Friday, July 10, 2026
Homevegan FoodTriple Chilli Chilli Cheese Toast with Crispy Lime Tempeh

Triple Chilli Chilli Cheese Toast with Crispy Lime Tempeh


This spin on Indian chilli cheese toast is completely decadent and scrumptious. It’s form of like an Indian-inspired jalapeño popper cheese toast! Every toast has 10-15gm Protein, and prepared in quarter-hour!

Indian chilli cheese toasts on a cutting board

That is one other recipe in my sequence of wonderful, hearty summer season sandwiches impressed by common Indian sandwiches. I’m reimagining these sandwiches or elements from these sandwiches. The purpose is to create sandwiches with plenty of texture and taste whereas additionally making them hearty, excessive in protein and fiber, simple to make, and excellent for a straightforward summer season lunch. These toasts boast 10 to 16 rams of protein and 5 to 7 grams of fiber per toast!

hands holding a slice of chilli cheese toast before topping

Don’t miss the opposite sandwiches on this sequence: my coconut tofu sandwich and curry leaf tofu sandwich!

Indian chilli cheese toast is often quite simple. It doesn’t have something aside from inexperienced chillies and cheese, generally with a couple of veg like onion and peppers, herbs, and seasonings. The 2 primary components are shredded cheese and inexperienced chillies. It doesn’t have any bean chili. That is all about inexperienced chilli.

sprinkling the crispy tempeh topping onto the Indian chilli cheese toasts

That mixture of inexperienced chillies, cheese, salt, pepper, and chaat masala tastes unimaginable, so I took that concept and added tofu for additional protein and quantity. I additionally added dietary yeast for extra taste and protein and hemp seeds for much more protein. Then, I added a beneficiant quantity of inexperienced chillies, piled every thing onto toasted sourdough, and broiled it.

More often than not concerned is solely chopping the greens and inexperienced chillies and crumbling the tofu. After that, it solely takes about three minutes underneath the broiler.

I additionally make a crispy tempeh and garlic topping to degree up the feel and taste and add much more protein. The crispy garlic is extremely scrumptious on prime. I add Kashmiri chili powder to the tempeh for colour and that deep Kashmiri chili taste, together with lime zest. All of those taste mixtures are simply heavenly.

Indian chilli cheese toasts on a cutting board

Relying on the dimensions of your toast and the way a lot filling you employ, you will get wherever from 10 grams of protein as much as 16 grams of protein per slice. It additionally is determined by the bread you’re utilizing. Entire grain bread often has much more protein! If you wish to hold it gluten-free, use gluten-free bread, a gluten-free tortilla, or my almond flour gluten-free naan as the bottom.

You may broil these chilli cheese toasts, air fry them, and even put them on a grill. This recipe is crispy, tacky, spicy, zesty, and full of unimaginable taste and texture. It’s a fully fabulous mixture. You want these cheese toasts in your life! And see recipe notes for extra taste mixtures!

Indian chilli cheese toasts on a cutting board with some sliced in half

Why You’ll Love Chilli Cheese Toasts

  • crisp bread topped with creamy chilli-cheese combination that turns golden brown within the oven
  • crispy, savory, tangy crumbled lime tempeh topping provides much more taste and texture!
  • simple to make forward and assemble as wanted
  • simply made gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free

For the Tofu Chilli Cheese Combination

  • 7 ounces additional agency tofu, pressed for quarter-hour
  • 1 cup vegan cheese shreds, reminiscent of mozzarella or a mixture of mozzarella and cheddar
  • 1 tablespoon dietary yeast, or extra, to style
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 inexperienced chillies, finely chopped, reminiscent of serrano or Indian inexperienced chillies
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped pink bell pepper
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped pink onion, or extra, to style
  • 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped greens, reminiscent of spinach or child kale, or 1/4 cup frozen spinach
  • 2 tablespoons hemp seeds, or extra, to style
  • 1/4 teaspoon pink pepper flakes, non-compulsory, or extra, to style
  • 1/2 teaspoon chaat masala mix, or use lime zest or 1/8 teaspoon kala namak
  • 1/2 cup non-dairy yogurt, cashew cream, or blended silken tofu
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano, non-compulsory
  • lime juice, as wanted

For Topping the Cheese Toast

For the Crispy Chilli Lime Tempeh

Stop your display screen from going darkish

Make the chilli cheese combination.

