Friday, December 15, 2006

Palak Paneer - Tofu with Spinach

When I was a kid, my Ma would have trouble getting me to eat Spinach. This green leafy vegetable was not something I relished. I got hooked on to Spinach when I moved to New Delhi to work. The dhaba near my apartment would serve Spinach regularly, be it Palak Paneer, or Palak Parathas or some other dish. No matter what dish it was, the taste was awesome.
For having an ardent dislike for Spinach, now I love this green, leafy vegetable. it features regularly in my house, in many forms :)

Recipe Source : Adapted from Sanjeev Kapoor's cookbook

1 packet frozen chopped spinach
1 packet extra firm tofu
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
5-6 green chillies
10-12 cloves garlic
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup water
Salt to taste
Oil
Heavy cream to garnish (optional)

Grind the spinach, garlic cloves and green chillies to a fine paste using 1/4 cup water. Drain the water from the tofu and cut into 2" cubes.
Heat oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and when they sizzle, add the spinach paste. Cook on medium heat till the spinach begins to bubble. Add the milk and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Add the tofu and salt and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Garnish with cream and serve hot.

12 comments:

Lakshmik said...

Hi Sangeeta

Looks ditto like palak paneer. Nice recipe.

Viji said...

It looks great!. Apart from the NV item i love this. Viji

FH said...

Healthy dish! I have his book too.

TNL said...

Very nice and simple...I like to use tofu instead of paneer at times, Its so much healthier.Thanks for the recipe.

-Trupti

Minal said...

Yes, can I replace tofu with paneer in this?

Sangeeta said...

Hi Lakshmi, Viji, Asha : Thanks for visiting :)

Hi Trupti - I also use this Spinach base with Potatoes - tastes good :)

Hi Minal - Thanks for dropping in. Yes, you can use Paneer instead of Tofu for this dish. :)

Seema Bhat said...

Sangeetha:
Looks delicious and healthy...tofu man it so much looks like paneer.
Thanks
Seema

Vini K said...

Hey Sangeeta,I make palak with tofu too!very nice,isn't it?:)

manju bansal said...

It's great. We generally put haldi but without haldi it is looking great.

Anonymous said...

10-12 garlic cloves wont make it too garlicky ! What does everybody else think !

Manjula said...

wow..finally a version that does not have heavy cream or malai. Gotto try this one.
When I try to squeeze water from extra firm tofu, it tends to break and crumble. Any tips there?

Sangeeta said...

Hi Manjula,
I drain the water from the Tofu and then put it on a paper towel. Let me know if this helps :)