instructions
Make the Salli
- Peel and chop or shred your potatoes, if you haven't already. Then, in a large bowl, add 3 to 4 cups of water and a teaspoon of salt, and put all the shredded or chopped potatoes in the water to soak for 5 minutes. Drain them in a strainer, and put them on a paper towel to soak out that excess moisture.
- Sprinkle a teaspoon of oil and a pinch of salt over the somewhat dried up potato strips. Toss well, then transfer them to an air fryer, and air fry at 390° F (199° C) (bake at 410° F(210 C) for 8 minutes. Take them out, move them around a little bit, and air fry again for about 4 to 6 minutes, depending on the thickness of the strips. You just want them to be somewhat brown on the edges and cooked through. You can also deep fry these until golden and then set aside.
- Crisp the tofu.
- Press the tofu for at least 15 minutes, then tear into organic shapes. Add to a bowl, add the oil, and toss well to coat.
- In a small bowl, mix the garlic powder, black pepper, Kashmiri chili powder, and cornstarch until well combined. Sprinkle the mixture all over the tofu, tossing well to coat.
- To bake: Spread the tofu on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 400° F (205° F) for 20 to 25 minutes. To pan fry: add a teaspoon of oil to a skillet over medium high heat, then add the tofu. Cook, flipping occasionally, until the tofu is crisp on most of the edges, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Make the sauce.
- In the same skillet, add the teaspoon of oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the bay leaves, cinnamon stick, and green cardamom pod. Mix well, and let the cinnamon stick get fragrant. (You can also add in 1 or 2 whole cloves for flavor variation here.)
- Add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Mix well and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden brown. Add splashes of water in between to help conduct the heat evenly and help the onion brown evenly, about 6 to 8 to eight minutes.
- Add in all of the ground spices and mix for a few seconds. Then, add the ginger garlic paste or the minced ginger garlic, and mix in. If you add the paste, it will start to splash because of the heat of the skillet. Add in a bit of water to help calm it down a little bit. If using minced ginger and garlic, cook for 2 minutes, but you can move on immediately if you’re using the paste.
- Mix in the tomato and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Continue to cook until the tomato is jammy, pressing and breaking up the larger pieces, about 5 to 6 minutes. Then, mix in the vinegar, sugar, non-dairy yogurt, and garam masala, and bring to a boil. Stir in a cup of water or non-dairy milk(some non dairy milks might curdle so I prefer water or stock). Bring to a boil, and taste and adjust salt and flavor. Add in more salt, if you like, and more vinegar for more tang, if needed. You can also add in more heat, but there should be a good amount with the Kashmiri chili powder in there.
- Add the tofu to the skillet, tossing it well to coat, then reduce the heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, and serve garnished with the cilantro, lemon juice, and chopped onion or pickled onion and topped with the crispy potato strips. You can also serve some mint chutney to top this curry. Salli boti is absolutely delicious with roti, flatbread, naan, or rice.
Video
Notes
If the sauce is thickening too much, mix in a bit more water.
Salli boti is naturally gluten-free, and it’s nut-free as long as you use nut-free non-dairy yogurt and milk.
To make it soy-free, use soy-free non-dairy yogurt and milk and use a soy-free protein in place of the tofu, such as chickpeas, chickpea tofu, pumpkin seed tofu, seitan, or other soy-free vegan chicken substitutes.
If using seitan, simmer in the sauce for at least 15 minutes. If using soy curls, add another cup of water to the sauce, and simmer in the sauce for up to 15 minutes.
If using seitan, simmer in the sauce for at least 15 minutes. If using soy curls, add another cup of water to the sauce, and simmer in the sauce for up to 15 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 224kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 330mg | Potassium: 446mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 694IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 188mg | Iron: 2mg