I am a creature of habit, so I often order the same few things when I see them on a menu. And for me, Indian food pretty much always means saag paneer – cheese and spinach curry.

Spinach + cheese + a tasty, creamy sauce = absolute heaven.

Why should I ever choose anything else?

Saag paneer is really easy to make – as usual, I’ve tried to make my recipe as straightforward as possible, and this version can be on the table in just 30 minutes or less.

I regularly use frozen spinach for spinach curries (I often use it in saag aloo too), partly because it’s really convenient (no chance of it wilting in the fridge!), but also because it gives the perfect texture for a dish like this. However, if you do have a big bag of fresh spinach in the fridge, this is a great way to use up the whole lot in one fell swoop.

What is Saag Paneer?

Saag paneer is a vegetarian curry from India, and it’s made with spinach and paneer cheese.

In the Western world, the dish is also often called palak paneer, and although there are technically some differences between saag and palak, here the two terms are generally used interchangeably. My recipe is by no means an authentic Indian recipe – just my own quick and easy version of my favourite Indian dish.

What Does Paneer Taste Like?

Paneer cheese is mild and milky. It doesn’t have a strong flavour on its own, just a wonderful creaminess that is a great contrast to the rich, spiced tomato sauce.

Some people say paneer cheese is similar to halloumi cheese, but I have to disagree. Paneer has a much milder, less salty flavour, and is softer than halloumi. They’re both delicious, but not the same.

How to Serve Saag Paneer

This creamy curry can either be served as a side dish or as a meal in its own right.

If you’re serving up an Indian feast, it would be great to offer this spinach curry alongside a vegan dal, some pilau rice, and some vegetarian samosas.

Alternatively, the saag paneer is tasty enough to serve as the main event, with just a bit of naan bread for scooping the curry and mopping up the plate.

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Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

• frozen spinach – fresh spinach will also work, but I love the texture frozen spinach gives, and it’s so handy to keep in the freezer!
• paneer cheese
• onion – I used half an onion for this recipe. You could use a whole small onion instead, if you prefer.
• tomatoes
• tomato paste
• cream – you can skip this if you like, but it really lifts the saag paneer to the next level of deliciousness!
• garlic (I used garlic puree)
• ginger (I used ginger puree)
• curry powder

Becca’s Top Tip

For simplicity’s sake, I decided to use a generic ‘curry powder’, which is already a blend of various spices – mine contained coriander, cumin, turmeric, star anise, and more. If you’d prefer to mix up your own blend of spices, go ahead.

Printable Instructions

Print

30 Minute Saag Paneer

This easy saag paneer (cheese and spinach curry) is an unbelievably tasty vegetarian curry that can be on the table in just 30 minutes!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Diet Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 3

Calories 318kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1/2 onion (or 1 small onion), sliced or diced
• 200 g (~ 7 oz) paneer cheese, cut into bitesize pieces
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp garlic paste
• 1/2 tsp ginger paste
• ~ 5 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• 560 g (~ 1 1/4 lb) frozen spinach
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 Tbsp single cream

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat, and add the onion and cubes of paneer cheese. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent, and the cheese is lightly golden.
  
• Add the curry powder, garlic and ginger, and cook for a couple more minutes, until fragrant.
  
• Next, add the diced tomatoes and tomato paste, and mix to combine. Cook for 5 more minutes.
  
• Add the frozen spinach to the pan. Cover the pan with a lid to help the spinach defrost – it will probably take 5 minutes or so.
  
• When the spinach has defrosted, remove the lid, and allow to cook for a few more minutes, until everything is piping hot and some of the excess liquid has cooked off.
  
• Season to taste with salt and pepper, and add the cream. Simmer gently until you’re ready to serve.
  

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 17.5g | Protein: 17.1g | Fat: 20.2g | Saturated Fat: 10.1g | Cholesterol: 56mg | Sodium: 579mg | Potassium: 486mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 5.4g | Calcium: 532mg | Iron: 7mg

Other Spinach Recipes

Vegetarian Curry Recipes

Spinach and Ricotta Enchiladas

30 Minute Saag Paneer (Cheese and Spinach Curry)

Easy Spinach and Garlic Rice

Spinach and Black Bean Enchiladas (with Easy Homemade Sauce)

The post 30 Minute Saag Paneer (Cheese and Spinach Curry) appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

I adore fusion food, where two cuisines are combined to make something new – often creating something that’s even better than the sum of its parts.

This Indian pizza is the perfect example – a wonderful cross between Indian and Italian! Naan bread makes a perfect low-effort pizza crust that’s soft and chewy, yet crispy round the edges. Add a curry-infused pizza sauce, and sprinkle over some creamy paneer cheese, and you’ve got one irresistible Indian pizza!

I have genuinely been dreaming about this paneer pizza since the first time I made it. The flavours are unreal. And considering I’m a huge pizza lover, and I think sometimes it’s pretty hard to improve on a simple vegetarian pizza… even I have to admit that this recipe has just about done it.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. You’ll also need a few cupboard staples, like salt and pepper. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

• naan bread – choose a large, flat naan if you can find one. It’s worth spending a little more to get a good quality base.
• pizza sauce – just a regular tomato-based sauce, nothing fancy.
• curry paste – I used tikka paste, but use your favourite.
• paneer cheese
• cheddar cheese – to add extra flavour to the paneer, and some meltiness to your pizza.
• sliced tomatoes
• red onion
• cilantro (fresh coriander)

Becca’s Top Tip

Don’t be too careful when crumbling your paneer cheese – it doesn’t all need to be perfectly even in size. In fact, I like to deliberately leave a bit of size variation. The larger pieces remain soft and creamy in the middle, and the smaller pieces crisp up beautifully.

Instructions

Here’s how to make this recipe – see below for the printable recipe with detailed ingredients and instructions.

