A healthier take on the Indian classic, Mattar Paneer. As with any good sauce, this one is perfectly unctuous with layers after layers of incredible flavour. Paired with tender tofu that takes on all that goodness, this is a winning dish that is nothing but indulgent without any of the guilt.
Paneer is something that only found its way into my heart over the last year. It’s a soft cheese that’s commonly found in Indian cuisine, and is kind of like halloumi but less salty. Because of it’s mild flavour, it pairs perfectly with a lot of curries as it doesn’t compete with the spices. Two of my favourite paneer dishes are paneer roti roll and of course, mattar panner…my mouth is watering just thinking about it!!! Mattar (pronounced as ‘mutter’) paneer is super simple yet insanely tasty. It goes really well with a naan, a paratha or a bowl of rice – you name it! The peas then add a nice crunch and hint of sweetness to the dish, making it that bit more spectacular. Fun fact, ‘mattar’ basically means peas in Hindi!
It is January after all so while my resolutions are still going strong, I thought I’d try to lighten up some of my favourite dishes so that I can indulge without the guilt. For a much lower calorie count, tofu was naturally the perfect substitute for paneer given their similar textures and mild flavours. It also gave this recipe the potential to be vegan simply by replacing the cream with coconut milk.
A healthier take on the Indian classic, Mattar Paneer. As with any good sauce, this one is perfectly unctuous with layers after layers of incredible flavour. Paired with tender tofu that takes on all that goodness, this is a winning dish that is nothing but indulgent without any of the guilt. Heat up some oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for around 25-30 minutes or until they caramelise to a deep brown colour, stirring very frequently. Add a splash of water if needed but be careful not to let the onions burn! Add the garlic and ginger pastes, and cook for 1 minute. Add the spices, tomato paste, salt and sugar, and mix until evenly distributed. Cook for another 2 minuets. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the water and frozen peas and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add in the tofu cubes and stir carefully so that they don’t break up. Let it simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Finally, mix in the cream. Once it comes to a simmer, take it off the heat and start to prepare the kachumber. Place the onion slices in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. Once ready, drain the onions and pat dry with kitchen paper. In another bowl, add the onion slices, tomatoes, cucumber and salt and mix well. Leave it to stand for 5 minutes to allow the juices to mingle. Add in the lime juice and mix until evenly distributed - it is now ready to serve. Garnish the mattar tofu with chopped coriander and serve with a bowl of basmati rice and/or kachumber on the side. Healthy-ish Mattar Tofu
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