  • Crumble the tofu right into a bowl, then use a fork to interrupt it down additional, so there aren’t any giant chunks remaining. In case you are utilizing miso, combine 1 to 2 teaspoons miso into the yogurt earlier than including it to the combination. Add the entire remaining chilli cheese combination components, and blend very properly. Press and blend so the cheese is evenly distributed all through the tofu combination.

  • If the combination appears dry, add a little bit extra non-dairy yogurt or a squeeze of lime juice. Style and alter the seasoning. If you would like a cheesier taste, add extra dietary yeast. Set the combination apart and slice one other inexperienced chilli for topping. This combine might be refrigerated for as much as three days.

Assemble the toasts (see notes for a grilled cheese model!).

  • Evenly toast the bread slices. You don’t need them deeply browned, however you do need a little bit crispness. This helps stop the bread from changing into soggy as soon as topped. Unfold the chilli cheese combination generously onto every slice. For a heartier meal, use a thick layer. For snack-sized toasts, use a thinner layer. High with a little bit extra vegan cheese, then add sliced inexperienced chillies and some drops of oil over the chillies.

  • Preheat the oven to 450° F (232° C). As soon as preheated, change to low broil. Relying in your oven, this can be round 500° to 525° F (260° to 275° C). Place the ready toasts immediately on a clear baking sheet. Don’t use parchment paper, as it could burn underneath the broiler.

  • Broil for about 2 minutes, then test. If the cheese has not absolutely melted and began browning, proceed broiling for one more 1 to 2 minutes. As soon as the cheese is melted, golden, and the perimeters of the toast are flippantly browned, take away from the oven.

  • Airfry: air fry at 370deg F(190 c) for 6-8 minutes

In the meantime, make the crispy chilli lime tempeh.

  • Warmth a small skillet over medium warmth and add the oil. As soon as the oil is scorching, scale back the warmth to medium-low and add the garlic. Prepare dinner, stirring regularly, till the garlic is crispy and golden, about 2 minutes. Take away the garlic and put aside.

  • In the identical skillet, add the tempeh and improve the warmth to medium. Prepare dinner till golden brown, stirring each minute or so. This could take 4 to six minutes, relying in your skillet and range.

  • Add the garlic again to the skillet, and blend properly. Flip off the warmth, and instantly add the salt, lime zest, and Kashmiri chilli powder. Toss to coat. Switch the tempeh combination to a bowl so it does not proceed cooking and lose the recent lime zest taste, and check out to not snack on all of it earlier than serving.

  • High the chilli cheese toasts with the crispy tempeh and garlic combination, and serve instantly.

For a grilled cheese model: Assemble the sandwich as directed, however add one other slice of bread on prime. Warmth a frying pan on medium warmth, and add some oil. As soon as the oil is scorching, add the closed sandwich, and cook dinner 3 to 4 minutes per facet, till the bread is good and toasty.
Taste variations:

  • Gochujang: add gochujang to the combination, omit spiced and a few inexperienced chilies. For topping, combine a tsp gochujang both sliced onion. High the toasts after which air fry for caramelized onion on prime
  • Mediterranean: add in some chopped olives, pepperoncini peppers, Italian herbs, and blend in. High with recent basil, and olives after air frying. 

Ideas:

  • Finely chop the entire greens, as a result of in any other case they don’t actually cook dinner throughout broiling. You need them to soften into the tofu cheese combination relatively than stay in giant chunks.
  • Positively add some greens. Finely chopped spinach or kale works superbly on this recipe and simply blends into all of the herbs and greens.
  • To make the toast much less spicy, omit the pepper flakes and use delicate inexperienced chillies, reminiscent of Anaheim peppers.
  • As a substitute of yogurt, you possibly can mix 1 cup silken tofu till clean and use that. It’s also possible to mix 1/2 cup soaked cashews with 1/2 cup water till creamy and use that as an alternative.
  • For those who don’t wish to use vegan cheese shreds, you should use my vegan mozzarella from the Margherita pizza recipe. As soon as the mozzarella has thickened, combine it into the tofu and vegetable combination. It’s also possible to dot the tops of the toasts with small dollops of the mozzarella, which is able to brown superbly underneath the broiler.