Step 1: Combine the curry paste and pizza sauce, and spread over the naan bread.

Step 2: Add the pizza toppings: grated cheddar, crumbled paneer, red onions, and sliced tomatoes.

Step 3: Bake until crispy.

Step 4: Top with fresh cilantro, and serve.

Becca’s Top Tip

I like to keep the pizza toppings pretty simple on this Indian pizza, so the focus can be the flavours of the curry and the paneer. Some sliced tomatoes and red onion work beautifully. You could add some additional veggies if you like, but don’t go overboard.

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Indian Pizza with Paneer (Naan Bread Pizza)

This Indian pizza with paneer is made on a naan bread base, with a curry-infused pizza sauce. The most incredible fusion food!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian, Italian

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 516kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

• 75 ml (~ 1/4 cup) pizza sauce or passata
• 1 Tablespoon curry paste (I used tikka paste)
• 1 large naan bread (~ 180g / 6 1/2 oz) – mine measured approx. 9 x 12 inches
• 50 g mature cheddar cheese, grated (~ 1/2 cup when grated)
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 2 medium tomatoes, sliced
• 100 g (~ 3 1/2 oz) paneer cheese, roughly crumbled
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Few sprigs fresh coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F).
• Combine the tomato sauce and curry paste in a bowl, then spread it over the large naan bread.
• Sprinkle the grated cheddar onto the base, then add the sliced red onion, sliced tomatoes, and crumbled paneer. Top with a little black pepper.
• Bake for around 15 minutes, or until crisped up to your liking. Serve sprinkled with chopped cilantro.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5pizza | Calories: 516kcal | Carbohydrates: 42.3g | Protein: 24.1g | Fat: 27.1g | Saturated Fat: 11.6g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 321mg | Potassium: 365mg | Fiber: 4.4g | Sugar: 5.8g | Calcium: 401mg | Iron: 3mg

The post Indian Pizza with Paneer (Naan Bread Pizza) appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

Looking for a delicious way to spice up your leftover potatoes? Look no further than this quick and easy saag aloo recipe – a simple Indian curry on the table in less than 20 minutes!

Alternatively, if there are never any leftover potatoes in your house (join the club), you can instead use tinned potatoes, like I did here, to whip up a quick saag aloo in no time at all.

This easy saag aloo needs just a handful of ingredients, and in no time you’ll be tucking in to this intensely flavourful, creamy spinach and potato curry.

The luscious creamy sauce soaks right into the potatoes, and makes an incredible Indian side dish to serve alongside your favourite vegetarian curry.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. You’ll also need a few cupboard staples, like oil, salt and pepper. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

• cooked potatoes – I used tinned potatoes, but if you have any leftover potatoes from a previous meal, they will work well too.
• spinach – I used fresh spinach, but frozen would be fine too.
• onion
• garlic – I used minced garlic from a jar.
• spices – garam masala, turmeric, and smoked paprika.
• cream (use a vegan version if needed)

Becca’s Top Tip

If you’d prefer to serve this saag aloo as a main course, rather than a side dish, you may want to add some additional protein. Tinned chickpeas, paneer cheese, or fried tofu would all work really well!

Instructions

Here’s how to make this recipe – see below for the printable recipe with detailed ingredients and instructions.

Step 1: Fry off some chopped onion with plenty of spices.

Step 2: Add the cooked potatoes, and let them crisp up a little.

Step 3: Add some fresh spinach, and allow it to wilt.

Step 4: Finish the sauce by adding some cream.

Step 5: Serve as a side dish.

Becca’s Top Tip

You won’t want to leave any of the tasty creamy sauce behind, so I’d recommend serving some naan bread on the side to help mop up the bowl!

Print

Quick and Easy Saag Aloo

This quick saag aloo is a budget-friendly vegetarian curry that uses leftover or canned potatoes, and can be on the table in 20 minutes!

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 3 people

Calories 188kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 345 g (~ 12 oz) cooked potatoes (I used canned), cut into bitesized pieces
• 3 large handfuls fresh spinach
• 75 ml (~ 1/4 cup) cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

• Heat a dash of oil in a frying pan, and add the sliced onion. Cook for a few minutes over a medium heat, until it’s beginning to soften. Add the garlic and spices, and cook for another minute or so.
• Next, add the cooked potatoes to the pan. Stir gently for a few minutes, until the potatoes are coated in the spices, and are beginning to crisp up.
• Add the spinach, and allow it to wilt. You can add one handful at a time, if you don’t have room for all the spinach in one go – it will create more room in the pan as it wilts down.
• When the spinach has wilted, add the cream, and bring to a simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. When everything is piping hot, serve.

Notes

If you’d like to cook this recipe in advance, store it in an airtight tub in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 188kcal | Carbohydrates: 27.3g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7.8g | Saturated Fat: 2.5g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 430mg | Potassium: 616mg | Fiber: 3.6g | Sugar: 2.7g | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 2mg

The post Quick Saag Aloo (Spinach and Potato Curry) appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

If you’re a fan of Indian food, you must try this mushroom tikka! The flavours are just incredible.

It couldn’t be easier to make – just coat some mushrooms in a tasty spiced yogurt marinade, then bake until they’re juicy and packed with flavour. The spices in the marinade intensify so much as it cooks, and the mushrooms become almost crispy around the edges – it’s really amazing.

I love a good mushroom recipe, and this is such a versatile one.

This easy mushroom tikka would make a great Indian appetiser, or an Indian side dish with a feast of different vegetarian curries. Or if you’re not planning a big feast, I served mine as a light lunch with some naan bread and salad. Seriously one of the best lunches I’ve had in months.

Much like the more common (but obviously less vegetarian) chicken tikka, you could cook this mushroom tikka on metal skewers, if you like. I tested the recipe using skewers, as well as just baking the mushrooms straight on a baking tray, and to be honest, the skewers were more faff than they were worth. They did look pretty though, so it’s up to you!

