Indian food is definitely a favorite in our household. We love the flavors involved and it is a great use to bring out a ton of spices and really just have some fun in the kitchen. One of our favorite Indian dishes is saag. The greens mixed with all the spices turns out a very creamy and flavorful meal that is very fulfilling and perfect for a cold night. You can make saag with almost any protein. Paneer, lamb, chicken, etc. It all goes well. Our favorite saag is with paneer (Indian cheese). Paneer can be a bit of a high calorie addition to the meal so we decided to give it a try with tofu instead of paneer. What resulted was a truly delicious and extremely healthy dish that will definitely be made in our household again.
Saag Tofu
Adapted from Chef In You
Serves 4
1 c. brown basmati rice
1 bunch chard or Mustard leaves
1 bunch spinach
5-10 parsley leaves (for freshness)
generous handful of fresh cilantro leaves
1-2 green chilis, with or without seeds depending on taste
2 T. canola oil, divided
1 onion, finely chopped
1 t. crushed garlic
1 t. crushed ginger
1 package firm tofu, well drained and cubed
1 t. garam masala
pinch of tumeric
1/2 t. corriander, ground
1/2 t. cumin
salt to taste
1) Rinse rice and prepare according to package directions.
2) Wash and roughly chop the chard and spinach. In a large pot steam the first four ingredients until wilted. Place all the wilted greens in a blender with the green chilis and puree until smooth. You can add a little water if the mixture is too thick to puree.
3) Meanwhile heat 1 T. oil in a medium skillet. Add tofu and cook for 5-10 minutes until it begins to brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
4) Add the remaining 1 T. of oil to the pan along with the onion, garlic, ginger and spices. Heat for 5 minutes until onions begin to soften. Add the tofu back to the pan and let cook for another 5 minutes. Add in the greens puree and bring to a boil. If the mixture is too watery you can add some corn starch to thicken it up. If it is too thick you can add some water. Salt to taste and serve warm over the basmati rice.
Posts
