Spinach is the best. Well, in my opinion. I sure like it more than Kale ;D Even though kale has more on spinach nutrient wise…
Anyways, this is one of my Favorite Indian dishes. Anytime I go to an Indian restaurant, it is on my top choices of what to get. I’ve had so many different versions of Saag Paneer and Palak Paneer. Most restaurants won’t make it without cheese (paneer), but I did find one that does put tofu in place of the cheese! And thankfully, that is the one right across from my job hehe. Still though, it always costs $$ to get takeout, so why not try to replicate it yourself and enjoy it all week long or with the entire family for way cheaper? I have not had a whole lot of luck replicating Indian dishes, but this is one I have gotten pretty darn close at! And I think with some more time and love, I can really perfect this dish. It doesn’t seem to be all about the ingredients surprisingly, but about the process, something learned overtime I think. But speaking of ingredients, everything in this is pretty darn good for you – the garlic and onions, the spices, and the mean green spinach. The tofu helps to make it a little more filling, while providing extra protein and crunch. The vegan yogurt might be the least healthy ingredient in this whole dish, and still you can find some out there with pretty guilt-free ingredients, so I’m not too worried. Or you could replace it with coconut milk, but it will give it a different flavor. But hey try it out, experiment and perfect this recipe to your liking like I have:)
Hope everyone had an enjoyable Memorial Day weekend!
This is the recipe I followed on YouTube, its awesome!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp - Coconut Oil
- 4 Cloves - Garlic
- 1 Tbsp - Cumin Seeds
- 3-5 Green Chillies
- 1/2 Onion - Chopped
- 1 Small Vegan Yogurt (plain)
- 1 Tbsp - Coriander Powder
- 1 Tbsp - Turmeric Powder
- Black Salt and Sea Salt to taste
- 2 Cups - Spinach Leaves (boiled and pureed in the food processor or blender into paste)
- 1 Tbsp - Coriander Paste (you can get this at an Indian Grocery store)
- 1 Package - Extra Firm Tofu
- 1/2 Lemon - Juiced
Instructions
- In a frying pan, heat your coconut oil over medium heat.
- Chop your garlic finely and slice your green chillies and onion.
- Add garlic and cumin seeds to the hot oil and stir immediately. Do not let this burn!
- Next add your onions until translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add 1 Cup Vegan Yogurt with your spices. Mix and let simmer.
- Gather a small pot and place filtered water (enough to barely cover 2 cups of spinach leaves) and bring to a boil.
- Grab two large handfuls (or 2 heaping cup fulls) of spinach leaves and boil until soft and tender. If there is a lot of excess, drain some water and throw the remaining in your food processor or high powered blender (be careful not to burn yourself or melt away any plastic in your food processor!). Grind into a paste.
- Meanwhile drain and cut your tofu into 1" bite sized cubes. Place on an oiled down parchment paper and bake in the toaster oven for 30min at 400F (flip mid way). We just want them to firm up a tad on the outside.
- Now add your spinach paste into your pan and stir. You should get a nice bright green color when mixing together.
- Add your tofu, stir and taste to adjust seasoning. At the very end, remove from heat and add lemon juice. Enjoy!