2 lbs of spinach+1 new cookbook=yummmmm

Hello dear readers,
Last week Karin and I decided to purchase a Costco membership. I was mostly opposed to this, but Karin pointed out how much cheaper dog food and coffee would be, so I agreed. Once the membership pictures were taken, we immediately headed back to the meat and produce section. We bought enough meat for about two months: salmon, chicken and pork (Karin is not a fan of red meat.) Over in produce we had a hard time deciding what to get. I mean, what do two people do with that many veggies?. We settled on a large bag of fresh spinach and 6 bell peppers among other things.

Now I am not a huge fan of cooked spinach, but I am perfectly content eating it raw. I am not about to eat spinach salad every day for two weeks though! Fortunately for us, Karin received an Indian cookbook for Christmas. Spinach is used frequently in Indian dishes, especially in Saag. Saag is a wonderful savory dish of pureed spinach, tomatoes and spices in which you cook whatever meat or meat substitute you are using. When we first looked at the new cookbook we were certain we spotted a Saag Paneer recipe. Paneer is a soft Indian cheese with a texture similar to tofu. In fact, tofu can be used in place of it.
So we decided a tofu saag would be great way to use some spinach.

New Year's Day 2010
We bought our tofu and some spices we would need and opened up the cookbook. Lo and behold, there is not a Saag paneer recipe to be found. WTF?!? We both saw it, I swear! Alas, it was not to be. So we decided to go with the Chicken Saag recipe instead, and replace chicken thighs with firm tofu. The dish turned out quite well and we made some chapati bread as well, an Indian flatbread similar to a tortilla.

Tofu Saag (modified from Chicken Saag in Best Ever Indian Cookbook, pg 136)
8 ounces fresh spinach leaves
1-inch piece fresh ginger root, grated or minced
2 garlic cloves, crushed or minced
1 cup water
1 TBSP Vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
1-15 oz can diced tomatoes, mostly drained
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
3 Tbsp plain yogurt
1 block firm tofu, drained and squeezed. Cut into 1 inch cubes


Step 1: Rinse the spinach and place in a tightly covered pan. Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes, until wilted. Put the spinach, garlic and ginger in a blender or food processor with 1/4 cup of the water. Blend into a thick paste. Note: Blending hot food can be very dangerous, do not tightly close the lid or you risk an "explosion"


Step 2: Heat the oil on medium heat in a large heavy pan, add the onions and fry for 6-8 minutes until the onion has browned


Step 3: Add the tomatoes and simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the curry powder, salt and chili powder. Cook for 2 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.


Step 4: Stir in the spinach paste and the remaining 3/4 cup water. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the yogurt 1 Tbsp at a time and simmer for another 5 minutes.


Step 5: Add the tofu, stir to coat. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until tofu is warmed through. Serve warm with some naan or other flatbread. Like Chapati!

Chapati
2 cups Whole Wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup water, to start. You may need to add more water.


Combine flour and salt in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle and gradually stir in the water, mixing with your fingers. Form a supple dough and knead for 7-10 minutes. Ideally, cover with plastic and set aside for 15-20 minutes.


Divide the dough into 8-10 equal portions. On a well floured surface, roll out each piece into a circle.


Heat a skillet over high heat. when hot, lower to medium and add the first chapati to the pan. When it begins to bubble, turn it over and press down on it. Once lightly browned, remove from pan and place on a plate, cover with a clean towel to keep warm. Once all are cooked, serve warm.

The Best Ever Indian Cookbook is a wonderful purchase for anyone who wants to learn how to make classic Indian dishes.

One of the most interesting results of owning the book  has been shopping for spices for these recipes. Many of them are not very common in Salt Lake City (such as fenugreek and curry leaves) and have proved challenging to find. That's all part of the fun! Karin and I look forward to making many more dishes from this book and sharing our modifications and improvements with you!

Next Up: Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers