Saag Paneer

Indian food is not necessarily the most attractive recipes but its usually vibrant in it's color and terrific in it's flavor, which makes it one of my favorite cuisine types.  Here I have replaced the paneer cheese with extra firm tofu to reduce the calories and because paneer is not easy to come by.  I enjoyed this with some basmati rice and homemade naan (Indian bread).

Serves: 5-6
Prep Time: 30-40 min
Cook Time: 10-20 min

Ingredients:

2 bunches spinach, coarsely chopped
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
4-5 roasted green chilies
1 package extra firm tofu, 1/2 in cubes
1-2 onions, finely diced or grated
1 Tsp olive oil
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 inch piece ginger, minced
1-2 Tbsp cumin
1-2 tsp turmeric
1-2 tsp coriander
chili powder, to taste for spice level
salt, to taste

Directions:

• steam spinach and drain
• saute onions, garlic, ginger and all spices for 5-10 min.
• combine spinach, cilantro, chilies and blend until uniform in texture
• add tofu and spinach to saute and cook on low to medium heat for approx. 10 min.
• stir lightly until well mixed add water if too thick
• serve with basamati or jasmine rice and naan

Alternatives:

• use the traditional paneer (cheese cubes) instead of tofu
• try with different types of greens (mustard, kale, arugula)
• bake into pastry like spanakopita