Matar Tofu

Matar paneer is one of northern India's great comfort foods: sweet peas and cubes of fresh cheese in a fragrant, spiced tomato gravy. This version keeps the rich gravy (also known as a masala) but swaps in tofu, baked until crispy and golden. The tofu is almost entirely hands off, leaving time to prep and cook the gravy, which builds flavors in layers -- whole cinnamon lends sweet warmth to complement the peas; onions brown slowly in oil; tomato paste, fresh tomatoes and ground spices are cooked into a jammy concentrate. While many versions get their richness from cashews ground into a paste, here, store-bought cashew milk supplies a lovely nutty creaminess, no blender needed. Feeding a crowd? Two blocks of tofu fit on a single pan without much extra work.