Indian, Lunch, Dinner and Entrees

Tofu n peas in a black pepper and cilantro creamy sauce

VEGAN, VEGETARIAN, GLUTEN-FREE

There is a very popular Indian dish called Paneer kali mirch – it is a mildly spicy dish with just black pepper for spice. However, it does have a lot of other flavors such as ginger, garlic, and cardamom. Today’s recipe focused on black pepper and cilantro as the 2 leading flavors. I also incorporated oat milk to bring in some creaminess of a different variety and it gave it another new dimension. 

This dish is very easy to put together – first make a very simple paste. Then in a large dutch oven cast iron pot, cook the paste along with green peas. Finally, add the tofu, a cup of oat milk for creaminess, and seal with aluminum foil and simmer. The flavors are intensified and stand out uniquely. 

Black pepper is the star of this dish – I used it in 3 ways: ground in the paste, whole peppercorns seasoned in the gravy, and cracked fresh black pepper on top. Cilantro is also used in 2 ways: stalks are ground in the paste and plenty of fresh chopped cilantro leaves are garnished on top. 

Oven bake the tofu cubes with oil, salt, and pepper to a beautiful golden color. 

One pot dish which goes well with all sorts of Indian breads or a simple plate of fluffy rice! 😉 

Tofu n peas in a black pepper n cilantro creamy sauce

A simple dish flavored with just black pepper and cilantro as the two main aromatics. Tofu and green peas simmered in this simple creamy sauce with Oat milk to perfection.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Green peas fresh or frozen thawed
  • 2 cups Tofu extra firm cubed
  • 1 cup Oat milk
  • 1 tsp Turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp black Peppercorns
  • 1 tsp Cumin seeds
  • Salt
  • Oil

For the Gravy –

  • 1 Onion large
  • 4-5 Tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp Almonds
  • 1 tbsp whole Black peppercorns
  • Cilanto stalks and leaves a big bunch

For Garnish –

  • 1 tsp Cracked black peppercorns
  • Coriander leaves finely chopped

Instructions

  • Coat the tofu cubes with oil, salt n pepper and bake at 425 degrees hot oven for 20 minutes to a golden brown color
  • Grind the gravy ingredients to a smooth paste using water
  • Start a large dutch oven on the stove, add few teaspoons of oil
  • Add cumin seeds n whole peppercorns and fry to light brown color
  • Add the paste and green peas
  • Add salt and turmeric powder, mix well
  • Put a lid on and cook on low heat for 10 minutes
  • Open the pot, add the tofu cubes and close the lid
  • Now seal the edges tightly with foil and simmer for another 10 minutes
  • Turn off heat and let the pot sit for 10 minutes
  • Before serving, sprinkle the cracked fresh peppercorns and cilantro leaves on top
  • Enjoy with warm Indian breads or rice

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