Vegan Methi Malai Paneer
Vegan

Vegan Methi Malai Paneer

admin

Instant Vegan Methi Malai Paneer

A fast and fabulously flavorful recipe for Instant Vegan Methi Malai Paneer Tofu you can make in under 15 minutes.

Methi Malai Paneer is a popular Indian restaurant offering, and it’s easy to see why it’s so loved. This is a complexly rich dish with layers of salty, spice, mildly bitter and sweet flavors and a creamy mouth feel that can be served with rice pilaf or naan or roti for a memorable and nutritious meal. It can be made with both fresh and dry methi or fenugreek leaves, and since I can’t always make a trip to the Indian store, I usually make it with the dry kind that keeps forever in the pantry, and is easily available online.

This is truly an instant recipe, so long as you have the basic tomato onion sauce handy. I shared the recipe for this sauce with you yesterday, and it’s a versatile base that you can use for any number of Indian curries, like palak paneer, chana masala and this Methi Malai Paneer Tofu. Next I’ll share with you another one of my favorites with this sauce, Palak Aloo or Saag Aloo.

You need to chop a couple of bell peppers and a block of tofu to make this recipe, but that’s almost all of the hands on time needed. You can cut that time down further by using frozen, chopped and colorful bell peppers that you can find in the freezer section of the supermarket and certainly at Trader Joe’s.

The peppers need under five minutes to cook to the perfect texture, and then all you need to do is make sure the sauce is warmed through. Add a dash of cashew cream and you’re done.

Ingredients

  • 1 16-oz block super firm tofu (cut into ½-inch cubes)
  • 2 bell peppers (cut in a ½-inch dice)
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 ½ cups basic tomato onion sauce
  • 2 tablespoon kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
  • 2 tablespoon raw cashews
  • 2 tablespoon cilantro (chopped, optional)

Instructions

  • Blend the cashews with ¼ cup water and set aside.
  • Heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. As they begin to darken slightly and become fragrant, add the bell peppers. Saute the peppers three to four minutes or until they soften a bit, then add the kasoori methi, stir it in, then add tomato sauce and salt to taste.  Add the tofu and mix.
  • When the sauce comes to a boil, add the cashew paste and stir it in. Turn off the heat and serve. Garnish with cilantro, if you wish.

Nutrition

Calories: 153kcal | Carbohydrates: 10.8g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 7.7g | Potassium: 232mg | Fiber: 3.3g | Sugar: 4.3g | Vitamin A: 300IU | Vitamin C: 99.8mg | Calcium: 160mg | Iron: 2.5mg