This meatless dish from NYT Cooking combines seared paneer—a cheese used in South Asian cuisine—with onion, spices, tomatoes and peas. Brown the paneer and set aside. Cook the onion, ginger and garlic, add the spices, tomatoes and water and simmer for a few minutes. Add peas and the seared paneer and heat through. Top with a swirl of cream and a sprinkling of garam masala and serve with rice or flatbread. Cook’s note: I used canola oil and made my own cashew butter; the recipe is below.

Avoiding Additives and Preservative

Check the paneer to make sure it does not contain additives. Make sure the spices do not contain colour or anti-caking agents. To make cashew butter, whirl ¼ cup (60 ml) raw cashews in a food processor for several minutes until smooth and creamy.

Brown the paneer

Simmer the tomatoes and spices

Return paneer to pan, add peas and simmer until heated through

Ingredients:

¼ cup (60 ml) ghee or neutral oil

½ pound (227 g) paneer or extra-firm tofu, cut into 1-inch (2.54-cm) cubes and patted very dry

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) ginger paste or freshly grated ginger

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) garlic paste or freshly grated garlic

1 teaspoon (5 ml) cumin seeds

¾ teaspoon (3.75 ml) kashmiri or other red chile powder

¼ teaspoon (1.25 ml) turmeric powder

3 medium plum tomatoes, finely chopped

1 teaspoon (5 ml) fine sea salt

2 tablespoons (30 ml) cashew butter

8 ounces (227 g) frozen (no need to thaw) or fresh green peas (about 1¾ cups)

3 tablespoons (45 ml) heavy cream or cashew cream (optional)

½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) garam masala

Rice or flatbread, for serving

Preparation:

Heat ghee or oil in a large frying pan or medium wok on high for 30 seconds, or until it is melted/hot. Lower heat to medium and lightly fry paneer or tofu cubes, turning frequently, until they are golden on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside on a plate lined with a paper towel.

In the same frying pan or wok, add onion, ginger and garlic, and cook on medium, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until onions are translucent.

Add cumin seeds, chile powder and turmeric, and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and salt. Add ¾ cup (187.5 ml) water. Simmer on medium until the mixture thickens slightly, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Lower the heat to medium-low and stir in cashew butter. Add peas and paneer. Stir to combine. Simmer for 5 minutes or until it reaches your desired thickness. Top with heavy cream in a swirl, if you like. Sprinkle with garam masala. Serve with rice or roti. Serves 4.

From NYT Cooking