Recipe: this vibrant vegan curry ticks all the boxes for a cold wet January

Healthy, colourful and full of warming spices, embrace Veganuary in style with this recipe from an award-winning local restaurant

For more people than ever before, January has come to mean Veganuary.

And whether you’re looking to simply cut down on your meat consumption or fully embrace an animal-free diet, for the month of January or as a long-term goal, you’ll be looking for exciting recipe inspiration to help.

Healthy, vibrant and full of warming spices, this recipe for Tofu Palak, courtesy of award-winning vegan Indian restaurant Bhaji Pala in Gatley, ticks all the boxes for a cold wet January.

And though some might be unfamiliar if you’re not used to cooking with spices, shopping for all the ingredients couldn’t be easier thanks to the excellent news that Prime members in Manchester can now experience a new Click & Collect service when shopping ‘Morrisons on Amazon’.

Available at selected Morrisons stores across Greater Manchester, the Click & Collect service means you can order all the ingredients you need in a few clicks, and then get your groceries in minutes without even leaving your car – as soon as an hour from ordering. Just click the button below to start shopping.

Arguably at the forefront of the south Manchester food revolution, Bhaji Pala was recently crowned vegan restaurant of the year for 2021 at the prestigious National Curry Awards – so you know you’re in safe hands with this recipe.

The crisp sautéed tofu is mixed with a fresh spinach paste and aromatic spices for a vitamin-packed feast all the family will enjoy – and it’s so tasty even the most hardened carnivores won’t miss the meat.

Tofu Palak

Ingredients

1 bunch of fresh spinach, blanched and blended into a paste (see instructions)
300 grams tofu, cut into cubes and sautéed (see instructions)
3 teaspoons cooking oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tomato, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ginger and garlic paste
1 green chilli, chopped
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
Half teaspoon chilli powder
Salt to taste
50ml soya cream

Instructions

To sauté the tofu, add a small amount of oil to a non-stick frying pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add the tofu cubes to the pan, and brown on each side for about 1-2 minutes, then lower the heat and gently sauté for a total of about 10-15 minutes until crisp and golden.

Blanch the spinach leaves in boiling water (or steam them) for two minutes, followed by soaking them in iced water for the same amount of time – this will help retain the vivid green colour. Then drain it (you can squeeze out any excess water using your hands). Blend it to a thick paste using a blender.

Add the cooking oil to a pan. Once hot, add the cumin seeds and let them crackle.

Add the finely chopped onion, and gently sauté until it turns translucent.

Add the ginger and garlic paste and chopped green chillies, followed by the powdered spices, and stir.

Then add the spinach purée, followed by the sautéed tofu.

Finish off by adding salt to your taste, and stirring through the soya cream before serving.

This article was last updated 1 year ago.
It was first published on 14 January 2022 and is subject to be updated from time to time. Please refresh or return to see the latest version.

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