RecipesVegetarian and Vegetables

Tofu ‘Paneer’ Korma Masala Recipe

“A fragrant, creamy curry, with a special tofu ‘paneer’.

Dairy Free
Gluten Free
Vegan
Tofu ‘Paneer’ Korma Masala Recipe
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Ingredients

For the Tofu 'Paneer'
  • around 450g block of firm tofu
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • juice of 2 lemons (you can also use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar)
  • 1.5 tsp sea salt
For the Korma Masala
  • 2 tbsp / 25 g Steenbergs Korma Masala (half a jar)
  • 100g cashew nuts
  • 1 large red pepper (can use a bell or long pointy pepper)
  • 1 onion
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil (or other neutral oil)
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger (about a thumb-size knob, grated)
  • 150g cauliflower florets
  • optional: 1 tsp Steenbergs Chilli Powder, if you like a hotter Masala
To Finish the Korma Masala
  • 2 tbsp rapeseed oil (or other neutral oil)
  • 1 tbsp Steenbergs Mustard Seeds
  • 1 tbsp Steenbergs Nigella Seeds
  • lemon wedges
  • fresh coriander leaves

“A fragrant, creamy curry, with a special tofu ‘paneer’. Irresistible for all the family, and a great ‘fakeaway’. The tofu is packed full of protein, and the cashews add a healthy, but totally indulgent-tasting, creaminess. Plus, the spices are great for gut health, as well as being super yummy and giving all the flavour of a hearty Indian meal.”

Many thanks to The Vegan Larder for this tasty recipe.

Serves 4

Method

For Tofu Paneer

01
Press the tofu and cut into slices around 1 cm thick. You can press the tofu using plates with something heavy on top of them or using a tofu press. You can also use a pre-pressed tofu such as the ‘Tofoo’ brand (made near us in Malton, North Yorkshire).
02
Put all the ingredients, except the tofu, into a plastic container with a lid and mix well. Ideally something that can be sealed and turned upside down to make sure all the tofu is really well marinated.
03
Next add the tofu. Make sure all the tofu is well covered. If you need extra liquid, add more lemon juice / vinegar.
04
Leave the tofu to marinate for at least a few hours, better still overnight. If you have a sealed, water-tight container you can flip it over half way through to make sure the tofu gets evenly marinated.
05
Once done, cut the tofu slices into pieces around 2cm long. Set aside.

For the Korma Masala

01
Soak the cashew nuts in 500ml of just boiled hot water for at least half an hour.
02
Blend the cashew nuts along with their 500ml of water. You want a ‘creamy / milky’ texture. Set aside, leaving the mixture in the blender.
03
Finely chop the onion and garlic, and grate the ginger.
04
Sauté the onion until translucent. Add the garlic, ginger and Korma Masala spices.
05
Sauté for a minute or so until the Masala starts to smell AMAZING.
06
Add the sliced red pepper and the cauliflower florets, making sure they are nicely coated in the spices.
07
Add the cashew nut ‘cream’ from the blender and the Tofu Paneer cubes you made earlier.
08
Rinse out the cashew nut cream blender with another 200ml of water and add that to the curry.
09
Stir over a low heat until thickened and the cauliflower florets are softened (about 10 minutes). Add a little extra water if the sauce is getting too thick.
10
Taste and add salt or a squeeze of lemon.

To ‘Finish’ the Korma Masala

01
In a small frying pan add the oil, Mustard Seeds and Nigella Seeds. Gently heat until the seeds release their fragrance and start to ‘pop’.
02
Drizzle the seeds with their fragrant oil over the finished dish.

To Serve

01
Serve with fluffy white rice, lots of fresh coriander leaves and extra lemon to squeeze.