Tofu "Paneer" Pakora 

(Tofu Fritters in a Chickpea-Flour Batter)

I made these using the Pakora batter from My Tasty Curry's Special Paneer Pakoda Recipe. A few days ago, I baked some firm tofu before adding half of it to a noodle stir-fry (not pictured). I decided to transform the rest into Indian Pakora (fritters in a chickpea-flour batter), but wanted a recipe to guide me. This batter seemed the best candidate of those I found, and indeed, it ended up cooking nice and crispy. (I shallow-fried rather than deep-fried, but that seemed to be enough.)

The first pic is the Tofu Pakora. There was still batter left, so I fried that, too! That's the second pic. The third pic features everything together. The leftovers reheated nicely in a toaster oven, on a toaster-oven-safe tray, the next day. I just had to watch that some of the thinner pieces didn't burn. This certainly is tasty!

My Tasty Curry Website, Special Paneer Pakoda Recipe

Passover Mina/Pastel con Gomo de Espinaca 

(Sefardi Passover Matzah Spinach Pie)

The recipe is from Olive Trees & Honey, by Gil Marks. This Sefardi Jewish pie is often referred to online as a kind of lasagna. However, instead of a pastry crust or pasta, it is 2 layers of matzah (the cracker-like unleavened "bread" of Passover) which contain the filling. The top is brushed with an eggwash, and then it's all baked until golden.

One of the fillings the book recommends contains spinach, and that reminded me of the leftover Saag Paneer in the freezer. Saag Paneer is an Indian dish that here contains spinach, onion, and tofu (in place of Indian cheese), so I thought it would make a reasonable shortcut for the first time making this Mina.

I really enjoyed this Mina. Now that I'm more familiar with the technique, maybe some time I can make it again with more traditional fillings.

Palak "Paneer," 

with Tofu

Throwback to: Palak "Paneer," from March 2015. This is an Indian dish featuring palak = spinach and paneer = Indian cheese. Tofu fills in for the paneer in this version. (Also included are a couple of whole dried chili peppers, which smelled sweet, when still dry). Now that I think of it, it's about time to try this again! 

Veggie Kofta Curry "Meatballs" & Spaghetti

This is based on the Paneer Kofta Curry recipe from Archana's Kitchen. In place of the paneer (Indian cheese), I used (firm?) tofu, to make the veggie kofta meatballs. The package of tofu made so many, that after baking them, I put some away for another time. The rest were further cooked for a few minutes in an easy-to-make tomato curry sauce. It's not too spicy (unless you want it to be!), but is very satisfying.

I decided that this curry sauce would be very good on pasta. This got me to thinking about spaghetti and meatballs. I made spaghetti, and after draining it, added some of the curry sauce, cooking them together for a few minutes. 

If the sauce were thick enough, this dish could make a good meatball sandwich filling. If you break up the koftas into smaller pieces, it could even work as chili or sloppy Joes. A very versatile and delicious recipe!

Archana's Kitchen Website, Paneer Kofta Curry Recipe

Archana's Kitchen Facebook

Oven-Baked Tofu

#tbt : Oven-baked Tofu, from December. I briefly marinated it in a sauce I put together quickly, and after baking it, I salted it. Although I couldn't get it crispy this time, and the sauce wasn't as thick as I usually like on tofu, I still ate up enough of it with my dinner that day. Some of the rest went into a ramen noodle soup, and everything else was eaten to accompany various meals. I like to bake it on a parchment-lined baking sheet, as it always seems to stick to foil when I try that.