Spinach and Tofu Curry

Since I moved to Lindfield in our new home, fitness was on my mind. I was so unfit when I moved here, that I struggled walking half a mile let alone running. Then by a stroke of luck, I was introduced to a local trainer who has changed my life since working with her. I am not only getting my fitness back, am much more confident, happy and eating healthy, what my trainer calls clean eating. Trust me it does make you feel well and happy when you are eating clean. No processed food, no fats /good fats, no unwanted sugars, no carbs or should I say low carbs.. I was supposed to be on a diet for a couple of weeks, but it has become more of life style change for me. I watch what I eat. I am more creative in the way I cook and make sure I get nutrition out of everything that goes in my body. As a result I have been cooking my way through a lot of healthy recipes. There is a myth that eating healthy is expensive and eating healthy is boring. Both are wrong, when you look for right things, use your local green grocers, butchers and grocery stores, you will be amazed you not only save but also eat much better than a pot of pasta you buy off the shelf. In the ode of healthy eating, I cooked this tofu and spinach curry, which not only tasted nice but is packed with iron and protein, something you can make for kids too, just take the chillies out.
      I try and make everything a little interesting using spices. Spices doesn't mean blow your head off hot. Spices provide a nice subtle flavour to your cooking. Coming from India, I love my spices a lot, dare I say, I don't think I can eat without spices in 4 out of 5 meals. It makes everything taste so much better. Nothing has to be plain and bland.

        So if I have inspired you enough, lets get cooking :)

Here is what you need if you want to give it shot:

1. A good bunch of spinach leaves or a bag of washed and ready to use Spinach. I used the latter.
2. Firm 400 gms tofu.
3. 1 big clove of garlic
4. 1/2 inch ginger
5. 1 small onion
6. 5-6 cherry tomatoes or 1 regular size tomato, I just had some cherry tomatoes at home, so that what I used, you can use a table spoon of chopped tin tomatoes or 1 normal size tomato.
7. 2 chillies, I did not use very spicy chillies, I used them more for flavour than heat.
8. Sunflower oil for cooking, use any flavourless oil you like.
9. Yoghurt 1 tbl spoon and some for garnishing at the end. 
10. Spices
       1. 3 to 4 cloves
       2. 8-9 whole pepper corns
       3. 2 green cardamom pods
       4. 2 small bay leaves (Indian Bay leaves), if you can't find these skip them
       5. 1 tsp cumin seeds
       6. 1 tsp fennel seeds
       7. 1 tsp coriander powder
       8. 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
       9. a pinch of chilli powder
      10. 1 dried red chilli
      11. Salt to taste

These look like a lot of ingredients, but most of the kitchens have these in their spice boxes. It looks like lot of chillies too, but all of these are low on heat and give various levels of depth in flavour and taste. You can skip these completely of just have one of these if you are worried.

Prep for cooking:

1. Spinach Puree - Boil the spinach until it wilts, drain and blitz into a smooth puree. Save the water, this has a lot of iron. if you have used unwashed Spinach and washed before cooking, best to get rid of water as this may contain a bit of soil as washing doesn't always get all the soil out. Last thing you need is a gritty curry.
2. Chop the onion, tomato, ginger and chillies in chunky pieces and blitz to form a nice puree.
3. Finely grate the garlic and add it to the onion puree in point 2. This gives a subtle flavour of garlic than a very strong one, when you blend it.
4. Cut the tofu in chunky cubes and shallow fry them. I literally used 1 teaspoon of oil in a non stick pan and let the tofu crisp on all sides. This takes a little time and patience as you need to ensure you crisp up all the sides.

Just put it all together :)

1. Take a nice roomy heavy bottom pan or a non stick pan that can let you cook without burning.
2. Add a tea spoon of oil and add all the whole spices - cloves, peppercorns, bay leaves, cardamom, cumin seeds, fennel seeds. dried red chilli.
3. Add the onion and tomato puree and cook until it turns golden brown and starts oozing out oil. Turn the heat down and add the yoghurt and let it cook for a min, keep stirring to avoid the yoghurt from splitting. Add powdered spices - turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder, salt
4. Add the Spinach puree and cook for another minute.
5. Add the tofu and mix everything nicely. Be gentle so that the tofu does not break.
6. Add the saved water from boiled spinach just about 3 tablespoons, this curry is not very runny. Or just add a splash of water. Cook on low heat for 8-10 mins, keep adding water if you think the curry is drying out.
7. Turn off the heat and let the curry cool. Beat some yoghurt and add it over on the top as garnish, you can use some low fat sour cream if you like, that will taste nice too. While cooking if you want to make this a little rich, add some unsalted butter to the oil, but I don't thin you will need it at all.

You can enjoy this curry with some wholemeal bread, roti or some rice. I had this with wholemeal long grain brown rice. But you can eat it with what ever takes your fancy. Other alternative it put this in a wrap with some freshly sliced salads and sour cream in a wholemeal or corn tortilla.

An alternative to this curry if you don't like Spinach,use frozen green peas. Just add them after you cook the tomato and onion puree, even that will taste nice.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, hope you enjoy it too :) Do let me know if you cooked it and liked it or you altered it to make is nicer and simpler :)