Curry in a Hurry? No Worry!

For a warm, flavorful dinner in less than 30 minutes, try this shortcut curry! You can use any veggies you have already, and you can use meat/poultry/paneer in place of the tofu. For this version, here's what I did: boil 2 large chunked carrots while chopping the onion and tomato and slicing the tofu. In a large nonstick saute pan, spray some canola oil and heat gently with spices (you can use curry powder or a mix of cumin, coriander, and turmeric). Add a chopped onion, freshly grated ginger, and crushed garlic. Turn up the heat to medium high and cook, stirring, until the onion softens. Add 2 chopped plum tomatoes, the cooked carrots, washed baby spinach, and cubed tofu. Add a little plain canned tomato sauce along with extra curry seasoning. Finish with a sprinkle of garam masala or a touch of cinnamon, and chili powder to taste. If you like it really hot, add cayenne pepper (or add fresh chopped hot chilis with the onion). Serve with brown basmati rice. What's nice about this is you don't have to follow a recipe -- let your tastebuds (and what you've got in the crisper, freezer, or leftover container) guide you!