This vegan matar paneer is made with tofu cubes and peas in a luscious cashew curry sauce. It's absolutely delicious, and you'll be amazed at how easy it is to make!
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- ⅓ cup raw cashews
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 2 (14.5 ounce/411 gram) cans diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste (Note 1)
- 1 (16 ounce/454 gram) package super-firm tofu, diced (about ½ inch)
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- Cooked basmati rice, for serving
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Coat the bottom of medium pot with one tablespoon of the oil and place it over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cashews. Toast the cashews for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until they're golden brown in spots.
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Add the onion to the pot and cook it with the cashews for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it's soft and translucent.
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Push the cashews and onion to the side of the pot and add the garlic and ginger, Sauté the garlic and ginger for about a minute, stirring constantly, until they become very fragrant. Remove the pot from heat.
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Transfer the contents of the pot to a blender, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot to get any crusted bits of garlic and ginger. Add the diced tomatoes to the blender. Blend the ingredients until smooth.
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Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pot and place it back over medium heat. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the garam masala, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, and cayenne pepper. Cook the spices in the oil for about a minute, until they start to sizzle.
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Pour the tomato sauce mixture from the blender into the pot. Give it a stir and raise the heat to high. Bring the sauce to a boil, then lower the heat. Let the sauce cook at a low simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and darkens slightly.
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Stir the tofu and peas into the sauce. Bring the curry back up to a simmer and let it cook for about 2 minutes more, until the peas and tofu are heated.
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Remove the pot from heat and stir in the salt.
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Serve the curry over rice with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.
- This amount of cayenne pepper will give your curry a mild kick. If you're not sure how much to use, add a bit at a time towards the end of cooking the curry, taste-testing until you're satisfied with the heat level.