Palak paneer (or tofu)
(In which in-laws are successfully duped into thinking that tofu tastes as good as paneer)
Talking to my American friends, Palak paneer is the most ordered dish in the local Indian restaurant, next only to chicken tikka masala. It is also one of the easier restaurant dishes to recreate at home.
Ingredients:
1 lb spinach ( I used frozen)
1 block tofu, pressed and cubed, or paneer, fresh Indian cottage cheese, or Mexican queso fresco
* taste-wise, paneer or fresh Mexican cottage cheese are the best bets. For vegans and those of us who always have spare blocks of tofu sprouting to life in the fridge, tofu is a fine substitute. To help the tofu absorb maximum flavor from the gravy, press it under a couple of cans upto an hour ahead or freeze overnight and thaw.
1 onion, chopped (optional)
2 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped (optional, but good)
1 cup tomatoes, chopped (canned are fine)
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp green chilli-ginger paste
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp garam masala (optional)
salt to taste
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a heavy saucepan. Add the onion and saute for a good while until well browned, almost caramelized. Add the garlic towards the end and let it soften. Now push the onion and garlic towards the edges of the pan and add the other tbsp of oil in the center. Let it heat up, and add the cumin, coriander, red chilli powder and turmeric.
Let them sizzle for a bit and then add the ginger-green chili paste and the tomatoes. Salt and cook the masala for five-seven minutes, until the tomatoes break down and the whole thing turns into a sauce. Then add the spinach and a cupful or two of water, bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer.
While the gravy simmers, get the tofu ready. I like to have it as dry as possible so that it can absorb the spicy goodness. Other than pressing/freezing, microwaving the cubes for a couple of minutes also seems to work.
If you like your gravy non-chunky, take a hand blender to the spinach after it has simmered for ten minutes. Or you can leave it as is. Add the tofu, simmer for another ten minutes, sprinkle on the garam masala and serve.
Everybody likes palak paneer with flatbreads, but it also tastes great with plain boiled rice and an onion-y salad. Enjoy!
Comments
I like onion-y salad only with spinach and kadhi. Fresh cut red onions tossed with salt and lime juice, then refrigerated for 30 minutes or so. Fried onions are the best, of course.
But I do have tofu in the fridge. I'll remember to put it in the freezer tonight.
Onions are one of my favorite things to use in dishes. They are great for you even and I love the taste, however, the breath you get....well I just try to ensure that when I'm going to eat them, I'm going right home and staying in for the evening or that I'm at least not going out socially and I chew gum. (Garlic too, but you know they're both really good for you!!!!!) And with lime juice, salt and crushed red pepper? YUM!
Hope the palak paneer turns out well. For more restaurant-like creaminess, you can also add 1/4 cup of heavy cream or half-n-half (or even milk) towards the end. I usually avoid it to keep it low-cal.
(Saag and makki ki roti..mm. Have you ever tried making saag with broccoli rabe? Turns out amazingly like the real thing.)
I use Canon EOS 20D - how about you? Thanks for the compliment and believe me when I tell you, your pictures are excellent (not saying this to be polite :) ).