Matar Tofu

The holidays are over and winter is here to stay for the next few months. January is not an exciting time for produce in Chicago. I tend to make things from pantry ingredients more: soup, curry, casseroles. I also roast a lot of vegetables this time of year. Indian food is great for a quick weeknight dinner on cold nights. It’s spicy, tasty, filling, and easy to make. Matar paneer is a classic North Indian, tomato based curry made with peas and paneer – homemade dairy cheese. I grew up loving this dish but found that tofu is the perfect vegan substitute for the homemade paneer cheese. The tofu adds a lot of protein to this healthy meal. I use organic frozen peas which are delicious and don’t even need to be thawed out prior to making this dish. This is a simple recipe that really requires only one pot. Jasmine rice or Naan bread are the perfect accompaniment for this dish. I’ve recently discovered Trader Joe’s frozen Naan bread which is delicious and very authentic tasting. If you like really firm tofu, I recommend using high protein tofu or baking cubed, extra firm tofu in the oven at 420F for about 20 minutes on a baking sheet. You can toss it in canola oil or coconut oil and about a 1/4 tsp of salt before baking. This dish tends to get more flavorful with time. I like to make it one day prior to serving so that the spices can get absorbed by the tofu and settle into the sauce. It also makes an excellent, high protein desk lunch! If you make Matar Tofu make sure to take a picture and tag @thefriendlyepicurean on Facebook and Instagram or pin the recipe on Pinterest!