February 22, 2018

Curried Eggplant Spinach Paneer

The creaminess of this curry combined with exotic Indian spices and the absolutely convincing flavor and texture of this vegan paneer will definitely give your taste buds a reason to celebrate. Paneer is an Indian fresh cheese made from curdled milk; so what could be a better volunteer for the plant based version than tofu, which is nothing else but curdled soy milk. Just add the right flavor, and you can finally enjoy those delicious paneers again without sacrificing taste or texture.

Paneer needs at least 2 hours to marinate!

Ingredients:

For the paneer:

16 oz (450 g) package of organic, pressed (!), super firm tofu (I used ‘nasoya’)
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp Celtic sea salt
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp freshly pressed lemon juice

For the curry:

2 large bunches of spinach ( I had 15.2 oz/430 g), thoroughly washed and drained
3 cups (720 ml) filtered water
1 tsp Celtic sea salt
medium bowl with ice water
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, diced
spice blend:
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper (optional, if you like it spicy)
5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 medium-size eggplants (generous 1 1/2 lb/ 760 g), cut into 3/4 inch cubes
3 medium-size tomatoes (11 oz/310 g), diced
1 Tbsp sweet paprika
1/4 cup (35 g) raisins
2 tsp maple syrup
1 cup (240 ml) vegetable broth (preferably prepared with homemade veggie broth concentrate)
two 13.66 fl oz (403 ml) cans coconut milk
Celtic sea salt to taste
1/2 cup (120 ml) plain, unsweetened vegan yogurt (preferably homemade)
chopped cilantro galore

I served it with spiced brown basmati rice.

Preparation:

Pat tofu dry and roughly crumble into a medium-size bowl. Add remaining paneer ingredients and massage into the tofu. Put covered into the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Wash and cut the vegetables, but leave spinach leaves whole. Have ice water ready for next step.

Bring 3 cups of filtered water to a boil, add spinach leaves, and blanch for 3 1/2 minutes. Use a large spoon to gradually push all the leaves into the boiling water. The spinach should have wilted with still a bright green color. Use a slotted spoon to transfer spinach to ice water. This will make it keep its beautiful color. Wait a minute, then transfer into strainer and let drain.

Don’t dump the cooking water. You can use it for your rice, if you want.

Preheat a large, heavy pot on medium heat. Add olive oil, then diced onion, and sauté for about 10 minutes until soft.

Add spice and stir for about one minute until fragrant. Now add garlic, eggplants, and tomatoes. Cook for 15 minutes while stirring frequently.

Add raisins, paprika, maple syrup, vegetable broth, and coconut milk. Adjust heat and simmer for another 15-20 minutes until eggplant cubes are tender. Season to taste with Celtic sea salt and maybe more crushed red pepper.

At the very end of the cooking time, add paneer, spinach, and a dollop vegan yogurt to the curry. Just heat them up, don’t cook.

Serve with rice, some more vegan yogurt, and chopped cilantro. Enjoy!