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe. You’ll also need a few cupboard staples, like oil, salt and pepper. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

• mushrooms. It doesn’t particularly matter what kind of mushroom you use – button mushrooms, chestnut mushrooms, portobello mushrooms, etc. would all be great. I used chestnut mushrooms.
• Greek yogurt
• lemon juice
• spices – I used curry powder, smoked paprika, chilli powder, and turmeric.
• cilantro, to garnish

Becca’s Top Tip

If you don’t already have a well-stocked spice collection, don’t bother buying each individual spice just for this recipe. Instead, a decent shop-bought spice mix (e.g. a tikka mix) will work just as well.

Instructions

Here’s how to make this recipe – see below for the printable recipe with detailed ingredients and instructions.

Step 1: Combine Greek yogurt and lemon juice with all of the spices, to create the tasty tikka marinade.

Step 2: Add the mushrooms, and mix well until they’re fully coated. If you have time, leave them to marinate for a while.

Step 3: Spread the mushrooms on a baking tray, and bake them until they are soft and juicy, and the marinade has become browned and slightly crispy.

Step 4: Serve warm – I like mine with naan bread and salad.

Becca’s Top Tip

If you want to, you can use extra vegetables, along with the mushrooms. Chunks of pepper and onion would work really well. You could also add chunks of paneer cheese!

Print

Mushroom Tikka

This mushroom tikka is baked in an easy spiced yogurt marinade, which intensifies as it cooks and gets crispy round the edges. Irresistible!

Course Appetiser, Light lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Marinating Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 109kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons (heaped) full fat Greek yogurt
• 1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder (mild or hot)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 250 g (~ 9 oz) mushrooms (I used chestnut mushrooms)
• 1/2 Tablespoon oil
• To serve, fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped (optional)

Instructions

• Add the Greek yogurt to a mixing bowl, along with the lemon juice and all of the spices (curry powder through black pepper). Mix well to combine.
• If you’re using large mushrooms, cut them into chunky pieces. My chestnut mushrooms were medium-sized, so I just halved them. Small mushrooms, like button mushrooms, can be left whole, and larger mushrooms may need to be quartered.
• Add the mushrooms to the bowl, and stir well to thoroughly coat them in the yogurt mixture.
• If you have time, leave the mushrooms to marinate for 20 minutes or so.
• While the mushrooms are marinating, heat the oven to 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F), and lightly oil a baking tray.
• If you want to, feed the mushrooms onto metal skewers. If you don’t have skewers, or you run out of space on them, you can just spread the mushrooms out on the baking tray. I’ve tested it both ways, and they work exactly the same – they just look pretty on the skewers!
• Bake for around 25 minutes, stirring once, until the mushrooms are soft and juicy, and the marinade has become browned and slightly crispy. Serve topped with some chopped cilantro, if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 109kcal | Carbohydrates: 10.8g | Protein: 5.7g | Fat: 6.1g | Saturated Fat: 1.9g | Cholesterol: 3mg | Sodium: 596mg | Potassium: 466mg | Fiber: 2.6g | Sugar: 6.6g | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 5mg

The post Easy Baked Mushroom Tikka appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

Tarka dal is a simple lentil curry that’s a hit every time. With just a few aromatic spices, you can transform a few humble lentils into a creamy, intensely flavourful Indian dish, which can be served on its own, or as a side dish.

It’s my go-to dish to order at an Indian restaurant, because the flavours are just unreal, but it can be made at home in just 30 minutes. It’s perfect scooped up with some chapattis or naan bread!

Lentils are so underrated. They may be a cheap and humble ingredient, but that’s what’s so wonderful about them! You can cook lentils in so many different ways (here are some lentil recipe ideas – even lentil pizza is good!), and it doesn’t take much to transform them into something truly special.

Tarka dal (also known as tadka dal) is one of my all-time favourite lentil recipes. It’s a simple lentil curry that’s made with the most irresistible, aromatic ingredients – like toasted spices, fried onions and garlic – which really bring the lentils to life.

Served with rice or naan bread, or scooped up in chapattis, tarka dal never disappoints.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this simple lentil curry:

A few ingredient notes:

• red lentils. Red lentils cook more quickly than brown and green lentils, and end up much softer, so they’re perfect for tarka dal (and great for making a creamy lentil soup too!). You can find out more about the different types of lentils here. For this recipe, I wouldn’t recommend using brown or green lentils.
• chopped chillies. I used frozen ones, as I don’t use fresh chillies often enough to get through a whole pack without wasting some. Frozen vegetables are great for reducing food waste, and they come pre-chopped too! Feel free to use fresh red chillies if you prefer.
• onion and garlic
• ground spices – I used turmeric, cumin, cinnamon and coriander.
• tomato paste
• cilantro for garnish is optional, but recommended!

See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.

Becca’s Top Tip

If you don’t want to keep too many different spices in the kitchen, garam masala is a great option for Indian cooking. It is a blend of various spices that gives a great base for most Indian-style curries, rather than buying each spice individually.
You can buy garam masala online, on Amazon US.

Equipment

I always use a silicone spoon when cooking a fragrant curry, or anything else with a strong flavour – you can see my favourite bright pink one in almost all of my recipe photos!

Unlike with a wooden spoon, silicone doesn’t absorb flavours from your cooking, so you can use it for curry one day, and custard the next, without any flavour contamination or staining. Silicone spoons are even dishwasher safe, to help with thorough washing.

My favourite shape is a spoon with slightly square corners, as it makes it so easy to scrape around the corners of a saucepan. You can buy them here on Amazon US / Amazon UK.

Other than that, you don’t need any specialist equipment to make this lentil curry. It’s a one pot meal, so just a decent saucepan is all you need!

