A salad for lunch, garden fresh baby spinach,sweet lime,tofu and pistachios in a tangy sweet medley ...

No one eats cold salads for lunch in winters. But if you pluck perfect soft baby spinach from your garden in a winter noon, you would like to eat them then and there. I took some time to chop some sweet lime, cube some tofu and even fry them for a better textural experience. The foodie I am, the salad should be perfectly matching to my mood.

I was on phone, talking to a friend , and made this salad while talking, took pictures and even finished eating while still talking to her. She knows how tasty this salad is :-)

ingredients for one lunch serving ...
baby spinach 200 gm
tofu cut in cubes 50 gm
chopped pistachios 2 tbsp
peeled and chopped wedges of one sweet lime

one fat clove of garlic
6-7 sweet basil leaves
juice of half a lime (nimbu)
salt n pepper to taste
a generous slug of EVOO (Extra virgin olive oil)
some more oil for shallow frying the tofu cubes (I used peanut oil)

preparation...

Shallow fry the tofu cubes till they turn crisp, drain on tissue towels.

Now smash the garlic and basil leaves together in a mortar n pestle, empty into a mixing bowl and then add the juice of lime, EVOO, and salt and pepper. More pepper the better as the sweet lime and the sour lime as well, kill some of it's heat.

Add the fried tofu to this dressing and proceed to wash the spinach and cut the sweet lime.

Add the rest of the ingredients and toss them together. All the tidbits will settle down into the deep bowl but not to worry, they are soaking the juices of the dressing . Flavorful is the word.

Empty the ingredients into a plate or eat right out of the bowl , no one is watching :-)

Since I had to show you the pictures it was emptied into a plate and then a few clicks later I realised I should have chosen a white plate for this. The colors look so dull in this dark colored plate, but then the salad was wilting fast and I could not resist eating it.

The salad is wonderfully flavored as the sharpness of garlic is complemented hugely by the sweet lime. The textures you can see , the crisp turned spongy tofu and nutty crisp pistachios with those juicy bits of sweet lime . You would want to fork everything together for a mouthful of goodness.

Some basil could be used whole too I guess and may be some other greens in this salad. This would be a favorite for both of us till the spinach lasts in my garden. I don't make raw salads with the store bought spinach fearing contamination. But I think I would get rid of this fear too very soon.Especially if I get some organic spinach.

What greens would you like for this salad?