Saag tofu is a delicious and nutritious Indian dish that can be easily prepared at home. The main ingredients of this dish are tofu, spinach, and spices. Tofu is a plant-based protein that is packed with essential nutrients, while spinach is a leafy green vegetable that is high in vitamins and minerals. The combination of these two ingredients creates a dish that is not only flavorful but also incredibly healthy. Saag tofu can be served with rice, roti, or naan, and it makes a great addition to any vegan or vegetarian meal. In this article, we will explore the best recipes for cooking saag tofu, providing you with step-by-step instructions and helpful tips to ensure that your dish turns out perfectly every time.
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SAAG TOFU (TOFU WITH SPINACH, GINGER, CORIANDER AND TURMERIC)
Raghavan Iyer, author of "660 Curries," describes the Indian cheese paneer as "fresh, firm and chewy" and "not unlike a block of extra-firm tofu," which you could substitute for paneer in a pinch. Tofu takes the place of paneer in this lighter version of saag paneer, a classic Indian dish made with fresh spinach sautéed in plenty of ginger, cumin, fennel seeds, chiles, coriander and turmeric. Here, seared tofu and yogurt are stirred in at the end, making it a creamy, satisfying, almost-vegan meal that's wonderful served with naan or over rice.
Provided by Martha Rose Shulman
Categories dinner, easy, quick, main course
Time 30m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Drain the tofu on paper towels. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat in a wok or a large, heavy lidded skillet and add the tofu. Stir-fry until golden brown and remove from the heat.
- Combine the shallot or onion and the ginger in a food processor or mini-chop and blend until finely minced, almost a paste.
- Heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat in a wok or skillet and add the cumin seeds, fennel seeds and whole chiles. Cook, stirring, for about 15 seconds, or until the spices are fragrant and reddish-brown. Add the onion and ginger and stir-fry until it is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the coriander, salt, cayenne and turmeric, stir for about 10 seconds and add the spinach in batches, adding the next batch after the first batch wilts and stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze.
- Stir in the tofu, cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the spinach is uniformly wilted and the tofu is warmed through.
- Whisk the cornstarch into the yogurt. Remove the pan from the heat, remove the chilies, and stir in the yogurt. Taste, adjust salt and serve with rice or other grains.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 274, UnsaturatedFat 13 grams, Carbohydrate 15 grams, Fat 17 grams, Fiber 7 grams, Protein 22 grams, SaturatedFat 3 grams, Sodium 751 milligrams, Sugar 3 grams, TransFat 0 grams
SAAG (INDIAN SPINACH)
An Indian spinach dish similar to that served in Indian restaurants. This is great as a main course or served as part of a larger meal. Serve with basmati rice and a little raita if you like. The dish is also great with the addition of paneer cubes or boiled potatoes - though I love it plain.
Provided by GreenGal
Categories Spinach
Time 50m
Yield 4-6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- In a large saucepan, saute onion in oil on medium high along with ginger and garam masala until onions are translucent and begin to pick up some color.
- Add minced garlic to pan, and cook briefly to soften. Do not allow the garlic to burn - lower heat if necessary.
- Add tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes. Incidentally, you can add a little more or less tomato depending on what you have available, slight differences in quantity will not be noticeable.
- Stir in yogurt. Do not worry if the yogurt separates.
- Add curry powder, coriander, cumin, sugar, and salt.
- Add bag of frozen spinach and mix well to combine. There is no need to defrost first if you use a the bagged spinach. If you are using the frozen block, I would advise defrosting first. You can also use the equivalent of fresh spinach.
- Add about a cup of water to the pot and cover. Simmer on medium for approximately 30 minutes. Spinach is done when the color has changed from the initial bright green to a much less vibrant green (almost brownish). If you crank up the heat, it is possible to cook this a little faster, but you have to pay attention to the moisture level. You may have to add more water throughout the cooking process if it cooks off.
- Once the spinach is fully cooked, remove the lid and cook off any remaining liquid. The spinach should be moist, but there should not be much liquid free in the bottom of the pan.
- Remove pan from heat.
- Using an immersion blender, blender, or food processor, puree the spinach. Leave it as chunky as you like. You can also choose to puree only half of the mixture if you like bigger pieces of spinach.
- Add further salt to taste.
- I have found that I have to fine tune the spices every time I make this dish depending on how I feel that day. For me, adding further small amounts of coriander is the key.
- If you like, potatoes, paneer cubes or chick peas may be added at this point.
- ***NOTE*** It is very helpful to prepare all ingredients in advance of cooking so that they can be added quickly during the cooking process. I recommend combining the components of each step beforehand (i.e. pre-measuring the spices together) so that you can just dump everything in quickly as you go.
SAAG TOFU (INDIAN TOFU WITH SPINACH)
This is a delicious and healthier version of saag paneer (palak paneer) that uses tofu rather than cheese. The Indian spices lend a lot of flavour to the tofu. From "EatingWell Magazine".
Provided by blucoat
Categories Stew
Time 30m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Cut tofu into thirds lengthwise and eighths crosswise. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tofu and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring gently every 2 to 3 minutes, until browned on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the pan and reduce heat to medium. Add onion, garlic, ginger and mustard seeds and cook until the onion is translucent, 4 to 6 minutes. Add spinach in batches small enough to fit in the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until all the spinach has been added and has wilted, 4 to 6 minutes more.
- Meanwhile, combine yogurt, curry powder, cumin and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Add to the pan along with the tofu and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
Tips:
- Use firm or extra-firm tofu. This will help the tofu hold its shape and not crumble when cooked.
- Press the tofu before cooking. This will help remove excess water and make the tofu more flavorful.
- Marinate the tofu before cooking. This will help the tofu absorb flavor and make it more tender.
- Cook the tofu over medium heat. This will help prevent the tofu from burning.
- Stir the tofu frequently while cooking. This will help prevent the tofu from sticking to the pan.
- Add the spinach at the end of cooking. This will help prevent the spinach from overcooking.
- Serve the saag tofu immediately. This will help ensure that the tofu is hot and flavorful.
Conclusion:
Saag tofu is a delicious and healthy dish that is easy to make. It is a great option for a vegetarian or vegan meal. The tofu is a good source of protein, and the spinach is a good source of vitamins and minerals. This dish is also a good source of fiber. Saag tofu can be served with rice, naan, or roti. It is also a great addition to a buffet or party spread.
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