Palak "Paneer" with South Indian Lemon Rice

Palak Paneer is a popular North Indian dish that is on the vegetarian menu of just about every Indian restaurant. But for those of us who are vegans, this rich and spicy spinach-based dish comes with a catch - the cubes of deep-fried Paneer, or Indian cheese, puts it on our list of can't-haves.
Enter the tofu. It is amazing what you can do with this wonder food if you take a little bit of time to prep it. Marinated in the right ingredients, it makes a wonderful substitute for the paneer- a better one, in my opinion- and it comes minus the saturated fats and calories. Unlike the paneer which always seems to take on a tough texture when cooked, the firm tofu that I use in this recipe retains its silkiness and does a great job of absorbing the marinade and the flavors of the spinach. I also don't deep-fry the tofu as one would the paneer. Instead, I shallow fry it in just about a tablespoon of oil which gives the same golden-brown results.
My Creamy Vegan Palak "Paneer" is quite delectable and would stand up quite easily to its non-vegan counterpart on any restaurant menu. And what's more, this dish really is good for you.
To go with the Palak "Paneer" I made the subtle but absolutely delicious Lemon Rice which is a signature South Indian dish. It takes minutes to put together, and is a great way to use up leftover rice.

Creamy Vegan Palak "Paneer"

Ingredients:

For the tofu "paneer"

1 block of firm tofu.
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tbsp lemon or lime juice
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp chili powder or red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp turmeric (optional)
1 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste

Swaddle the tofu in a paper napkin and place in a colander. Put a heavy weight, like a cast-iron skillet, on top of the tofu and let all the water drain out, for about half an hour.
Cut the tofu into cubes of roughly one inch.
Make a marinade with the ginger, lemon juice, olive oil, chili powder, garam masala, salt, and turmeric, if using. Put the tofu cubes in it and let it stand about 30 minutes to an hour, turning it a couple of times to make sure all the surfaces absorb the marinade.
In a cast-iron or non-stick skillet, heat 1 tbsp of oil. Add the tofu cubes to the oil once its hot, and let cook until each side is lightly golden. Be gentle as the tofu is delicate! Reserve.

For the spinach

2 bunches of spinach, chopped roughly and boiled in about 1/4 cup of water until tender, then pureed.
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander seed powder
1/2 tsp turmeric (optional)
1/2 tsp chili powder or red chili flakes
1 14-oz can of diced tomatoes or 2 tomatoes, diced
1 tbsp ginger, grated
1 tbsp canola or other vegetable oil
1 tbsp cornflour whisked with 1/4 cup of almond milk
Salt to taste

Heat the oil. Add the cumin and coriander powders as well as the chili powder and turmeric, if using. Let it warm through for just a few seconds, then add the ginger and, after a few more seconds, add the tomatoes with any liquid.
Let this cook on a medium flame until the juice from the tomatoes is almost evaporated. Now add the spinach puree and salt and let the mixture simmer for about 8-10 minutes.
Now add the almond milk-cornflour paste and mix thoroughly. This will thicken the mixture slightly so you don't have a pool of water floating under the bed of spinach when you serve it.
Add the tofu cubes at the end and wait until it just warms through.
Garnish, if desired, with tomato wedges or caramelized onions and serve hot with puris or rice.

I served this Palak "Paneer" with lemon rice which is a pretty easy dish to put together if you have all the ingredients. It looks and tastes very special.

South Indian Lemon Rice

1 cup cooked rice (I used basmati but you could use any long-grain rice or even brown rice. Make sure the grains are separate and not sticking together)
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tbsp canola oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds (optional)
1 tbsp cashew nut pieces
2 red chilies, broken into 1-inch pieces
1 tsp udad dal (also called black gram and found in Indian grocery stores)
1 tsp chana dal (also called Bengal gram and available in Indian groceries)
1/4 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander
Salt to taste

Heat the oil. With the stove on medium heat, add the cumin seeds and when they sputter, add the chilies, the two dals, the fenugreek seeds and, finally, the cashew nut pieces.
When everything turns golden, in about a minute or two, add the turmeric and salt and stir. Then add the rice and the lemon juice. Turn off the heat and mix gently, taking care not to mash the rice.
Garnish with coriander and serve hot.