Indian Spiced Curry With Peas and Tofu

Warm and hearty curry infused with Indian spices and flavors. Indian food is great go to food when looking for vegan and vegetarian options. This recipe is inspired by the Bon Appetit Paneer Curry with Peas by Ivy Manning. In her recipe she uses paneer, a popular Indian cheese as well as ghee, a type of clarified butter. In this recipe, I opted those ingredients out with tofu and coconut oil to make it vegan and plant based friendly.

Link to Manning's recipe:

https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/paneer-curry-with-peas

Ingredients

2 tablespoons all purpose flour (Optional)

1 package extra-firm tofu

5 tablespoons coconut oil

1 large onion finely chopped

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

2 tablespoons minced peeled fresh ginger

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 Serrano chili, minced with seeds

1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with added purée

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed

1 teaspoon garam masala

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Procedures

Begin the dish by cooking the tofu. There are two options in making the tofu for this dish. The first option is to fry the tofu and the second and healthier option is to bake the tofu. The first step for both methods are the same:

Drain the water from the tofu container and remove the tofu onto a clean cutting board lined with paper towels. Place more paper towel over the tofu and place a heavy pan or baking sheet over the tofu and leave for about 20 minutes to completely dry the tofu. Cube the tofu into ½ in cubes.

If you are frying the tofu, heat 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Toss tofu in the AP flour until evenly coated shake off the excess and when the oil is hot but not smoking, add the tofu to the pan. Be careful when add the tofu to the pan to prevent the oil from splattering. Leave room between each piece of tofu and try not to crowd the pan. You might have to work in two batches depending on how big your skillet is.

Do not stir or move the tofu until the bottoms start to turn golden brown. If the tofu sticks to the skillet, it means the tofu isn’t cooked long enough. Continue to cook the tofu until the cubes are easily lifted from the pan. Cook each side of the tofu so each side is golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.

For baking the tofu; Preheat the oven to 375. Toss the tofu in 2 tablespoons coconut oil. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the tofu on to the pan with space in between each piece. Bake the tofu for 30 minutes flipping halfway through. Tofu should be golden brown when done baking. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Assembling the Curry; Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of coconut oil in a pan over medium high heat and add the cumin seeds. Cook until the seeds are toasty and fragrant. Add the chopped onion and continue to cook until translucent. Reduce the heat to medium and add the ginger, garlic, Serrano chili and ground coriander. Cook for another minute before adding the can of crushed tomatoes and turmeric. Bring to a slight simmer and let the curry reduce for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Stir in the frozen peas, tofu, and garam masala and cook until thoroughly heated, about 5 more minutes. Garnish with cilantro, add salt to taste. Enjoy while still hot with your choice of sides. Roti, naan, or basmati rice are perfect side with this dish!

#vegan #plantbased #curry #Indianfood #tofu