This recipe is nut-free if you happen to use a nut-free non-dairy yogurt. For soy-free, use chickpea flour tofu and change the tempeh with finely chopped seitan. It’s gluten-free if you happen to use gluten-free bread, a gluten-free tortilla, or my almond flour naan.
Make forward: You can also make the filling forward of time and use it as wanted to make toast. Don’t unfold it onto the bread forward of time, as a result of the bread will take in moisture and change into soggy. Simply make the filling and retailer it within the fridge for upto 3 days. so you possibly can have the toast prepared in 3 to 4 minutes. The crispy tempeh will also be refrigerated for as much as 3 days.

Energy: 353kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 16g, Fats: 21g, Saturated Fats: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fats: 5g, Monounsaturated Fats: 4g, Sodium: 670mg, Potassium: 306mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 615IU, Vitamin C: 24mg, Calcium: 144mg, Iron: 4mg

Diet info is routinely calculated, so ought to solely be used as an approximation.

Indian chilli cheese toasts ingredients before prepping

Elements and substitutes

  • tofu – Use additional agency tofu, and press it for quarter-hour. For soy-free, use my chickpea flour tofu or use cooked chickpeas or white beans
  • vegan cheese shreds – Mozzarella or a mixture of mozzarella and cheddar will each work. Select soy-free and/or nut-free cheese, if wanted. Or, you should use my vegan mozzarella from the Margherita pizza recipe, if you happen to don’t wish to use store-bought vegan cheese. We’re additionally topping the toasts with a little bit additional cheese.
  • dietary yeast – Provides a tacky taste to the tofu combination.
  • floor spices – For the cheese combination, you want black pepper, pepper flakes, chaat masala (or a mixture of lime zest and Indian black salt), and a few dried oregano. We’re utilizing Kashmiri chili powder within the chilli lime tempeh, as properly.
  • aromatics – For the tofu chilli cheese combination, you want scorching inexperienced chillies (like Serrano or Indian) and pink onion. A sliced inexperienced chilli additionally tops the toast. The chilli lime tempeh makes use of recent garlic.
  • veggies and herbs – The cheese combination makes use of finely chopped bell pepper, cilantro, and greens of selection.
  • hemp seeds – Provides protein to the cheese combination.
  • non-dairy yogurt – Makes the cheese combination even creamier! You should use cashew cream or blended silken tofu as an alternative, if you happen to choose. Select a soy-free and/or nut-free cream component, if wanted.
  • lime – It’s possible you’ll wish to add some lime juice to the tofu combination, and lime zest provides the crispy tempeh an incredible taste!
  • bread – Use , bakery bread like sourdough or multigrain. Gluten-free is okay to make use of, or you should use my gluten-free almond flour naan.
  • tempeh – For the topping. You may grate, crumble, or finely chop it.
  • oil – To assist the toasts brown and to crisp up the tempeh and garlic within the pan.
Indian chilli cheese toasts ingredients after prepping

💡Ideas

  • You don’t need any giant chunks of tofu within the cheese combination. A bit of texture is okay, however small items solely.
  • The miso is non-compulsory within the cheese sauce however provides a ton of umami! Use soy-free miso, if wanted.
  • Toasting the bread slices earlier than topping and broiling prevents it from getting soggy.
  • We take away the garlic from the pan whereas making the chilli lime tempeh, then put it again in close to the top of cooking. This makes a garlic oil to infuse the tempeh with taste!
  • Finely chop the entire greens, as a result of in any other case they don’t actually cook dinner throughout broiling. You need them to soften into the tofu cheese combination relatively than stay in giant chunks.
  • Positively add some greens. Finely chopped spinach or kale works superbly on this recipe and simply blends into all of the herbs and greens.
  • To make the toast much less spicy, omit the pepper flakes and use delicate inexperienced chillies, reminiscent of Anaheim peppers.
  • It’s also possible to make these as grilled sandwiches. Nonetheless, as a result of the filling is kind of voluminous, it doesn’t stick collectively as properly and received’t get as crispy. I choose making them as open-faced sandwiches.

