At last, you can finally find fresh green peas instead of frozen packets from the grocery store. In the springtime, I buy peas in bulk at the farmers’ market and have my kids do the work of opening up the pods to extract the peas before freezing them.
Favorite dish in Mumbai – Paneer Matar
One of our favorite family dishes that I grew up eating in Mumbai was Paneer Matar. Paneer is Indian cheese — whole milk curdled with lemon juice, hung to remove all the excess water and formed into blocks — and matar means green peas. It is a very popular restaurant-style, North Indian dish. My mother loved preparing restaurant dishes and giving them a healthier spin.
How did I come up with Tofu Matar?
My daughter is not a paneer lover, but she loves tofu. So I gave our family favorite dish a makeover. Say hello to Tofu Matar, a completely vegan dish that is light, tasty and addictive. You will not miss the paneer.
Ingredients for making Tofu Matar
The ingredients for making good tofu matar are:
- Cilantro
- Tofu : I use Organic House Foods Extra Firm Tofu or Firm Tofu. Costco has a pack of 4 Firm Tofu blocks for $6.99 which I think is a great price.
- Cornstarch : used to give a crispy coating to the tofu
- Salt and pepper
- Cooking spray: used for spraying the baking sheet for baked tofu so that the tofu gets a nice crispy texture and does not stick to the parchment paper on the baking sheet.
- Raw cashews: we are giving texture and creaminess to the tofu matar by adding raw cashews soaked in warm water and then ground into a fine paste instead of adding heavy cream.
- Alliums : red onions, green onions, ginger and garlic cloves
- Fresh tomatoes and tomato paste : add color and good taste to the final product
- Indian spices: like Kashmiri red chilli powder, cumin, coriander, turmeric and garam masala
- Salt
- Sugar: to balance out all the flavors. All Indian restaurants add sugar to the curries to balance out the spicy notes.
- Green peas
- Dried fenugreek leaves
Some tips for making good Tofu Matar
Here are a few key tips that are essential for making a good Tofu Matar:
- Use an extra-firm tofu block. Drain the excess water from the tofu by placing a heavy object on it. The tofu cubes are coated in cornstarch and cooking spray, and baked until crispy. Baking uses no oil compared to shallow frying it over the stove, and also gives it a pleasant skin.
- You can even get a tofu press, that can help to remove the excess water.
- Raw cashews: we are giving texture and creaminess to the tofu matar by adding raw cashews soaked in warm water and then ground into a fine paste instead of adding heavy cream.
- Sugar: to balance out all the flavors. All Indian restaurants add sugar to the curries to balance out the spicy notes.
- Spring green peas and green onions bring out freshness and brighten the flavor. It also has alliums like ginger and garlic. If you are able to get your hands on green garlic in this season, it would make a great addition.
- The addition of tomato paste, along with the tomatoes, to the curry is a tip that my grandmother taught me. She says it adds a potent sour flavor and color to Indian dishes, and I fully abide! She is 94 years old, a bucket full of wisdom.
Once the paste is cooked down, it is pureed in a blender along with the cashews. The puree goes into the pot, with all the dry spices, and is cooked for a few minutes before adding the peas and the baked tofu. A final garnish of cilantro is mandatory.
Even a person who is averse to green peas will love this vegan preparation. Enjoy it with some store-bought naan or plain white rice.
What kind of tofu do you use in Tofu Matar?
- I use Organic House Foods Extra Firm Tofu or Firm Tofu. Costco has a pack of 4 Firm Tofu blocks for $6.99 which I think is a great price.
What kind of cooking spray do you use?
- You can use Avocado Oil spray or PAM cooking spray. Both work.
Can I omit the dried fenugreek leaves if I don’t have them?
- Yes, you can omit the dried fenugreek leaves. However, adding all the different spices provides the necessary restaurant style taste to the Tofu Matar.
What is the best way to eat Tofu Matar?
- You can enjoy tofu matar with naan or plain white rice. Use basmati rice that you can get online or at an Indian grocery store.
How can I store the leftovers?
The leftovers can be stored in the fridge for upto 2 days.
Other vegan dinner inspirations on my blog are:
If you do make this recipe, please do not forget to tag #thejamlab on Instagram and/or leave a comment on this blog post.
XO
Amisha
Tofu Matar
Ingredients
Baked Tofu
- 14 ounces extra-firm tofu
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Cooking spray
Tofu Matar
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 1 cup hot water
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- ½ cup red onion, finely chopped
- ½ cup green onions, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 inch ginger, grated
- 3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons kashmiri red chile powder
- 1½ teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 ½ teaspoons garam masala
- 2 teaspoons table salt
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 cup frozen or fresh peas
- 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek (optional)
- ½ cup finely chopped cilantro
- Naan or cooked rice, for serving
Get Recipe Ingredients
Method
Bake the tofu
- Wrap the tofu in a paper towel and place on a cutting board. Place a heavy skillet on top, to drain out the excess water, for about 30 minutes.
- Cut tofu into ½-inch cubes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, add cornstarch, salt and pepper and mix well until combined. Toss the tofu in the bowl two to three times to gently coat the tofu with the cornstarch.
- Spray cooking spray on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Place the tofu on the baking sheet, ensuring the cubes don’t touch each other.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, until tofu is golden brown in color. Set aside.
Prep the cashews
- Meanwhile, soak cashews in hot water, in a bowl, and set aside for 30 minutes.
Make the Tofu Matar
- In a large nonstick skillet, on medium-high to high heat, add the vegetable oil. After 30 seconds to a minute, add the cumin seeds. Let splatter for 20 seconds.
- Add the red onions, green onions, ginger and garlic, and saute to combine. Cook the mixture for about 4 minutes, until the onions start sweating and are slightly brown in color.
- Add the tomatoes and tomato paste, and mix to combine. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the onion-tomato mixture to a blender, along with the cashews and water used for soaking. Blend until the paste is smooth.
- Reduce the heat to medium, and pour the mixture back into the pan.
- Add the spices: kashmiri red chile powder, turmeric, coriander, cumin, garam masala, salt and sugar. Mix to combine. Cook for about 2 to 4 minutes with the lid on, as it may splatter.
- Add the peas, stir to combine. Turn the heat down to low. Cook the peas with the lid on, for about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the tofu and the dried fenugreek, if using, stir to combine. Cook the tofu mattar with the lid on for another 3 minutes. It should look thick and creamy.
- Finally garnish with the cilantro. Serve with hot-off-the-griddle naan or plain rice.
Notes
What kind of tofu do you use in Tofu Matar?
- I use Organic House Foods Extra Firm Tofu or Firm Tofu. Costco has a pack of 4 Firm Tofu blocks for $6.99 which I think is a great price.
What kind of cooking spray do you use?
- You can use Avocado Oil spray or PAM cooking spray. Both work.
Can I omit the dried fenugreek leaves if I don’t have them?
- Yes, you can omit the dried fenugreek leaves. However, adding all the different spices provides the necessary restaurant style taste to the Tofu Matar.
What is the best way to eat Tofu Matar?
- You can enjoy tofu matar with naan or plain white rice. Use basmati rice that you can get online or at an Indian grocery store.
How can I store the leftovers?
- The leftovers can be stored in the fridge for upto 2 days.
