Spinach and Tempeh Curry with Potato and Almonds
Serves 4
Saag Paneer has always been a favourite amongst us Wilder Foodies.
Admittedly, this isn’t authentic saag paneer - we’ve taken the idea and gone a’ wandering. But it’s a delicious spinach curry– completely vegan - and really shows off the texture of our fresh soy+ millet tempeh, with its thin roasted spice crust, as well as the potato and almonds.
You’ll be ok without the ingredients marked “recommended”. But it really is better with them included. The fenugreek leaves are at any Indian or Nepalese grocer and are one of those secret weapons that Indian cooks use. The same goes for asafoetida.
Our lemon beenie gives the tempeh a nice savoury depth and works a treat with the herbs and fresh lemon to finish.
The tadka is also a recommended addition, creating a beautiful garnish and tying all the flavours together.
Serve with steamed rice and yoghurt (vegan or non).
Ingredients
(1) For the Roasted Tempeh
300g Soy+ Millet tempeh
3 tsp ground coriander
1 ½ tsp ground cumin
1 ½ tsp turmeric powder
1 ½ tsp lemon beenie (recommended)
1 clove garlic
1 tsp salt
(2) For the Curry
200g potato, 1cm dice
60g whole almonds, roasted
250g/1 bunch English spinach
2 tbsp fenugreek leaves (recommended)
2 tsp lemon beenie (recommended)
400g coconut milk
1 packed cup coriander leaves – medium to finely chopped
1 packed cup mint leaves -
¼ cup vegetable oil
150g brown onion, diced
5 cloves / 25g garlic finely chopped
5cm / 20g ginger, finely grated
2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp garam masala
¼ tsp asafoetida (recommended)
Juice of one lemon or to taste
Salt to taste
(3) For the Tadka
2 tbsp coconut oil
3 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 medium green chilli, 2mm slices
1 sprig curry leaves
2tsp yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp flaky salt
Method
Dice the tempeh and peel / dice the potato at 1cm or as desired.
Slice the garlic roughly, add a pinch of salt then work the mixture, repeatedly smearing with the edge of a cook’s knife until a smooth paste is formed.
In a medium bowl, mix the garlic paste with the lemon beenie, oil, spices and salt (use the back of a spoon).
Add the diced tempeh to the bowl and mix until well coated. Spread the tempeh out on a tray lined with baking paper and roast in a hot oven (210°C fan-forced), turning regularly for approx. 20 minutes or until well browned.
Cook the potato in salted water until done. Drain then set aside.
Once the tempeh is cooked, drop the oven to 160°C and add the almonds. Roast for 8-12 minutes, tossing regularly until browned in the middle (cut in half or crush to check). Chop roughly or crush then set aside.
Wash the spinach and herbs, rinsing and draining well.
Using a blender or nutribullet, process the washed herbs, spinach, fenugreek, 1½ tsp lemon beenie and coconut cream to puree. If you don’t have this kind of blender, a food processor or even chopping the greens by hand before mixing will suffice although blending will give you a smoother and richer sauce.
In a heavy-based pot (large enough for all ingredients) cook the diced onion with the oil and a generous pinch of salt over low-medium heat until translucent.
Add the garlic and ginger and cook briefly, before adding the contents of the blender to the pot. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.
Add the potato, tempeh and half of the almonds and mix well. Add the garam masala, turmeric and asafoetida before seasoning to taste with the lemon juice and salt. Serve drizzled with the tadka (if using), reserved almonds and vegan yoghurt.
For the tadka: Warm the coconut oil to a medium to high heat, before adding the mustard seeds. When they begin to pop, add the garlic and cook until just beginning to brown before adding the green chilli and salt.
Cook until beginning to soften before adding the curry leaves. Continue cooking until the leaves are ¾ translucent (approx. 15-25 seconds) then set pan aside. Do this just before serving so the tadka can be drizzled over each bowl hot!
Serve with steamed rice and enjoy!