Instructions

Here’s how to make this beautiful tarka dal – see below for the printable recipe with detailed ingredients and instructions.

Step 1: Begin by cooking the aromatics in a pan with a dash of oil – this includes the garlic, onion, chillies, and all of the spices.

Step 2: Add the tomato paste, and cook for a few more minutes until the mixture is well cooked (your house should smell incredible by now!).

Step 3: Add the red lentils and some water, and bring to a gentle simmer. Allow to cook until the lentils are soft, then serve.

Becca’s Top Tip

As soon as the lentils are completely soft, you can eat your tarka dal. However, if you have time, I would really recommend leaving it to simmer for a while longer (perhaps another 10 minutes), until the lentils have broken right down. It makes the end result extra creamy and irresistible!

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Easy Tarka Dal (Vegan Red Lentil Curry)

Tarka dal is the ultimate simple lentil curry – just a few aromatic spices can transform a few lentils into a creamy, richly flavourful dish!

Course Main meals, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Diet Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 380kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Equipment

• 1 silicone spatula

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
• 1 teaspoon chopped mild red chillies (I used frozen)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 Tablespoon tomato puree / paste
• 180 g (~ 1 cup) red lentils
• 500 ml (~ 2 cups) water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Fresh coriander (cilantro), to garnish (optional)

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a saucepan, and add the onion, garlic, chillies, and the 4 spices. Cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the onion has begun to soften. Add the tomato puree, and cook for a few more minutes, stirring regularly.
• Add the red lentils, water and salt, and bring to a gentle simmer (medium heat). Stirring regularly, allow the lentils to cook until they are soft, and most of the excess water has been absorbed. If the mixture begins to dry up before the lentils are completely soft, add a splash more water.
• The tarka dal will be ready to eat as soon as the lentils are completely soft, but if you have a little extra time, I recommend leaving it to simmer gently for a bit longer (perhaps an additional 10 minutes after the lentils have softened), as the lentils will begin to break down, and will make the dal extra creamy. If you do cook the lentils for a little longer, you'll probably need a little extra water.
• Serve topped with fresh coriander (cilantro), if desired.

Notes

I used frozen chopped chillies, but fresh chillies can be used instead if desired.

Leftovers can be frozen in an air-tight tub if needed. Reheat in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop (you may need to add an extra splash of water).

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 56.6g | Protein: 21.8g | Fat: 7.9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 1190mg | Potassium: 955mg | Fiber: 26.1g | Sugar: 5g | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 7mg

The post Easy Tarka Dal (Vegan Red Lentil Curry) appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

I imagine kedgeree is a dish that a lot of you won’t be familiar with. It’s an Anglo-Indian dish, so it’s only really known in the UK – but I think that should change! If you’re unfamiliar with kedgeree, read on, and I’ll tell you how this smoked tofu kedgeree came about.

What is kedgeree?

Kedgeree is thought to have been brought to Victorian Britain in the 1800s, by British colonials who were inspired by the food they’d enjoyed in India – in particular, a rice and lentil dish called khichdi.

As we Brits are wont to do, we changed the dish beyond all recognition, gave it an Anglicised name, and claimed it as our own. And thus, kedgeree was born!

Kedgeree is usually made with smoked fish, along with mildly curried rice and boiled eggs. Obviously I wasn’t going to put fish in my vegetarian version though, so I used smoked tofu instead!

Smoked tofu kedgeree

To begin making your tofu kedgeree, just fry off some smoked tofu in a pan, along with some onion, garlic and ginger.

We’re aiming for a nice smoky tofu here, so buy the pre-smoked stuff if you can, rather than plain. It brings a lot of flavour to the dish, and mimics the smoked fish you’d usually find in kedgeree. If you can’t find smoked tofu, just use regular tofu, but make sure you add some extra smokiness elsewhere instead – perhaps a dash of liquid smoke (Amazon UK / Amazon US).

Unlike when I cook tofu for a saucy dish, you don’t want to overcook the tofu here, as you don’t want the final dish to end up feeling dry. Just cook it enough that it ends up as little soft pockets of that smoky flavour, which will be amazing scattered through the curried rice.

How to cook rice like pasta

Next, add cooked rice.

I’m going to admit something here that will probably get my food blogger card revoked: I cook rice in exactly the same way as I cook pasta. Put it in a pan with lots of water (you want it to have plenty of room to swim around), boil it until it’s cooked, then drain away the excess water.

People seem to have very strong opinions about how to cook rice, and this is never the method they’re arguing for – but this is how I’ve always cooked rice, along with every other British person I know. Rice cookers aren’t really a thing here (I’d actually never even heard of a rice cooker until I was about 20!), and this just seems like the simplest method to me – there’s no need to carefully measure the water, or worry about the rice sticking and burning, or accurately counting the minutes. Just boil it, and drain. Easy peasy.

And most importantly, it gives perfect rice every time. It’s not sticky or gloopy, it’s not crunchy, or overcooked… it’s just perfectly cooked rice.

When the rice is ready, add it to the pan with the curried tofu. At this point, you can add a good knob of butter, which coats the rice and helps it all to become glossy and irresistible.

Finally: Boiled eggs

The finishing touch is some hard boiled eggs, cut into wedges that nestle nicely in amongst the rice.

I know, kedgeree seems a bit random really, doesn’t it, but it works!

I boiled my eggs for about 11 minutes, and ended up with a firm, but not overly hard, yolk. You can cook them for a little longer if you like, or cook them for less time if you prefer a gooey yolk. I bet it would coat the rice beautifully.

Sprinkle plenty of fresh parsley on top, and your kedgeree is ready!

