I loves me some Indian food. Ever since high school when I attended Sunday prasadam at the Hare Krsna temple, I made an effort to learn how to prepare Indian-style cooking at home. The smells and flavors of spices in Indian cooking are as vast as the people of India. My favorite dish, when I ate cheese with aplomb, was saag paneer: creamed spinach with cheese curds. The English translation simply doesn’t do this dish justice. The spicy mixture of spinach is tempered with the curds perfectly fried to a golden brown. For years I tried to recreate this recipe at home but never successfully made what I ate in restaurants. Then, one day, whilst shopping at a spice market in Berkeley, I asked a woman in the store how I could make saag paneer at home. Her face lit up like Diwali and she led me through the aisles, handing me items as she recited the recipe from memory.
And this is how we do it—vegan, of course.
Ingredients
- 2 bunches fresh spinach, rinsed and chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 Tbsp ginger, minced
- 1 Tbsp garlic, minced
- 3 Tbsp vegan butter (Earth Balance)
- 1 Tbsp garam masala
- 1 lb firm or extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
Directions
- Melt 2 Tbsp vegan butter in a medium stockpot over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onions to the stockpot; sauté onion until translucent.
- Add the garlic and ginger; sauté for a few minutes until fragrant.
- Add the garam masala; stir until you have a paste on the bottom of the stockpot.
- Add the chopped spinach to the stockpot; mix into the paste and cover with lid.
- When the spinach has completely wilted:
- reduce heat to simmer and purée spinach mixture with your immersion blender; or
- remove from heat and purée spinach mixture in a blender or food processor
- Meanwhile, prepare the tofu:
- Cut the tofu into 1/2″ cubes
- In a skillet or stockpot, heat remaining 1 Tbsp vegan butter over medium heat
- Cook/fry tofu until golden brown; remove from heat and mix into spinach mixture
Tips
- Freeze the tofu overnight then thaw at room temperature for an increased texture.
- If you desire a spicy kick to this dish, add 1/2 Tbsp chili powder to the garam masala.
- Use a quality olive oil if you don’t have vegan butter.
This dish would go great with the curry veggie patties and homemade garlic naan. Sayin’.