Veggie Foodie

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2-3 tbsp coriander seeds
• 4 green cardamom pods or 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (freshly ground is best)
• 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped. Skip this to keep this recipe Jain
• 1 inch ginger, peeled and roughly chopped. Skip this to keep this recipe Jain
• 1 serrano chili, roughly chopped
• 3-4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped. Skip this to keep this recipe Jain
• 1 pound mustard greens, tough ends trimmed and greens roughly chopped, or mix of mustard greens, collard greens, fresh baby spinach (total 10 to 12 cups)
• 1 tbsp lime / lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• 1 (13-ounce) can coconut milk
• 1 (12-ounce) block extra-firm tofu or 1 (8-ounce) package paneer, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp asafetida
• 1/2 tsp red chili powder, such as cayenne or Kashmiri

Method:

1. In a large, deep pan or Dutch oven over medium heat, warm the vegetable oil. Once it shimmers, add the coriander and cardamom and toast the spices until fragrant and starting to brown, about 2 minutes. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the ginger, serrano chili and garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more. To keep your recipe Jain, skip adding onion, ginger and garlic.
2. Add the mustard greens, a large handful at a time, and cook until just wilted and still bright green. Don’t overcook the greens!
3. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the salt and lime juice. Let cool for a few minutes, then transfer to a blender (or use an immersion blender) and blend into a chunky paste. Return the mixture to the same pan over low heat. Stir in the coconut milk, then gently stir in tofu. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes more, until the tofu is warmed through and has soaked up some of the sauce.
4. While the tofu cooks, in a small pan or butter warmer over medium-high heat, melt the coconut oil. Add the cumin seeds, and once they start to brown and dance around in the pan, about 1 minute, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the asafetida and red chili powder.
5. Pour the coconut oil mixture over the saag, and serve with rice or roti.

Servings: 4 – 6

Inspiration source:

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1024665-coconut-saag