Whenever I ask people, "what is your favorite Indian dish?", they say Chicken Tikka Masala. I'm so tired of hearing that. I mean, it's not even Indian. At times, I do hear Saag Paneer. Now, that is a good answer. Saag paneer is paneer (Indian cheese) cooked in a creamy spinach sauce. What can be better than that?
The answer is Saag Tofu! You get the creamy spinach sauce but with a healthy twist of adding tofu instead of cheese. It's a vegetarian's delight. We hope you enjoy this dish as much as we enjoyed making it and eating it with our families.
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| Tofu and mushrooms in Spinach sauce |
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Fresh Spinach leaves, washed and chopped
- 14 oz Extra firm Tofu, cut into 1" cubes (Please make sure to drain water and gently press to remove more water)
- 3 white button mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced (optional)
- 1 medium onion chopped finely
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
- 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
- ½ tsp chili powder or per your taste
- ½ tsp garam masala (optional)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1/3 tsp cup Heavy cream or half & half (alternately use coconut or nut milk)
Ingredients for seasoning
- 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp whole cumin (jeera)
- 2 to 3 Bay leaves (optional)
Cooking Instructions
1) In a blender, add the chopped spinach and a little bit of water and blend into a coarse thick sauce consistency. Set it aside.
2) In a saucepan, heat oil on low/medium heat, add jeera and when they sizzle follow it with bay leaves and stir for 10 seconds. Later add chopped garlic, onion and ginger-garlic paste. Stir for 1-2 minutes. Add chili powder and garam masala and stir for another 10 seconds.
3) Add tofu pieces into the pan and allow the cubes to turn golden brown by stirring intermittently and lightly for 5-6 minutes. When tofu is slightly browned, add chopped mushrooms and cook them for 2-3 minutes under closed lid. When mushrooms are soft, add the spinach blend and salt and continue to cook for 5-6 minutes. Adjust the salt and chili powder if needed. In the end add the heavy cream or half-half and cook for 1-2 minutes.
4) Remove from heat and serve it with rice, quinoa, chapati, or naan.
