A fast and fabulously flavorful recipe for Instant Vegan Methi Malai Paneer Tofu you can make in under 15 minutes.
This recipe for an Instant vegan Methi Malai Paneer Tofu comes together in under 15 minutes, using the basic tomato onion sauce.
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.
Since you already took the trouble to build all those wonderful, complex flavors into your sauce, you don't need to work too hard at this point for a fabulously flavorful dish.
The basic tomato onion sauce is truly a lifesaver: it can not just help you put a delicious and nutritious meal on the dinner table for your family on a weeknight, you can make it ahead and use it to create a number of different dishes while entertaining friends. So if you haven't already, be sure to check out the recipe and, more importantly, make it.
Here's the recipe now. If you make it, be sure to come back and let me know in the comments below or tag me on Instagram with @holycowvegan.
More recipes with the basic tomato onion sauce
- Tofu Cubes in a Black Pepper Curry Sauce, Tofu Paneer Kali Mirch
- Easy Aloo Palak or Saag Aloo
- Easy Aloo Matar
- Instant Chana Masala
- 10-minute Vegan Dal
- Sarson ka Saag, a North Indian Mustard Greens Curry
- And learn how to marinate and bake tofu for Indian dishes to add even more flavor to your curries
More creamy Indian vegan curries
Methi Malai Paneer Tofu
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.
Misha Roz
Hi there. Thanks for coming up with this and the basic tomato onion sauce. I made the sauce a few weeks ago and divided up into smaller portions and froze. I was able to make this tonight in 20 minutes! What a blessing to eat something tasty and good. Thanks always.
Vaishali
So happy you made the sauce and this curry! I love that sauce too -- reminds me I need to make a batch. Thanks for the feedback.
PamelaB
Thank you for posting this! Somehow I missed the Onion Sauce recipe, which is perfect for the way I like to cook. (invest a bit of time, use some now & freeze portions for later...win, win & win again) Looking forward to the other recipes using this sauce. Tho admit that my mind is already considering how I’d like to use it.
Aracelis
When do we add the tofu?
Vaishali
Step 2 -- added, thanks! 🙂
DJay
Hi Vaishali, This recipe looks delicious! I would love to try it, but I'm not crazy about the taste of tofu. Is their another vegan cheese that you would recommend? Your recipes are always fabulous.
Warmly,
Diane
Vaishali
Hi Diane, you could just use more veggies, like zucchini or button mushrooms!