Mattar Tofu
44
Published Feb 19, 2020, Updated Sep 16, 2021
This post may include affiliate links. Thank you for your support.
This mattar tofu is a healthy, vegan version of an Indian food classic, mattar paneer. Tofu works perfectly as a sub for the paneer cheese and makes this dish dairy-free.
Isaac and I love Indian food. Our favorite local restaurant for Indian food is Lehja so usually we just head there when we’re craving it, but lately I’ve been on a mission to make some of my favorite dishes at home.
My first experiment was Gina’s channa masala recipe. It turned out to be delicious so this week I decided to try a vegan version of mattar paneer using tofu instead of the paneer. Paneer is a soft cheese with a similar consistency to tofu so I thought it would work out well. Oh my goodness you guys… it turned out fantastic! I was so happy with the results and ended up having the mattar tofu for dinner that night as well as lunch and dinner the next day. It’s THAT good.
Using Tofu Instead of Paneer Cheese
The tofu was the perfect plant-based substitute for paneer cheese. I pan fried the tofu cubes in a little coconut oil until golden brown and then add to the sauce after cooking. The tomato based sauce pairs nicely with the tofu cubes and the peas add a nice hint of sweetness. I had forgotten how much I love peas!
I need to start planning this dinner on the weekly, it’s seriously one of our favs!
More Indian Cuisine Inspired Recipes to Try
More Tofu Recipes
- 16 Tofu Recipes That You’ll Crave
- Asian Tofu Tacos
- Tofu Scramble
- Sofritas
- Orange Tofu
- Bok Choy Stir Fry with Tofu
- Tofu Pumpkin Curry
- Tofu Stir-Fry
- Baked Peanut Tofu
- Vegan Tofu Chicken Salad
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Mattar Tofu
Ingredients
- 1 14 oz package organic extra-firm tofu, cut into small cubes
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 inch piece of fresh ginger
- 1 clove fresh garlic, minced
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/2 Tablespoon garam masala
- 1/2 Tablespoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes with juice
- 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1 bag, 2 cups frozen baby peas, thawed slightly
- fresh chopped cilantro, for topping (optional)
- rice or cauliflower rice, for serving
Instructions
- Place onion, ginger, garlic and cayenne pepper into the container of a blender or food processor along with 1/3 cup water and blend until the mixture turns into a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Heat coconut oil in a large sauté pan. Once hot add tofu cubes in a single layer and stir-fry until golden. This shouldn’t take very long. Once golden place tofu cubes onto a plate and set aside.
- Carefully add the contents of the blender into the same sauté pan you used for the tofu. Just be very careful with this part as the paste may splatter. Cook, stirring constantly until the paste turns a light brown color (about 5-6 minutes).
- Add the garam masala, coriander, turmeric, salt, pepper and tomatoes. Stir and cook for a few minutes longer. Add in vegetable broth and peas, mix well and bring mixture to a boil.
- Cover, lower heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Lift cover and add the tofu cubes. Simmer ten minutes or until tofu and peas are heated through. Top with a little cilantro and serve with brown, basmati, jasmine or cauliflower rice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This looks amazing! I totally need to try this asap!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
If you make this with paneer is there any difference in the directions or would you treat it the same as the tofu?
I’m not sure, since I haven’t tried it! Let me know if you end up trying it and how it turns out if you decided to use paneer.
Mattar Paneer is a traditional Indian dish which features regularly in a family setting. I have previously substituted paneer for Halumi and also Soya chunks and now Tofu. The recipe remains the same. The results are still impressive but there is obviously a difference in the texture but the main flavours in the sauce still hit the right notes.
This recipe is a(nother) keeper. Thank you, Brittany This dish is one of my new faves! I served over rice made w/coconut milk…so delicious!!!
You’re so welcome, Jennifer!! So glad you enjoyed this dish. As always, I so appreciate you coming back to leave a comment + star rating. It’s so helpful to other readers!
I love this recipe! I was a little nervous because I find with curry recipes it always feels like it’s missing something; That is not the case with this one. If you are looking for a new fun recipe, this is it. Everyone in my house loves it.
Yay!! That makes me so happy to hear, Soleil. So glad that you and your family enjoyed this recipe. I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment and star rating. The reviews are super helpful!
This was delicious! It really hit the spot; and my husband who is Indian loved it & even took leftovers for lunch today!
Yayy! Thank you so much for sharing Megan, I am so happy that both you and your husband loved it! And thank you so much for coming back to comment (and leaving the star rating) for this recipe. It means the world to me!
I’m curious – where does the name “Mattar” come from in your Mattar tofu recipe-
that is my maiden name!
Debbie-
I think it’s Hindi (or Indian) for pea. 🙂
It is Urdu/Hindi for peas! Mattar is found in many of our dishes.
A native speaker 🙂
I finally got around to making this last week, and it was delicious. My husband, who claims he can’t stand tofu, had seconds and leftovers the next day!
Your comment made my day! I love finding recipes that can convert tofu haters. 🙂
Wow! That looks absolutely scrumptious. I def have pinned it to my Go-To Food ideas board on Pinterest so thank you lady!
Palak Paneer, Gajar Ka Halwa, Pav Bhaji – I love them all!! 🙂 Changing Mattar Paneer to Mattar Tofu is an interesting idea about which I’m really curious – another inspiration in my bookmarks… I hope it will become my favourite, too, as it looks like a great (and tasty) last minute lunch idea. Honestly, if I was cooking the result never looked liked this – and definitely not in the pictures! For me it’s really important how I see the food I eat, creative dining events like this helped me a lot to realize this fact: the combination of an ordinary place and professional cooks revealed that creating a dish that looks delicious is easier than I thought and it’s all about the small details… Just like on these colourful photos!
Loved this recipe! Living alone, I often end up wasting a lot of food, so I try to half recipes. This one I decided not to and Im glad I didn’t. I’ve eaten it twice and am still not sick of it. Yum!
So glad that you liked this recipe, Amy. And hooray for tasty leftovers. I love cooking once and eating twice (or three times). 🙂