Tofu Paneer
Submitted by donald
Indian-spiced tofu paneer simmered in a garam masala tomato sauce with green peas. Includes a recipe for homemade garam masala. Serve over brown rice with chutney for a vegan feast.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
50 minREADY
80 minMattar paneer is one of India’s most beloved dishes, and this version swaps the traditional cheese cubes for tofu without losing a drop of soul.
Diced tofu simmers gently in a fragrant tomato sauce built on sauteed onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander, and a generous hit of garam masala.
Sweet green peas go in at the end, adding pops of color and sweetness that balance the warming spices.
The recipe even includes instructions for making your own garam masala from scratch with toasted cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cumin, and black peppercorns. Once you smell it coming out of the oven, you’ll never go back to store-bought.
Pro Tips
- Crush the canned tomatoes by hand for a chunkier, more rustic sauce texture.
- Use extra-firm tofu so the cubes hold their shape during simmering.
- Toast the whole spices for garam masala until they’re fragrant but not dark. Burned spices turn bitter fast.
- A coconut coriander chutney on the side ties the whole plate together.
Ingredients
Directions
Heat the oil in a saucepan.
Sauté the onions, garlic, ginger, salt, tumeric, cayenne, coriander, cilantro, and garam marsala for about 5 minutes.
Drain the juice from the tomatoes into the sautéed vegetables.
Then crush the tomatoes by hand and add them to the vegetables.
Dice the tofu into ½-inch cubes and add to the vegetables.
Continue to cook for 10 to 15 minutes over low heat.
Then add the peas and cook another 4 minutes.
Serve hot over brown rice.
A coriander coconut chutney (or other chutney) is an excellent accompaniment.
GARAM MARSALA: Preheat the oven to 200 F.
Place the ingredients on a baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes, or until the spices give off an aroma.
Separate the cardamom pods from the seeds.
Discard the pods.
Crush the cinnamon.
Combine the cinnamon, cardamom seeds, and other spices until the mixture is powdery.
Store in a sealed jar.
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