Tofu Matar w Brown Rice & Cucumber

Name: Tofu Matar w Brown Rice & Cucumber
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Cuisine: Asian, Indian
Ingredients: 2tbsp coconut oil; 1tsp cumin seeds; 1 large onion; Knob of ginger; 4 garlic cloves; 2 Birdseye chillies; Handful of coriander stems; 1tsp paprika; 250ml vegetable stock; 400g tinned tomatoes; 1tsp salt; Cracked black pepper; Bay leaf; 1tsb turmeric powder; 1tsb garam masala; 160ml coconut cream optional; 400g tofu; 250g frozen garden peas; Handful of coriander leaves; 200g brown rice; Chopped cucumber; Pinch of salt

12 steps

Prep:30minCook:50min

Tofu & Peas w Brown Rice & Cucumber (Prep time is based on the brown rice soaking). Traditionally this dish would be known as Matar Paneer. Paneer is an Indian cheese, however, now that I’m vegan I’ve substituted it for tofu. The textures are very similar so it’s still just as delicious, without exploiting any animals in the process - win win! The sauce base is what I use for all of my authentic curry dishes, so if you haven’t already, check out my chickpea curry and aloo gobi recipes. For the best results I’d use fresh tomatoes, I usually use tinned but you can use passata too. I’d love to see you guys make this, so if you do, please tag me on Instagram or TikTok @CeginKali

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 02:34:46 GMT

Ingredients

4 servings

Instructions

Tofu Matar

Step 1

Heat oil on a medium heat in a pan, add drained and diced tofu. Fry until all sides are crispy, set aside for later

Step 2

In the same pan add cumin seeds and fry for 20 seconds (do not burn). Dice onion and add to pan, cook until golden brown.

Step 3

Meanwhile in a food processor, blitz ginger, garlic, chillies and coriander stems (or finely chop). Add mixture to the pan, combine with paprika and allow to cook.

Step 4

As it turns into a paste, gradually add 250ml vegetable stock (or water) to avoid catching. Add tinned tomatoes, salt, pepper, bay leaf, turmeric, garam masala and coconut cream.

Step 5

Cover with a lid and leave to simmer on a medium to low heat for 5-10 minutes. Stir then add tofu and peas.

Step 6

Cover and allow to cook for at least 20-30 mins, or until the sauce has thickened and the tofu has absorbed the flavours. The longer you leave it the nice it will be

Step 7

Add more water if needed, garnish with chopped coriander and serve with whatever you’d like! I had mine with brown rice and cucumber - enjoy!

Brown Rice

Step 8

Soak rice in cold water for at least 30 mins beforehand, rinse and repeat several times to remove starch before cooking.

Step 9

Always add double the amount of water to rice. 50g rice per serving, so 200g for 4 people = 400ml water. You can adjust this to however many servings you want to make.

Step 10

Place rice in a saucepan and pour over the water. Bring to a rolling boil and then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer (do NOT mix). Cook for 30 mins then turn off the heat.

Step 11

Cover with a lid and leave tightly covered for another 5-10 mins to absorb any remaining water. Fluff up with a fork and serve.