Saag Tofu "Paneer" When I'm Impatient...

There is nothing to me that compares to indian food, in the world of food, except for...hmmm.....maybe japanese and romanian food...but that's besides the point.  In fact, if I were to be frank, I'd admit that I love all ethnic food - "real" chinese food, "real" japanese food, ethiopian (love to eat with my hands), and even "real" american food - not the twinkie packaged long-shelf-lives "american food" which really isn't....food per se....but actual food, like wholesome apple pie (with ingredients you can understand) and vegetarian stuffing with garlic mashed potatoes (surprisingly, with a little earth balance and a steady whip, you don't miss the sour cream or heavy cream...go figure).  

But I came home recently and had this desperate desire for indian food.  I found paneer at a nearby shop with a recipe on the back, which of course I altered a bit, and voila.  I often don't have time to go through the myriad steps of infusing the whatchamacallits and bla-dee-das...not when you have work in a few hours.  I made this in about 30 minutes (with prep).  


You can use any type of tofu to mimic the paneer taste and texture - baked, smoked, or extra firm. 

                          2 big bunches of spinach                              

          (go for it - it always cooks down so you can never have too much)

100 grams of baked tofu, cubed

1 teaspoon ginger paste (or just grate about a 1/2 inch knob of ginger) 

1 onion (I used yellow, but you can be adventurous), diced small

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 jallapeno, minced

1 tsp cumin powder

and lastly...a very hungry belly...

In a mortar/pestle, grind the ginger and garlic to a fine paste.  Set aside.  

Rinse the spinach very thoroughly, as it's often sandy/dirty.  Heat a heavy bottomed pot (I use enameled cast iron), and add in the spinach (without shaking off the water).  Stir it for about a minute of so, just until it wilts.   Take the wilted spinach out of the pot and reserve about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the liquid and set aside to cool.  Discard the rest of the water and wipe the pot clean.  

(For the next step, I don't wait too long - I'm pretty impatient, so I clean the pot and then I blend the spinach...but if you want to wait for the spinach tocompletely cool, that's your thing.)  When the spinach has cooled, blend the spinach and about 1/2 of the water (more if necessary to get the blades going) to a fine green cream.  I use a blender, since the result is much finer, but you can also use a food processor for a thicker result.  

Heat the pot again on medium heat, and add the oil to heat up a bit.  Add in the ginger and garlic to melt together, just until it gains some aroma (about 1 minute).  Add the onion, jalapeno, and spices, and turn the heat down low.  Heat for about one minute. Do a little belly dance and smile deeply.  Add the spinach and simmer for about 5 minutes, just until the flavors blend.  (I know I'm very impatient - for a deeper mix of tastes, simmer for 10 minutes or so but I like it on the vibrant green, slightly less cooked side).  Add the tofu in the last minute, just to heat through. Serve with brown rice, or just take ye a big old spoon and eat right out of the pot.  Yummm...

(insert more belly dancing here...go on, shake your tail feather)