This vegan matar paneer with tofu has your plant-based Indian food needs are taken care of. Creamy, fragrant, deep orange gravy with soft yet firm tofu. Packed with flavor, plant-based protein, and something green? We love that.
My number one concern with transitioning towards plant-based eating was missing out on paneer. I ate it at least once every one or two weeks and it was a big part of my childhood! I, like many Indian kids, probably referred to paneer as my favorite “vegetable” twice or thrice in my life before I learned that cottage cheese is apparently not a vegetable. Who knew?
I won’t say that tofu is exactly like paneer, but I will say that this vegan matar paneer with tofu sure does hit different. It’s so good that you probably won’t think about paneer while you’re eating it. And depending on your values and opinions, maybe you’ll even consider switching up your usual paneer dishes to the tofu version every now and then! And if this recipe can contribute to that in any way, well, my work here is done.
The Rundown
Using tofu instead of paneer
1. Press it for at least 15 minutes to squeeze out all the moisture.
2. Cook it on the stove in vegan butter! I chose to use Miyoko’s, which I prefer to use in small amounts for cooking rather than the larger amounts baking calls for, as it is a bit pricey. I really think cooking the tofu with butter makes a difference.
Now for the gravy. To get it all creamy and smooth, I love making the gravy on the stove first and then blending in a blender with some quick-soaked cashews. You can soak cashews in regular water for 4+ hours, but I usually just soak cashews in boiling water for 15 minutes.
Cook the peas with all the spices, add the gravy on top, and add kasoori methi. Kasoori methi is what makes some Indian dishes Indian, but skip it if you don’t have it and add it to your grocery list. Add the cooked tofu triangles at the end and you are done!
What to pair it with
I recommend pairing this with naan for ultimate comfort, but roti or rice are also solid options! My naan looks funky because I decided to experiment with buckwheat flour and spelt flour, but feel free to use any recipe you like. For the record, it tasted good! If you’re interested, the flour ratio was 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup spelt flour, and 1/4 cup buckwheat flour. Combined that with 2 tsp baking powder, 2/3 cup coconut yogurt, and salt, and it was quick and easy. It’s rough brown, but beautiful in its own unique way.
Vegan Matar Paneer with Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 14 oz. block of firm tofu
- 1 tbsp vegan butter
- 2 cups frozen green peas
- ¼ cup cashews
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 inch of ginger, minced
- 1 green chili, chopped
- 3 tomatoes, chopped
- ½ cup nondairy milk *I used almond milk
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp kasoori methi optional, but highly recommended
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Soak cashews in boiling water for at least 15 minutes. Press tofu for at least 15 minutes too. Take frozen peas out of the freezer and thaw.
- Add vegan butter and tofu triangles to a pan over medium heat. Flip the tofu once one side has browned and crisped up (about 4-5 minutes). Cook for around the same amount of time on the other side. While tofu cooks, prep other ingredients.
- When tofu is done, add 1 tbsp avocado oil to the pan. Add ginger, garlic, onions, and green chili. Saute until onions are translucent.
- Add tomatoes. Stir until its juices evaporate and the mixture stays together, so about ~ 6-8 minutes. Take the pan off of the heat and let it cool a little before blending.
- Blend the tomato mixture with cashews and milk.
- Add 1 tbsp avocado oil to the same pan over medium-low heat. Add all the ground spices and make sure they do not burn! After 2-3 minutes, add peas. Mix until peas are mostly cooked, so around 6-8 minutes.
- Add the blended mixture along with 1 cup of water (adjust according to desired texture), salt, and kasoori methi. Bring to a simmer and cover for 10 minutes.
- Add tofu triangles, let it simmer for 2-3 more minutes, and then take it off of the heat! Serve with rice, naan, or roti.
If you’re looking for more vegan paneer recipes, try out…
Awesome! I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Thank you! I had dried kasoori methi and used that. I made it tonight and it was quite tasty. I had to reduce the dried chili powder and omitted the green chili, because I’m not good with spicy. I also used oatmilk and that worked just fine.
Dried kasoori methi! I usually use a box from a brand, like MDH.
Do you use dried or fresh kasoori methi? Thank you.
Okay! Thank you! 🤗
Haha no worries, I’m glad you like my recipes. And coconut milk should be ok if you would like a slight sweetness, but honestly, if you don’t have almond milk I would just use water! The almond milk is not essential.
It’s me again. 😶 I know I’ve been asking too many questions but I find your recipes to my liking. Would coconut milk be bad to use here? Or is almond milk strongly recommended?