Vegan Chana Paneer

My grandma sent me a delicious Chana Paneer recipe that I adapted to make vegan friendly while using items I already had in my pantry

Ingredients:

Balti Masala:
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
3 dried bay leaves
2 cinnamon sticks broken up
2 teaspoons ground cayenne
1/2 ground nutmeg

Heat a small skillet and add the whole spices. Toss spices until fennel seeds turn light brown and very fragrant. Remove from heat after 2-3 minutes. Let cool completely. Add to a spice grinder or coffee grinder. The ground blend should be reddish brown. Stir in the cayenne, nutmeg, and cumin. Your kitchen will smell amazing.

Chana Paneer:
2 tablespoons avocado oil (or any oil)
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 cup finely chopped sweet onion
1 large tomato cored and finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon balti masala
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 8oz package of extra firm tofu
1 cup or can of chickpeas
1/2 cup of almond milk (or other milk alternative
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro for topping

In a large skillet, add a bit of oil on medium low heat.

Add tofu and toss until light brown. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Add more oil and add in cumin powder and stir until fragrant. Add onion and continue to stir, allowing onion to soften and brown a bit on the edges. Stir in the tomato, salt, balti masala, and turmeric.

Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and tomatoes soften.

Add in chickpeas, 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer, cooking for 10-15 minutes until sauce begins to thicken. Stir in milk and tofu. Cook for another 5-7 minutes.

Remove from heat and enjoy! Garnish with fresh cilantro