How to serve kedgeree

Unlike a lot of Indian-inspired dishes, kedgeree isn’t really the sort of thing you’d eat as part of a huge Indian feast, with vegetable curries, lentil dal, veggie samosas, etc…

No, kedgeree is more of an ‘eat it on its own’ sort of thing. Supposedly, the Victorians would eat it for breakfast, but I’m not sure I could face such a hearty meal early in the morning – I’d definitely serve it for lunch or dinner, myself.

How to adapt this smoked tofu kedgeree recipe

As you may know, I’m no food purist – I believe foodie rules are there to be broken (see also: how I cook rice).

So as long as you end up with a tasty dish at the end of it, feel free to mix up your smoked tofu kedgeree however you like. You could add some spring onions, a few wedges of fresh tomato, a dollop of mango chutney… whatever you feel like.

Actually, something that’s often included in kedgeree is sultanas / raisins. Yes, I know it sounds weird, but curry+sultanas is actually an amazing combination that we Brits seem to like quite a lot (like in another of my super duper British recipes, coronation tofu sandwiches). Try it yourself before you turn up your nose!

Will you be trying this smoked tofu kedgeree?

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Smoked tofu kedgeree

This smoked tofu kedgeree is a vegetarian version of an Anglo-Indian dish from the Victorian era, which is usually made with curried rice, boiled eggs and smoked fish!

Course Main meals

Cuisine British, Indian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 3 people

Calories 660kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

• 300 g (~ 1 1/2 cups) long grain white rice (e.g. basmati)
• 3 eggs
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp ginger paste (or minced fresh ginger)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 225 g (~ 8 oz) smoked extra firm tofu, cut into chunks
• 2 tsp mild curry powder
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 vegetable stock cube, crumbled
• Black pepper
• 2 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp water
• Few sprigs fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/2 lemon (juice only)

Instructions

• Boil the rice in plenty of water until it’s just tender, stirring every few minutes. When it’s cooked, drain any excess water, and set aside.
• Meanwhile, boil the eggs in their shells for around 10-11 minutes. Drain away the boiling water, and rinse the eggs a few times in cold water. Set aside until they’re cool enough to touch.
• While the rice and eggs are cooking, heat a dash of oil in a large frying pan, and add the sliced onion, ginger, garlic and smoked tofu. Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes or so, until the onion is soft. Add the curry powder, smoked paprika, crumbled stock cube (or just salt, if you don’t have stock cubes), and plenty of black pepper. Cook for a minute or two longer.
• When the rice is cooked, add it to the pan with the tofu, along with a good knob of butter and a splash of water. Mix well, and allow to cook over a gentle heat until the butter has melted and coated the rice nicely.
• Peel the eggs, rinse off any fragments of shell, then slice them, and add to the pan. Also add some fresh chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice. Gently mix everything together, and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 660kcal | Carbohydrates: 90.9g | Protein: 22.9g | Fat: 23.7g | Saturated Fat: 8.4g | Cholesterol: 184mg | Sodium: 461mg | Potassium: 308mg | Fiber: 3.8g | Sugar: 4.2g | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 3mg

We Brits often put our own spins on international dishes – like our chip shop Chinese curry!

* This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Smoked Tofu Kedgeree appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

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Falafel might not be an ingredient you often find in curry, but it works so well! The creamy curry sauce coats the falafel beautifully, like little chickpea dumplings. It’s full of flavour, and easy to make too – read on to find out how!

How to serve falafel

Falafel is such a vegan staple – it’s one of those things that will feature as the vegan option in 90% of restaurants these days.

But it’s often served in the same way – just on its own, with some salad and pitta bread, maybe a bit of hummus.

This may be the traditional way to eat falafel, but I always like to do things a bit differently, and I think falafel curry might just be my new favourite way to serve falafel!

Just coat the crispy falafel in a silky smooth curry sauce, and they become soft and moist and extra tasty. It’s a revelation!

How to make falafel curry

The falafel curry starts with a super simple curry sauce. Cook off some sliced onions with garlic, chilli and ginger (the smell in your house will already be amaaaazing by this point).

Then, add a couple of ground spices (nothing fancy, just a couple of things that you can find in any supermarket), some tinned tomatoes, and a can of coconut milk. I also added a big handful of fresh spinach.

That’s your curry sauce done!

Just let it simmer away for a while so the flavours can develop, and it becomes beautifully rich and silky, with a deep orange colour.

Goodlife falafel

Next up, the falafel!

I used shop-bought falafel to make my falafel curry, which I would definitely recommend, as by the time I’d made the sauce and prepared my rice and naan, I wouldn’t have wanted to stand around making falafel from scratch too. There’s a time and a place for cooking things from scratch, but for me, 2020 isn’t it.

I used this falafel from Goodlife, which is without a doubt my favourite shop-bought falafel. I sometimes find falafel a little dry, which this one isn’t at all (especially when you dunk it in curry sauce!), it cooks up beautifully, and it’s flavoured with lemon, cumin and coriander, so it’s super duper tasty.

Goodlife also make loads of other amazing vegetarian products, and I love how they’re all centred around vegetables, rather than aiming to replicate meat, and they’re all made with natural ingredients.

It’s so nice to see so many creative and exciting vegetarian products these days – the Goodlife mushroom and spinach kievs almost always feature in my weekly shop (a mushroom mixture stuffed with a super garlicky cheese sauce?! yes please), and the vegetable protein balls are so handy to chuck in the oven for an easy dinner for the kids (we love serving them in bread rolls as a kind of meatball sub!).

I’ve actually not tried a single Goodlife product that I’ve not thoroughly enjoyed, so definitely look for them if you’re in the UK (I get mine from Sainsbury’s).

Just cook your falafel in the oven, and add it to the curry sauce. Job done.

Look how nice and crispy it gets…

Then when you toss it through the curry sauce, it soaks it up ever so slightly, helping the falafel to stay moist, while also holding their shape.

