Kale Curry with Tofu and Butter Beans

Palak Paneer, a mild Indian curry with blocks of white cheese and a spinach based sauce, was one of my all time favourite pre-vegan dishes. Here I've substituted the paneer for blocks of tofu and butter beans, and used kale instead of spinach to give it a slight nutrition boost.

 This is quite an easy curry, with only a few key spices. I served it with jeera rice and a side of toasted coconut and raisins, for a sweet twist.

Ingredients:

For the curry:

250g extra firm tofu, cubed
1 large bunch kale (25-30 leaves), cleaned and shredded
1 cup red split lentils, thoroughly rinsed
1 head broccoli, chopped into small florets
1 can butter beans
1 small white onion, finely chopped
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp jeera powder
1/2 tsp jeera seeds
1 tsp chilli flakes
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tsp Himalayan salt
2 tbs olive or coconut oil
1.5 - 2 litres water

Tofu marinade:

2 tbs light soy sauce
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp jeera powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder

Pre-marinate the tofu while preparing the kale and other ingredients. In a large pot, saute the onion and garlic in the oil until mostly translucent. Add all the spices and salt and stir for 1-2 minutes while they toast. Add the lentils and kale and stir fry in the spices for about 3-4 minutes so that they absorb all the flavours. Pour enough water into the pot to just cover the kale and lentils. Place the lid on the pot, and bring to the boil. Continue to cook until the lentils are completely soft (about 10 - 15 minutes) and add more water during the process if necessary, but you dont want your sauce to be too watery. Remove from the heat and blend into a smooth sauce. Taste and add more salt as required. Return to the stove, add the tofu, beans and broccoli and allow to simmer for about 15 minutes.

For the rice:

1 cup jasmine rice
3 cups water
1 tsp jeera seeds
1 tbs coconut oil

Cook the rice as per the packaging instructions. In a medium pot, melt the coconut oil and add the jeera seeds. Allow them to toast for a minute or two, then add the cooked rice and stir thoroughly.

Makes about 6 servings.