Indian Saag with Chickpeas
Paneer, a fresh cheese that tastes like a cross between mozzarella and feta, is a common ingredient in vegetarian Indian recipes. To make this healthy Indian spinach recipe vegan, substitute tofu for the paneer and use “lite” coconut milk instead of yogurt.
Ingredients
Directions
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Bring rice and water to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to maintain a low simmer, cover and cook until the rice is tender and the water is absorbed, 30 to 40 minutes (see Tip). Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
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Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add paneer (or tofu) and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove to a plate. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, onion, chickpeas, ginger, garam masala and cumin. Cook, stirring, until the onions are soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in spinach, tomatoes and salt and cook until hot, about 3 minutes. Return the paneer (or tofu) to the pan and cook, gently stirring, until hot, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt. Serve the rice with the stew.
Tips
To have the most success cooking whole-grain rice, use a pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook on your coolest (or simmer) burner, making sure the rice is simmering at the lowest bubble. When preparing a recipe that calls for less than 1 cup of dry rice, like this, we found that rice is done quicker than when cooking a larger amount. So, when cooking a small batch of rice, start checking it after 30 minutes to make sure it doesn't burn.
Nutrition Facts
2 starch, 1/2 vegetable, 1/2 lean meat, 2 high-fat meat, 1 1/2 fat
