Tofu Saag

We got a lot of spinach and mustard greens in this week's CSA box, so we decided to try mixing the two to make a punjabi saag dish.  I always wondered what the difference was between "Palak Paneer" and "Saag Paneer," so I looked it up, and it turns out that "palak" is the punjabi word for spinach, whereas "saag" means any greens or mixture of greens.  So since I was making this dish with both spinach and mustard greens, it is a saag dish.

Also, I didn't have any paneer in the house, but Ami Mami came to the rescue!  She cut up some tofu into thin slabs and pan fried them in some olive oil until it was browned on one side and then flipped them to brown on the other side.  Then she cut up the slabs into squares, and the texture and taste was very similar to paneer!  It was a perfect addition to the saag.

This is a recipe that I have used before, but never with fresh vegetables (I always used frozen spinach).  And I had never used mustard greens before, but I definitely believe it added a delicious peppery taste to the saag, and I would certainly make it with them again!

Recipe for Tofu Saag

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons ghee
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons dhana jeeru (coriander cumin powder)
3 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
1 can tomato paste
1 (3 inch) piece of ginger, peeled and minced
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 cups chopped fresh spinach and mustard greens
1 teaspoon sour cream
1/2 container tofu pan fried in olive oil (as described above)

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Melt ghee in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Stir in garlic, onions, dhana jeeru, ginger, garam masala, salt, red pepper, curry powder, and tomato paste.  Add water to keep it at a sauce-like consistency and simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Stir in spinach and mustard greens and simmer covered for 30-40 minutes.
4. Place mixture into a blender and pulse puree 5-10 times.  You want to keep it a chunky consistency, not completely smooth.
5. Transfer back to saucepan and add sour cream and tofu.  Mix well, and serve with rice or naan!