Vegan Palak Paneer
Hi friends! It’s the season of spinach, which means I get to make a ton of spinach recipes – like this Palak Tofu (commonly known as Vegan Palak Paneer).
Vegan palak paneer is a creamy blend of spinach and spices with fried tofu added at the end of the cooking process. It has this ‘warm’ flavor. Very comforting (definitely a 10/10 dish if you ask me) and pairs up beautifully with rice, pulao, flatbreads, and more!
Simple, everyday ingredients and pretty easy to prepare, too.
Let’s go!
Vegan Palak Paneer
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 onion chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic halved
- 1/2 inch ginger
- 1-2 green chilies
- 2 medium tomatoes chopped
- 1/2 cup cashews soaked
- Salt
- 9 oz. spinach (250 gm.)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 9 oz. tofu, cut into 1.5-inch cubes (250 gm.)
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup coconut cream or coconut milk
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
Instructions
- Heat a skillet over low-medium heat. Add coconut oil.
- Once it's hot, add cumin seeds. Stir and let it splutter.
- Add onion + garlic + ginger + chilies and saute for 3-4 minutes over medium heat or until the onions are translucent.
- Add tomatoes + cashews + salt. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add spinach. Stir and cook until wilted (1-2 minutes).
- Turn off the heat and let it cool for sometime. Then transfer everything to a blender and blend until creamy.
- Next, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet (give it a quick rinse before using).
- Once it's hot, add cubed tofu. Stir and saute for 3 minutes. Then add turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder. Saute for 10 minutes over low heat (stir every 2 minutes).
- Now add the spinach puree + water. Stir and cook for 1 minute over low heat.
- Turn off the heat, add coconut cream + garam masala and mix some more. Vegan palak paneer is ready. Serve with rice.
Notes
- You can skip cashews if you're allergic to them.
Nutrition
If you liked this recipe, check out this delicious Simple Crispy Tofu recipe I posted earlier.
If you like to support me and my work, check out my Indian Vegan, Air Fryer Vegan, and all my upcoming cookbooks where I teach you how to make hundreds of delicious plant-based recipes.
Thank you for stopping by!
Keywords: Vegan, Plant-based, Tofu, Spinach, Saag, Palak, Indian, Curry, Sabji, Vegan Paneer, Nutritious, Healthy, Gluten-free, Comforting, Comfort food, filling, hearty, dinner
3 Responses
Easy to make, even better to eat! Vegan Bell, you have put yet another into my weekly rotation!
I like to dip paratha or naan into this. It is also good using pita as the bowl to mouth vector, but it’s also great just on its own, or as suggested in the recipe with Basmati rice. It’s also good to eat just all by itself!
Hi Kathyp! Thank you for all your lovely comments! We’re so glad you’ve been enjoying the dishes.:)
You are very welcome! Your recipes have provided me with wonderful foods I would not otherwise have, and all of the ones I’ve tried thus far have just been to die for. I’m having a bowel of the Palak tofu-paneer as I write this. It’s additive!
I’m a little limited in the things I can eat because my teeth came in with no enamel on them, so they ground away to powder long ago. That means I can only eat foods which are soft and can be mashed against the roof of my mouth with my tongue. Therefore I get lots of noodles and tofu things. I am just crazy over flavours though, and everything here is alive with flavour! I also like texture to the degree that I can have it without ripping up the roof of my mouth. That makes tofu and noodles major staples. The fact that the recipes use lots of fresh veggies makes it just that much better! I bet you never thought of your recipes as being “special needs” foods, did you?
I also have progressive multiple sclerosis, and am having to rely more and more on the help of care aides to do some of my cooking, among other things. That means that things which can be made in half an hour or less are also of great value. Many of my care aides come to me having never cooked anything before in their lives, and when they can take your easy to follow recipes and watch the videos to see how it’s done, they leave feeling like they’ve become a great chef. Some of them have latched on to your recipes and are making them for themselves at home, thereby not eating as much fast food trash. So you see, your work is helping a lot of people in ways you may never have expected! Healthy food that is so yummy that it’s cutting into McDonald’s profits, and making people healthier at the same time. That’s a hard gig to beat.
Best, and Thanks!
Katherine Porterfield