Butter Tofu Paneer - Restaurant Style Tofu Butter Masala Recipe

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This butter sauce is a simpler and more restaurant like variation and can be used with veggies, chickpeas or any other additions. I use baked tofu to work as “paneer” to make a Butter Paneer. Serve with flatbread, rice, Roti or Vegan Naan. No Butter in this sauce. Feel free to use vegan butter instead of oil.

Butter Tofu Paneer - Restaurant Style Tofu Butter Masala Recipe:

Ingredients
Baked Tofu "Paneer"

• 12 oz firm tofu pressed between paper towels for 10 minutes, then cubed
• 1/2 tsp each of garam masala ,paprika, salt, and turmeric
• 2 tsp ginger paste or minced ginger
• 2 tsp garlic paste or minced or 3/4 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1.5 tsp water 1/2 tbsp
• 1.5 tbsp cornstarch or other starch such as arrowroot
• 1 tsp nutritional yeast optional
• 1 tsp oil

Butter Sauce:

• 1 tsp oil or vegan butter
• 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• 3 large ripe tomatoes or 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 inch cube of ginger 1/2 inch chopped, 1/2 inch julienned or thinly sliced into sticks
• 1 hot or mild green chile juilenned or thinly sliced or use very thinly sliced green bell pepper
• Cashew cream made with with 1/4 cup soaked 15 mins cashews blended with 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp paprika or kashmiri chili powder
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp kasooori methi - dried fenugreek leaves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp sugar or other sweetener to preference

Instructions
Bake the Tofu:

• Press and cube the tofu if you havent already. In a bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients under baked tofu, to make a marinade. Add tofu and toss well. Marinade for 15 min (optional). Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F / 200ºc. Place the tofu cubes on parchment lined sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Make the Butter Sauce:

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until golden. You can also add in 1 bay leaf and 1 cinnamon stick with the garlic for additional flavor. Remove these before serving.
2. Puree the tomato with the chopped ginger and half the green chile. Add to the skillet and cook until the puree starts to thicken and does not taste raw tomatoey. Dont wash the blender.
3. In the same blender, blend the cashews and water until smooth. Blend the cashews for a minute, let it rest for a minute and then blend again for about a minute for a creamy result. Works with unsoaked cashews. Or use premade thin cashew cream (about 1/2 cup).
4. Reserve 1 tbsp of the cream for garnish. Add the rest of the cashew cream to the skillet. Add spices, fenugreek leaves, salt and sugar and mix well. Use 1/2 cup water to rinse out your blender and add to the skillet. Mix and Bring to a boil. Taste and adjust salt, heat (add cayenne) and sweet. Add more water if needed for preferred consistency. Add more cashew cream for creamier.
5. Fold in the baked tofu. Simmer for a minute. Mix in the julienned ginger and green chile. Alternatively, mix half of the ginger and chile and use half as garnish. Add a drizzle of the cashew cream and other garnishes as pepper flakes, chopped cilantro. Serve over Easy Garlic Naan, rice or roti.

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