The Taste of Spring, by the Bunch or Bag Indian Tofu With Spinach It's hard for me to resist buying spinach at the farmers" market this time of year. The bunches are plush, and the leaves and stems, pale pink at the base, are tender. I'd almost forgotten what mature spinach tastes like, since I'd gotten into the habit of buying the bagged baby spinach that you don't have to stem; at my Iranian market they sell three-pound bags at a very good price. But fresh, locally grown bunch spinach is definitely worth revisiting, even if it does require more prep time. Ever since reading this article about the loss of nutrients and susceptibility to contamination that can occur when greens and lettuces are bagged, I've become a little less enamored with bagged baby spinach, despite the convenience. Of course, even with some loss of nutrients, there are still plenty left to go around in bagged spinach. It's very high in beta carotene, vitamin K (1000 percent of the daily recommended value in a cup of cooked spinach), iron, vitamins A and C, manganese, folate, magnesium, calcium, potassium, vitamins B2 and B6, tryptophan and dietary fiber. So this week I worked with both types, choosing the bunch spinach for recipes that did not require stemming, like stir-fries, and the bagged for dishes that did. My curry guru, Raghavan Iyer, author of "660 Curries," describes paneer, the firm Indian cheese, as "fresh, firm and chewy" and "not unlike a block of extra-firm tofu," and says you can substitute tofu for it in a pinch. I've taken him at his word and used tofu instead of cheese in this classic Indian dish. 3/4 pound firm tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes 2 tablespoons canola oil 1/2 cup coarsely chopped shallot or red onion 4 lengthwise slices peeled fresh ginger (2 inches long, 1 inch wide, 1/8 inch thick), coarsely chopped 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds 2 whole dried red chilies, like Thai, cayenne or arbol 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, ground 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric 1 1/2 pounds fresh spinach, stems trimmed at the end and washed in 2 changes of water, or 12 ounces baby spinach, rinsed 1/2 cup drained yogurt 1/4 teaspoon cornstarch Drain the tofu on paper towels. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat in a wok or a large, heavy lidded skillet and add the tofu. Stir-fry until golden brown and remove from the heat. Combine the shallot or onion and the ginger in a food processor or mini-chop and blend until finely minced, almost a paste. Heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat in a wok or skillet and add the cumin seeds, fennel seeds and whole chilies. Cook, stirring, for about 15 seconds, or until the spices are fragrant and reddish-brown. Add the onion and ginger and stir-fry until it is lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the coriander, salt, cayenne and turmeric, stir for about 10 seconds and add the spinach in batches, adding the next batch after the first batch wilts and stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Stir in the tofu, cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the spinach is uniformly wilted and the tofu is warmed through. Whisk the cornstarch into the yogurt. Remove the pan from the heat, remove the chilies, and stir in the yogurt. Taste, adjust salt and serve with rice or other grains. Yield: 4 main-dish servings or 6 side-dish servings. Advance preparation: The browned tofu will keep in the refrigerator for a few days, but the dish is best made just before serving. Nutritional information per serving (4 servings): 212 calories; 12 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 milligram cholesterol; 15 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 142 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 15 grams protein Nutritional information per serving (6 servings): 141 calories; 8 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 milligram cholesterol; 10 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 94 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 10 grams protein