For a long time it seemed to me that there was more than a superficial resemblance between the white Indian cheese called paneer and tofu. When I finally made the classic Indian dish of spinach and paneer using tofu, it tasted amazingly at home in the cumin, ginger, and chile-laced sauce. There's a little going back and forth between the skillet and a food processor, but this is an easy dish to make. I serve it over rice with a sprinkling of toasted black sesame seeds.

　　

Ingredients

serves 3-4

　　1 carton firm or soft tofu

　　Salt

　　1 large bunch spinach, stems discarded, leaves well washed

　　1 jalapeño chile, seeded and coarsely chopped

　　1 serrano chile, coarsely chopped

　　1-inch knob ginger, peeled and diced

　　3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

　　1 cup diced onion

　　2 tablespoons ghee, butter, or vegetable oil

　　1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

　　1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, plus a pinch

　　1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

　　1/2 cup half-and-half

　　1/3 cup yogurt

　　

Step 1

1. Dice the tofu into pieces about the size of a sugar cube or a little smaller. Bring 6 cups water to a boil, add 1 teaspoon salt and lower the heat to a simmer. Add the tofu, turn off the heat, and leave for 4 or 5 minutes. Pour into a colander to drain. (If you've used soft tofu, remove it with a slotted spoon.) Set aside.

　　

Step 2

2. Steam the spinach until wilted, then remove it to a cutting board and chop. When cool enough to handle, squeeze out the excess water.

　　

Step 3

3. Put the chiles, ginger, garlic, and onion in a food processor, and process until finely chopped. Heat the ghee or butter in a nonstick skillet, add the onion mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.

　　

Step 4

4. Add 1 teaspoon salt, the cumin, nutmeg, cayenne, and 1 cup water.Simmer for 5 minutes, then return the mixture to the food processor, add the spinach, and puree.

　　

Step 5

5. Return the mixture to the skillet, add the half-and-half and the tofu, and simmer for about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the yogurt. Serve over basmati rice.

　　

Nutrition Per Serving

Per serving: 117.5 calories

　　43.9 calories from fat

　　4.9g total fat

　　1.2g saturated fat

　　4.2 mg cholesterol

　　288.2 mg sodium

　　15.3g total carbs

　　1.2g dietary fiber

　　9.6g sugars

　　3.8g protein

　　#### Nutritional analysis provided by [TasteBook

　　using the USDA Nutrition Database]( )

　　Reprinted with permission from This Can't Be Tofu! by Deborah Madison. © 2000 Broadway Books