How you can Make Chilli Cheese Toasts

Crumble the tofu right into a bowl, then use a fork to interrupt it down additional, so there aren’t any giant chunks remaining. In case you are utilizing miso, combine 1 to 2 teaspoons miso into the yogurt earlier than including it to the combination. Add the entire remaining chilli cheese combination components, and blend very properly. Press and blend so the cheese is evenly distributed all through the tofu combination.

If the combination appears dry, add a little bit extra non-dairy yogurt or a squeeze of lime juice. Style and alter the seasoning. If you would like a cheesier taste, add extra dietary yeast. Set the combination apart and slice one other inexperienced chilli for topping.

mashing the tofu
adding the rest of the chilli cheese ingredients to the tofu

Evenly toast the bread slices. You don’t need them deeply browned, however you do need a little bit crispness. This helps stop the bread from changing into soggy as soon as topped. Unfold the chilli cheese combination generously onto every slice. For a heartier meal, use a thick layer. For snack-sized toasts, use a thinner layer. High with a little bit extra vegan cheese, then add sliced inexperienced chillies and some drops of oil over the chillies.

Preheat the oven to 450° F (232° C). As soon as preheated, change to low broil. Relying in your oven, this can be round 500° to 525° F (260° to 275° C). Place the ready toasts immediately on a clear baking sheet. Don’t use parchment paper, as it could burn underneath the broiler.

spreading the tofu mixture onto the bread
chilli cheese toasts topped with cheese shreds and sliced green chillies

Broil for about 2 minutes, then test. If the cheese has not absolutely melted and began browning, proceed broiling for one more 1 to 2 minutes. As soon as the cheese is melted, golden, and the perimeters of the toast are flippantly browned, take away from the oven.

chilli cheese toasts on the baking sheet after baking

In the meantime, warmth a small skillet over medium warmth and add the oil. As soon as the oil is scorching, scale back the warmth to medium-low and add the garlic. Prepare dinner, stirring regularly, till the garlic is crispy and golden, about 2 minutes. Take away the garlic and put aside.

In the identical skillet, add the tempeh and improve the warmth to medium. Prepare dinner till golden brown, stirring each minute or so. This could take 4 to six minutes, relying in your skillet and range.

adding crumbled tempeh to the pan
adding sliced garlic to the crumbled tempeh

Add the garlic again to the skillet, and blend properly. Flip off the warmth, and instantly add the salt, lime zest, and Kashmiri chilli powder. Toss to coat. Switch the tempeh combination to a bowl so it doesn’t proceed cooking and lose the recent lime zest taste, and check out to not snack on all of it earlier than serving.

grating lime zest over the cooked tempeh and garlic
adding spices to the crispy lime tempeh
crispy chili lime tempeh after mixing in the lime zest and spices

High the chilli cheese toasts with the crispy tempeh and garlic combination, and serve instantly.

Indian chilli cheese toasts on a cutting board

Chilli Grilled Cheese Instructions

Assemble the sandwich as directed above, however add one other slice of bread on prime. Warmth a frying pan on medium warmth, and add some oil.

slice of bread with the chilli cheese tofu mixture on top
sprinkling more cheese over the chilli cheese mixture

As soon as the oil is scorching, add the closed sandwich, and cook dinner 3 to 4 minutes per facet, till the bread is good and toasty.

closing the chilli grilled cheese sandwich
chilli grilled cheese sandwich in the pan after cooking

Make-Forward Instructions

You can also make the filling forward of time and use it as wanted to make toast. Don’t unfold it onto the bread forward of time, as a result of the bread will take in moisture and change into soggy. Simply make the filling and retailer it within the fridge, so you possibly can have the toast prepared in 3 to 4 minutes. The crispy tempeh will also be refrigerated for as much as 3 days.

What to Serve with Chilli Cheese Toasts

Distinction all of that wealthy taste with a refreshing kachumber salad, or make it a heartier meal with sides like garlic spinach potatoes, Nepali potatoes, or a cauliflower pepper fry.

Steadily Requested Questions

Are chilli cheese toasts allergy pleasant?

This recipe is nut-free if you happen to use a nut-free non-dairy yogurt. For soy-free, use chickpea flour tofu and change the tempeh with finely chopped seitan. It’s gluten-free if you happen to use gluten-free bread, a gluten-free tortilla, or my almond flour naan.

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