The falafel ends up functioning a bit like an Indian kofta, which is a bit like a meatball (or a vegetarian equivalent!). It makes such a hearty and filling curry.

This falafel curry is just the sort of thing you could serve to guests, especially meat-eating guests, as there’s no way they could feel hungry or unsatisfied by this hearty vegan meal.

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Easy falafel curry

This falafel curry is a brilliant way to serve falafel, coated in a creamy, spicy sauce – it makes such a hearty, filling curry! Perfect served over rice or with naan bread for dipping.

Course Main meals

Cuisine Indian, Mediterranean

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 3 people

Calories 439kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

• ~ 18 pieces of falafel (6 per person)
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 mild red chilli, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp ginger paste (or fresh minced ginger)
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 400 g tin (~ 1 1/3 cups) chopped tomatoes
• 400 ml (~ 1 1/2 cups) tinned coconut milk (I used light)
• Large handful fresh spinach
• Salt
• Black pepper

Instructions

• Bake the falafel according to the instructions on the packet – it should take around 20 minutes. Make sure it’s nice and crispy.
• Meanwhile, heat a dash of oil in a deep frying pan, and add the sliced onion, garlic, chilli, and ginger. Cook over a medium heat for around 5 minutes, until the onion has softened. Add the turmeric and garam masala, and cook for a few minutes more. You can add a dash of water if the mixture feels too dry – it should be the texture of a paste.
• Next add the tin of chopped tomatoes and the coconut milk, and bring to a gentle simmer. Leave it to cook for a while – the exact timing doesn’t really matter, but at least 10 minutes or so will give a nice rich sauce (a bit longer is fine too!).
• Add a handful of spinach to the sauce, and allow it to wilt for a couple of minutes, then add the crispy falafel. Stir gently to coat the falafel in the sauce, season to taste, and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 439kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 5.4g | Fat: 25.7g | Saturated Fat: 9.6g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 282mg | Potassium: 539mg | Fiber: 3.8g | Sugar: 2.7g | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 3mg

Here’s another hearty vegan curry – slow cooker chickpea curry:

The post Easy Falafel Curry appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

A curry has got to be one of my favourite dinners ever. Any time I need to clear out the last few veg from the fridge, curry is always one of the first meals that pops into my head – and this sweet potato curry is a brilliant option!

Roasted sweet potatoes

I make vegetarian curries all the time, but one ingredient I always regret not including more often is sweet potato! It makes such a wonderful addition to any curry, bringing a touch of sweetness that goes so well with the rich, smoky curry flavour.

As with most veg, sweet potato is vastly superior once it’s been roasted, so that’s exactly what I did. Just cut it into little cubes, drizzle with a little oil, and pop it in the oven.

The sweet potato becomes beautifully caramelised and crispy round the edges – it really does intensify the flavour so much more than if you were to just boil it up.

More veggies!

While the sweet potato is busy roasting, you can get on with making the rest of the curry.

It starts just like any other – cooking off some veg in a pan. This time I went for courgette (zucchini) and yellow pepper, along with plenty of garlic. Feel free to use other veggies if you like – you could even add a tin of beans or chickpeas for a heartier curry.

Curry paste

You could add you own blend of spices if you like – it’s not tricky as long as you have a fairly well-stocked pantry, and it is something I do often. But on this occasion, I was feeling even lazier than usual, so I just used a good dollop of a shop-bought curry paste.

Curry pastes are brilliant – an expert has already blended up all the right spices in just the right ratios to produce an absolutely beautiful curry. I’ve got nothing to prove, I’m more than happy to go with the expert!

Mash the sweet potato (or don’t!)

When the sweet potato is done roasting, add it to the pan, along with some tinned tomatoes and a big handful of fresh spinach.

As soon as everything’s piping hot, you can serve it up – but I’d recommend waiting just a little longer! If you give everything a really thorough stir, the sweet potato will start to break down into the curry, giving a really hearty, comforting texture.

It’s like mashed potato… but twenty times better.

Sweet potato curry

As the sweet potato mashes down into the vegetables, it almost creates a super thick, rich, sweet sauce for your curry.

I also added a splash of cream to loosen it up a little and to give it an extra hint of luxury, but feel free to skip the cream, or use coconut milk, if you want a vegan curry.

How to serve sweet potato curry

Since this sweet potato curry isn’t particularly saucy, I didn’t want to serve it with rice. Instead, we had ours with naan bread, which was perfect for scooping up big heaps of curry.

Poppadoms would be great too, for the same purpose!

Have you ever made sweet potato curry?

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Sweet potato curry

This sweet potato curry is sweet, it's smoky, it's spicy, and it's packed with veg, including plenty of roasted sweet potato. Easy, healthy comfort food!

Course Main meals

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Calories 649kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

• 1 large sweet potato (~ 500g / ~ 1 lb)
• 2 tbsp oil, divided
• 1 courgette (zucchini), sliced or diced
• 1 bell pepper (I used red), sliced or diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp ginger paste
• 2 tbsp curry paste (I used tikka paste)
• 400 g tin (~ 1 1/3 cups) chopped tomatoes
• 2 large handfuls fresh spinach, chopped
• 100 ml (~ 1/3 cup) single cream (optional)
• 3 tbsp cashew nuts

