Hen Saagwala (Murg Saagwala)

Vegan “Hen” saagwala is an Indian rooster and spinach curry with a savory scrumptious sauce and tofu for the chikin. Serve this flavor-packed vegan model with naan, flatbread, rice or quinoa. Gluten-free, nut-free with soy-free possibility.

Saagwala is a well-liked greens primarily based sauce widespread in Indian eating places. It’s just like saag paneer, however is mostly paired with rooster or meat. The attention-grabbing half about most of the saag or Palak curries is that they’ve comparable sauces, however saagwala has much more spices for the meat model than in simply the vegetarian model. So why not add all of these spices and make the common saag tremendous flavorful, as properly? 

If you order simply plain saag at Indian eating places, that often is made with mustard, and it’s known as sarson ka saag. The spinach saag or palak saag is the extra widespread one for dwelling fashion saag, as a result of spinach is extra available in most locations. In order that’s what we use to make palak tofu paneer.

I’m adapting the rooster saagwala recipes from a few cooks, like Ranveer Brar and chef Sanjyot (Your Meals Lab) and altering it as much as make the sauce vegan and in addition to utilizing some tofu as an alternative of chickin.

Tofu it doesn’t prepare dinner the identical method as rooster, clearly. The feel of plain tofu simply doesn’t do justice to the dish, so I crisp up the tofu beforehand on the skillet or bake it with spices, after which add it to this scrumptious sauce.

You may as well add in different protein to this flavorful saag, like cooked chickpeas, cooked white beans, or chickpea tofu or pumpkin seed tofu to make it soy-free. Or, you possibly can add in seitan or soy curls, if you’d like the protein to have a extra chicken-like texture.

Why You’ll Love Saagwala

• spiced, crispy tofu items in a savory, creamy, spinach curry sauce
• very versatile! Change the tofu with plant-based protein of selection.
• flavors of garam masala, cardamom, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, garlic, and extra!
• gluten-free and nut-free with a number of simple, soy-free choices

Components and Substitutions

• tofu – That is your rooster substitute. You should use different plant primarily based proteins as an alternative, like chickpea tofu, pumpkin seed tofu, chickpeas, white beans, seitan, or soaked and drained soy curls.
• oil – To crisp up the tofu, to toast the entire spices, and to sauté.
• floor spices – We’re seasoning the tofu with turmeric, Kashmiri chili powder, garlic powder, garam masala, and salt. For the saag curry, you will want floor coriander, cayenne, crimson pepper flakes, and extra garam masala.
• cornstarch – Helps the spices follow the tofu and helps the tofu crisp up fantastically.
• complete spices – You’ll begin the spinach saag curry by roasting some complete spices: cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, black and inexperienced cardamom, and fenugreek leaves. When you don’t have the entire complete spices, you possibly can simply omit them. When you don’t have black cardamom, use a second inexperienced cardamom pod. If you want to make use of floor spices as an alternative, use ½ teaspoon floor cardamom and ⅛ teaspoon floor cinnamon and add them later, whenever you add the garam masala. When you don’t have fenugreek leaves, use ¼ teaspoon floor mustard and, once more, add it later with the bottom spices.
• onion – Sautéed onion provides a lot umami to the sauce!
• tomato paste – Provides much more umami to the sauce.
• non-dairy yogurt – Makes the sauce creamy. You may as well use some as a garnish.
• non-dairy milk or water – So as to add quantity to the sauce.
• garnishes – Lime juice, cilantro, recent ginger, and non-dairy cream (yogurt, bitter cream, or cashew cream) end the dish.

Make Vegan Hen Saagwala

First, make the crispy tofu rooster.

Press the tofu, when you haven’t already, then tear it into bite-sized ¾” to 1” items, then add to a bowl.

Add the oil and toss properly, then combine the entire spices and the cornstarch in a small bowl, and sprinkle all around the tofu, tossing properly to coat.

To bake: Unfold this tofu onto a parchment lined baking sheet, in order that the items aren’t touching one another, after which bake at 400° F (205° C) for 22 to twenty-eight minutes or till principally crisp. Put aside.

To prepare dinner the tofu on the skillet: Warmth a big skillet over medium-high warmth, and add 1 teaspoon of oil. As soon as the oil is sizzling, add the tofu to the skillet and unfold evenly, then proceed to prepare dinner for 3 minutes or so, after which flip the items over. Proceed to prepare dinner for an additional couple of minutes, and flip the items once more, till a lot of the edges are considerably crisp. This can take wherever from 7 to 9 minutes. Put aside. 

Now, make the spinach saag. 

Warmth the skillet over medium warmth, and add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil. As soon as the oil is sizzling, add the cumin seeds and prepare dinner, stirring continuously, till the cumin seeds are aromatic and have modified colour considerably. This can take wherever from 1 to three minutes, relying in your skillet and the range and all of that. 

Combine within the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, and fenugreek leaves, and prepare dinner for 15 to twenty seconds. 

Combine within the onion and the salt, and prepare dinner till the onion is golden. Add splashes of water in between to assist the onions prepare dinner evenly, and proceed to prepare dinner for as much as 5 to eight minutes, till golden. 

Stir in the entire floor spices and the ginger garlic paste, and prepare dinner for half a minute. 

Combine within the tomato paste and yogurt. Prepare dinner for an additional half a minute, then combine within the frozen spinach and non-dairy milk or water. 

Cowl with a lid, and let it prepare dinner for five to eight minutes, stirring as soon as in between, then style and alter salt and taste. If you would like the saag to be saucier or creamier, you possibly can add in some non-dairy cream, like ¼ cup of non-dairy yogurt or bitter cream or cream cheese together with some extra non-dairy milk.

As soon as the sauce is seasoned to choice, calmly fold within the tofu or simply place the tofu on prime over the saag and garnish with some cilantro, lime, and ginger and drizzle on non-dairy cream. Serve with naan, roti, different flat bread, or rice.

Retailer refrigerated for upto 3 days. Freeze for months. Reheat in microwave or skillet.