Palak Tofu "Paneer"

Palak Tofu "Paneer"

Palak Paneer is a classic Indian dish using spinach and paneer, a soft cow's milk cheese native to India.  In my version, I substitute tofu for the paneer to add protein and subtract some fat.  This dish is vegan and gluten free, making it a great meal for everyone to enjoy.

Tofu is not only healthier than Paneer, it is also less expensive and easier to find!

 

 

 Ingredients

2 small garlic cloves chopped

1/2 inch piece of ginger chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil (1/2 for the spinach and 1/2 for the tofu)

6oz baby spinach

1 large tomato

1/2 cup almond or soy milk

1 tablespoon curry powder (1/2 for the spinach and 1/2 for the tofu)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1 16oz package of firm tofu

Salt, to taste

Directions

First step is cooking the spinach.  Chop up your garlic and ginger (make sure to remove the skin of the ginger) and place it into a cold pan.  Add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and turn the heat onto medium.  When the garlic and ginger begin to sizzle, add all of your spinach.  This will look like a ton, but it will cook down quite a bit.  Mix up the spinach with the garlic and ginger.  You don't want to leave the garlic and ginger on the bottom of the pan or it will get burned.  Salt to taste.  Cover the pan and cook down for about 10 minutes, stirring often.

Now the the spinach is cooked we will place it in the blender to combine with our 1/2 cup of almond/soy milk and spices.  Place the spinach in the blender first, followed by the 1/2 tablespoon of curry powder and the 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (more or less based on how much heat you like), and finally add the 1/2 cup of almond/soy milk.  Blend that up until it is a smooth, soupy consistency.  Don't worry about the mixure being too liquidy, we are going to cook it down with the tofu.

Speaking of tofu, it's time to cook it up!  Preheat a large pan to medium high heat.  Add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and coat the pan.  Remove the block of tofu from the package and wrap it in a paper towel to remove some of it's moisture.  Chop up the tofu into 1/2 inch squares, with a thickness of about 1/4 inch.  Add the tofu to the pan.  Add 1/2 tablespoon of curry powder and salt to taste.  Toss the tofu around, making sure that each piece is covered in curry.  Cook this for about 15 minutes, tossing frequenty.  You want the tofu to get lightly browned on all sides.  Now add the spinach mixture to the pan.  Cook for an additional 10 minutes, until the spinach thickens up.  Serve with Naan Bread, Homemade Flat Bread or brown rice (gluten free).   Enjoy!