Instructions

• Peel the sweet potato, and cut it into dice. Toss it with some oil, and spread it out in a single layer on a baking tray. Roast at 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F) for around 25 minutes, until crispy around the edges.
• While the sweet potato is roasting, heat a little more oil in a large frying pan. Add the vegetables, garlic and ginger, and cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat. Add the curry paste, and mix to combine.
• When the sweet potato is ready, add it to the pan with the vegetables, along with the chopped tomatoes and a couple of handfuls of spinach. Simmer for a further 5-10 minutes, or until cooked to your liking (the sweet potato will break down more the longer you cook it).
• If desired, stir in a little cream just before serving.
• I like to serve the sweet potato curry topped with some cashew nuts – just toast them for a few minutes, in a dry pan over a medium heat, until lightly browned. Watch them carefully, as once they start to turn brown, they can burn quickly.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 649kcal | Carbohydrates: 78.1g | Protein: 10.7g | Fat: 34.7g | Saturated Fat: 6.7g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 69mg | Potassium: 699mg | Fiber: 10.2g | Sugar: 8.9g | Calcium: 148mg | Iron: 3mg

This is another incredible, easy curry – creamy roasted carrot dal:

The post Sweet Potato Curry appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

I’ve been using my slow cooker quite a bit lately – with two small children, I’ve been reminded just how handy it can be! Just throw in a few ingredients, then get on with your day. Before you know it, you’ll be faced with a tasty dinner that pretty much cooked itself – like this slow cooker coconut chickpea curry! Full of flavour, but next to no effort required (and since it’s a one pot meal, there are very few dishes to wash!).

Slow cookers are perfect for curry!

A vegetarian curry is just the sort of thing a slow cooker is perfect for. Leave it to bubble away for a few hours, and it will only get tastier and tastier.

It’s also a great opportunity to use harder vegetables like carrots. I don’t often use carrots in a curry – I usually make quick curries that contain veg I’ve just fried for a few minutes in a pan, which doesn’t really work for carrots. But they’re beautifully cooked after a few hours in the slow cooker!

Plenty of vegetables

To make your coconut chickpea curry, first add a couple of tins of chickpeas to the slow cooker, along with plenty of chopped vegetables. I used mushrooms, carrots, a pepper, and an aubergine (eggplant), but most veg will be great. This kind of meal is perfect for clearing out the fridge!

Just avoid any vegetables that become too mushy if they’re cooked for a long time – things like broccoli aren’t really great cooked in a slow cooker. But any vegetables that hold up well with low, slow cooking will work just fine.

Shop-bought curry paste

Next, the curry sauce!

Rather than making my curry from scratch with my own blend of spices, this time I took a shortcut, and used a big dollop of curry paste instead. Somebody far cleverer than me has already done the hard work, finding a perfect blend of flavours, and I’m more than happy to trust their judgement!

Combined with a tin of coconut milk, it’s all you need to make a tasty, creamy curry sauce.

Of course you’re welcome to use ground spices instead if you prefer! I love it when people make my recipes their own.

How to thicken a slow cooker curry

Sauces cooked in the slow cooker are often a bit thinner than those cooked on the hob. With the lid on the whole time, the liquid doesn’t evaporate at all, so it doesn’t reduce down in the same way, and as the vegetables cook, their juices also contribute to the tasty sauce.

Personally, I have no issues with this at all! This coconut chickpea curry still has all the same incredible flavour as a thicker curry, and by the time you’ve spooned it over some fluffy rice, it all mixes together beautifully.

But, if you do prefer a thicker sauce, you have a few options:

• Combine 2 tbsp cornflour with 2 tbsp water, and mix well. Add to the slow cooker for the last hour of cooking time.
• Remove the lid from the slow cooker for the last hour of cooking time to allow the sauce to reduce a little.
• Add a handful of red lentils for the last hour of two of cooking, to absorb some of the liquid.

What if I don’t have a slow cooker?

If you don’t have a slow cooker, this coconut chickpea curry will be awesome cooked on the hob as well. Just fry off the veg in a big pan (I like to use my massive wok!), then add the chickpeas, curry paste and coconut milk, and simmer for 5 minutes or so until everything’s all hot and bubbly.

It’s a little more effort to cook it this way, but obviously takes much less time overall, so it just depends on whether you’d prefer 20 minutes of hands-on time, or a few hours of hands-off time.

Both ways give you a delicious chickpea curry!

How can I serve this slow cooker coconut chickpea curry?

The whole point of using the slow cooker for this chickpea curry is to make it an easy, low effort meal – so you’re probably going to want to keep your side dishes simple too.

I personally think white rice is best for a slow cooker curry, as it works really well to soak up the excess sauce. A bit of naan bread or chapatti on the side is also perfect for mopping up the plate!

Or, since the curry itself is pretty hands-off, you might actually decide you’ve got some energy left to spend on your side dishes after all. Some Bombay potatoes or samosas would be great, or even another curry (saag paneer and lentil dal both make great sides!).

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Slow cooker coconut chickpea curry

This slow cooker coconut chickpea curry is the perfect low effort dinner – just add all the ingredients to the pot, and it will cook itself!

Course Main meals

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Calories 518kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

• 1 medium aubergine (eggplant)
• 2 medium carrots
• 1 yellow pepper
• 6 medium mushrooms
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 x 400g tins chickpeas, drained (480g, or ~ 2 1/2 cups, in total when drained)
• 3 tbsp vegetarian curry paste (I used tikka paste)
• 400 ml (~ 1 1/2 cups) tinned coconut milk
• 1 vegetable stock cube, crumbled
• Fresh coriander (cilantro), to serve (optional)

Instructions

• Cut all the vegetables into bitesize pieces, and add to the slow cooker. Add all the remaining ingredients, and mix well.
• Cook on high for around 4.5 hours, or until cooked to your liking. Garnish with fresh coriander (cilantro), if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 518kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 11.8g | Fat: 32.6g | Saturated Fat: 21.6g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 383mg | Potassium: 1068mg | Fiber: 14.2g | Sugar: 9.5g | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 5mg

Love a slow cooker curry? This slow cooker paneer tikka masala is another favourite!

The post Slow Cooker Coconut Chickpea Curry appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.

