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« Rava Dosa Semolina Crepes with Chile Recipe |Main| Roasted Kabocha and Vegetable Dumplings Recipe »
January 17, 2013Matar Soy Paneer Recipe (Peas and Tofu in Spicy Sweet Sauce)
I love the classicnorthern Indian dish of peas and cheese but I seldom order it at a restaurant.I can’t eat a lot of fresh dairy and frankly, it is often lackluster,especially at inexpensive lunch buffets where there’s more sauce than sweetpeas and rich fried cheese.
My solutionis to make it at home with soy paneer (tofu). The little fried cubes of tofusoak up the spicy sweet sauce very well. This week, I discovered a frozen bagof San Marzano tomato puree from last summer and a partially used bag of frozen peas. Those finds made for the perfect excuse to prepare a batch of matar (mutter) soy paneer.
We had it for lunch with another frozendiscovery – papery thin Middle Eastern flatbread. (Yes, I'm trying to clean out the freezer's 2012 inventory.) Wheat tortillas reheated overan open flame would have been my other choice; it’s a decent shortcut forchapati.
A few tips:
Want to cut down on prep time? Use a mini processor for the onion. I hand chopped these other aromatics but you could do them in the machine too. Just remember to chop up the ingredients in large pieces before throwing them into the processor. You'll get more uniform results. The chile and ginger can be chopped a day ahead, but not the onion.
If you’ve made lots of Indian food, you know the importance of cooking up 'burnt onions'. Okay, they don't get to the point of being nearly burnt. On the other hand, they’re not caramelized either. The onions are cooked over relatively high heat until deep brown. That’s part of the brilliance of how Indian flavors get built. Taking the time to do this makes a huge difference in developing deep, savory flavors.
I typicallyfinish this dish with homemade garam masala (see Asian Dumplings for a recipe) but this time things seemed to bejust dandy the way they were. Maybe it was the tomato? I don’t know. I justleft it out but understandably, it would give the dish a spice lift at the end.
If you havetime, let the matar soy paneer rest for 10 minutes before serving. That allowsthe flavors to coalesce. Or, make it a day ahead and add the cilantro rightbefore serving.
RECIPE
Matar SoyPaneer
Yields: 2 to 4
Ingredients
14 to 16 ounces(390 to 450 g) firm or extra-firm tofuSalt3 tablespoonscanola oil1 1/2teaspoons cumin seeds1 mediumyellow onion, finely chopped1 1/2tablespoons ground coriander3/4 teaspoonturmeric2 moderatelyhot green chiles, such as Serrano, finely chopped1 tablespoonfinely chopped fresh ginger1 1/2 cups (360ml) crushed tomato or tomato pureeAbout 1 1/2 cups(360 ml) water1 1/2 cups (7oz / 210 g) frozen peas, fully or partially thawed3/4 teaspoongaram masala (optional)2 to 3 tablespoonschopped cilantroInstructions
Cut the tofuinto cubes about 3/4 inch (2 cm) big. Put into a bowl. Put into a shallow bowl. Dissolve 1 teaspoon salt in 2 cups (480 ml) ofvery hot water, then pour over the tofu. Set aside to soak for 15 minutes, thendrain. Transfer the tofu to a non-terry dishtowel or double layer of papertowels placed atop a plate. Drain for 10 to 15 minutes.Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat and add about half of theoil. Blotthe tofu cubes dry, then panfry them in two batches for about 5 minutes, untillight golden on 3 or 4 of the sides. Turn the tofu with chopsticks or a spatuladuring the frying and aim is to add a bit of character and depth to the tofu,not crisp it all over. Transfer to a plate, leaving the oil behind, and setaside. (You can do this a couple days in advance!)Lower the heat tomedium-high and add the remaining oil. When hot, add the cumin seeds and stirfor about 15 seconds until they’ve darkened. Dump in the onion and cook forabout 8 minutes, stirring, until deep brown. Add the coriander, turmeric,chile, and ginger. Cook until aromatic and no longer raw smelling. Add thetomato, water and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a vigorous simmer and cook for 5minutes to concentrate.Add the tofu cubes andcook for 5 minutes to allow the flavor to get absorbed. Add the peas and garammasala (if using), then heat until hot. Taste, season with extra salt, ifneeded. Stir in the cilantro, then transfer to a serving bowl.More Indian recipes and tofu treats:
Rava Dosa Semolina Crepes with Chile RecipeNorthern Indian Egg Curry (Anda Masala)Crispy Scallion Tofu and Rice Cakes Salt and Pepper TofuFried Tofu and Egg PancakeNew => I'm going to try to keep all tofu-related content organized at the "Asian Tofu" page linked in the top navigation bar. Hope that helps your tofu adventure.Posted in Asian Tofu, Recipes: All, Recipes: dairy-free, Recipes: Gluten-Free , Recipes: Indian, Recipes: Main Course, Recipes: soy, Recipes: Vegan, Recipes: Vegetable Sides and Pickles, Recipes: Vegetarian | Permalink | |
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Comments Matar Soy Paneer Recipe (Peas and Tofu in Spicy Sweet Sauce)
I love the classicnorthern Indian dish of peas and cheese but I seldom order it at a restaurant.I can’t eat a lot of fresh dairy and frankly, it is often lackluster,especially at inexpensive lunch buffets where there’s more sauce than sweetpeas and rich fried cheese.
My solutionis to make it at home with soy paneer (tofu). The little fried cubes of tofusoak up the spicy sweet sauce very well. This week, I discovered a frozen bagof San Marzano tomato puree from last summer and a partially used bag of frozen peas. Those finds made for the perfect excuse to prepare a batch of matar (mutter) soy paneer.
We had it for lunch with another frozendiscovery – papery thin Middle Eastern flatbread. (Yes, I'm trying to clean out the freezer's 2012 inventory.) Wheat tortillas reheated overan open flame would have been my other choice; it’s a decent shortcut forchapati.
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