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Hi all! Thanks for bearing with me the past few weeks while I’ve been off birthing babies and stuff. I’m back with another recipe for the Tefal Actifry – tofu and spinach samosas! These vegetarian samosas are surprisingly simple to make, and really easy to adapt if you want to make them your own.

What is an Actifry?

You may already have an Actifry of your own, in which case feel free to skip this paragraph! But just in case you’re not familiar – an Actifry (Amazon UK* / Amazon US*) is basically an air fryer. It cooks food using a blast of hot air, meaning it’s a pretty healthy way to cook up your favourite dishes.

Inside, there’s a removable rotating paddle that stirs the food constantly, making sure everything cooks nice and evenly. The Actifry is famous for making the best chips (French fries) ever, using just one small spoonful of oil – they cook beautifully evenly and end up crispy all over.

But it’s good for much more than just chips! In the past, I’ve used my Actifry for all sorts of recipes – breaded mushrooms, Tex-Mex cauliflower rice, and Madagascan bean stew, to name a few!

Samosas in the Actifry

This time, I used my Actifry to make these tofu and spinach samosas.

The recipe for these vegetarian samosas is actually one I found on the Actifry ActiProgramme app. This is a ‘level 3’ recipe, meaning it’s a step up from the simplest recipes on the app, but still easy to make.

They’ll definitely impress whoever you make them for – just don’t tell them quite how easy they were!

What are samosas?

Samosas are little triangular pastry pockets stuffed with all kinds of tasty fillings.

Take something delicious, wrap it in pastry, and the only possible outcome is that it becomes more delicious – so you know samosas have got to be good.

Samosas are generally thought of as an Indian side dish or snack. These tofu and spinach samosas aren’t Indian-spiced, but you can add some extra spices if you want to.

Tofu and spinach samosa filling

The recipe starts simply, with mushrooms, onion and spinach cooked together in a pan. Don’t forget plenty of garlic! Garlicky mushrooms cooking is one of my favourite smells in the world.

Then add some diced tofu, for a bit of protein.

The original recipe on the Actifry app also has an egg mixed into the filling, but it says you can skip the egg if you want your samosas to be vegan. I tried making them both with and without the egg, and they ended up tasting much the same.

How to fold a samosa

Then, you just need to wrap up the tofu and spinach filling in some filo pastry, and your samosas will be ready to cook!

Folding a samosa might seem like it should be fiddly, but it’s actually really straightforward. Just take a strip of filo pastry and fold it up into a triangle around the filling – it’s hard to describe, but hopefully these photos will help explain how to fold a samosa!

Don’t worry if the first couple of folds are a little messy – if some of the filling spills out, just poke it back in again. It doesn’t even matter if you end up with some small tears or splits in the pastry, as once it’s layered up, it will all be fine. For some reason, I find a lot of people are intimidated by filo pastry, but I actually find it really forgiving!

And hey, I love the rustic look anyway.

Baked samosas

Now it’s time to ‘bake’ the samosas in the Actifry.

I removed the rotating paddle for this recipe, so the samosas were able to crisp up without being stirred round. The Actifry essentially functions as a mini oven for this recipe! The samosas end up beautifully crispy all over.

How do you serve vegetarian samosas?

I usually have samosas as a side dish alongside a curry and rice or naan bread. It’s sometimes fun to turn a meal into a proper feast, with lots of different elements for people to pick from. My ultimate Indian feast would be something like this:

• a vegetarian curry
• one or two veggie side dishes, like saag aloo or tarka dal
• rice
• naan bread or chapatis
• onion bhajis
• poppadoms and chutneys for dipping
• …and a few of these tofu and spinach samosas!

Samosas are great as a snack too – they’re surprisingly healthy when cooked in the Actifry, at only 65 calories each! Or, serve them for lunch with some salad on the side.

Recipe video

Just in case you’re a visual learner, here’s a little recipe video I made to show you how to make these healthy tofu and spinach samosas. In the video I actually cook the spinach first, but it’s even easier to cook it in the frying pan like I’ve written in the recipe!

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Tofu and spinach samosas

These vegetarian tofu and spinach samosas are packed with fresh ingredients, and are cooked in an air fryer – a tasty and healthy snack or side dish!

Course Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 12 samosas

Calories 65kcal

Author Becca Heyes

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 200 g mushrooms (~ 8 medium mushrooms), diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 200 g baby spinach (~ 3 large handfuls), chopped
• 200 g (~ 7 oz) firm tofu, diced fairly small
• 1 egg (optional)
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 4-6 sheets filo pastry
• Spray oil

Instructions

• Heat the oil in a frying pan, and add the diced onion, diced mushrooms, and minced garlic. Cook over a medium heat for a few minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the chopped spinach and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until all the vegetables are well cooked and any excess liquid has cooked off.
• Remove from the heat, and add the diced tofu and the egg (if using). Season very generously with salt and pepper. Mix to combine.
• Cut each sheet of filo pastry into wide strips – I found it worked best to cut each sheet into three strips, with each strip measuring approximately 10.5 x 3.5 inches (though the exact dimensions will depend on how big your pastry sheets are!).
• Place a spoonful of the tofu mixture at one end of a pastry strip, and fold the corner of the pastry over it at 45 degrees. Continue folding up the length of the pastry strip to form a triangular samosa (see the step-by-step photos in the blog post for a better explanation!).
• Place the folded samosas in the pan of the Actifry*, and spray with oil. Cook in the Actifry for 20 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

If you don’t have an air fryer, these samosas can be baked in the oven instead.

Nutrition

Serving: 1samosa | Calories: 65kcal | Carbohydrates: 7.7g | Protein: 3.7g | Fat: 2.6g | Saturated Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 33mg | Potassium: 185mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.9g | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1.3mg

If you have an Actifry, try my breaded mushrooms too – so simple to make but super delicious!

* This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Tofu and Spinach Samosas appeared first on Easy Cheesy Vegetarian.