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Vegan Palak Tofu Paneer – Tofu in Spinach curry. Glutenfree Recipe

October 21, 2013 By Richa 260 Comments

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This Vegan Palak Tofu Paneer is the easiest Vegan Palak Paneer with Tofu. Its dairy-free, gluten-free. Can be made soy-free w/ chickpea tofu, veggies or cooked chickpeas. 20 minute active time and ready in another 10. Serve over cooked grains of choice or with flatbread. Vegan Gluten-free Indian Recipe.  Jump to Recipe   

Vegan Palak Tofu Paneer - Tofu in Spinach curry. This Vegan Saag Tofu is super easy. Vegan Saag Paneer. It can be made soy-free with Chickpea Tofu, veggies or cooked chickpeas.| http://veganricha.com #vegan #dairyfree #glutenfree #Indian
So finally I am adding a bit of Tofu to some meals. Still very very few meals, but trying to develop just a bit of acceptance to it. Hubbs likes Tofu, but I never have and never needed to eat it. There are always more options to cook up at home, but not necessarily when we eat out. We started making Tofu scrambles once a week or rather hubbs started making some, since he always was the scramble expert. The scrambles are usually amply spiced and herbed and cheesed(nooched).

Any which way, lets get back to this Vegan Palak Tofu “Paneer”. Palak is Spinach and Tofu acts as the spiced up Paneer. I used to love the creamy palak paneer in my pre-gan days. Since vegan-izing it, I usually make it with Tempeh. With Tofu however it tastes even creamier. And the best part is it takes less than 20 minutes in the kitchen. Saute the Tofu, meanwhile blend up the spinach, no Blanching needed!, add to Tofu and let cook while you clean up, or prep/make the flat bread or rice. Drizzle cashew cream and serve. Done. For a more paneer like consistency, mix the tofu with the oil and spices and bake it for 20 mins. I find that panfrying is much quicker for a weeknight meal. 
Another delicious Indian restaurant style curry veganized! Lets make this vegan Palak Paneer. 

You can make it soy-free with potatoes and/or cauliflower, cooked chickpeas/beans or Chickpea Tofu . Serve with flat breads, or top a bowl of quinoa or brown rice, or make sandwiches or top a pizza!

The easiest and the tastiest Vegan Palak Tofu Paneer !


Vegan Palak tofu in a steel kadai dish


Back to this Saag “Paneer”. I often substitute half of the greens with other green leafies, like collard greens or mustard greens. This spinach gravy is a delicious to add greens to meals if you are not fond of green smoothies.

More restaurant style curries on the blog
Vegetable Jalfrezie – Veggies in tangyy smoky curry.
Tempeh Do Pyaaza – Tempeh in double onion curry
Dahl Makhani
Mango curry Tofu
Tempeh Tikka Masala curry
Gobi Makhani – Creamy buttery curry

Step by Step Photos:

Saute the Tofu in a little oil for 2-3 minutes.

Tofu getting panfried in a skillet for our Vegan Palak tofu Paneer

Add all the spices and mix and cook for 8-10 minutes. 

Tofu with spices in a skillet for our Vegan Palak tofu Paneer

Meanwhile, collect all the ingredients for the spinach curry and blend them.

Spinach puree ingredients in a blender for our Vegan Palak tofu Paneer

The tofu is all seasoned up by now. 

Tofu with spices in a skillet for our Vegan Palak tofu Paneer

Add the spinach puree, mix well and cook for 10-15 minutes.

Spinach puree in a skillet for our Vegan Palak tofu Paneer

Drizzle some cashew cream or coconut cream and serve hot. 

Vegan Palak Tofu in a steel kadai

This popular recipe is also in my cookbook! Now available internationally!

This Vegan Palak Tofu Paneer is the easiest. dairy-free, gluten-free. Vegan Saag Paneer Tofu. Can be made soy-free w/ chickpea tofu, veggies or cooked chickpeas.
Print Recipe
4.97 from 81 votes

Vegan Palak Tofu "Paneer" - Tofu in Spinach Sauce

This Vegan Palak Tofu Paneer is the easiest and the tastiest dairy-free, gluten-free Saag Tofu. Tofu in Spinach Sauce. Can be made soy-free with chickpea tofu. Ready in 20 Minutes!
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time45 mins
Course: Main
Cuisine: Gluten-free, Indian, Vegan
Keyword: saag tofu, vegan palak paneer, vegan palak tofu, vegan saag paneer
Servings: 2
Calories: 226kcal
Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

Spiced Tofu

  • 2 teaspoons oil
  • 7 oz (198.45 g) firm tofu block , 1.5 cups cubed tofu, pressed for 10 mins to remove excess moisture and then cubed
  • 1/4 tsp (0.25 tsp) salt or to taste
  • 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) cumin powder
  • 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) garam masala
  • 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) garlic powder
  • a generous pinch of kala namak , optional, or use 1 tsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) cayenne to taste

Spinach curry

  • 2 cups (60 g) packed Spinach washed, chopped if large
  • 1/4 cup (62.5 ml) water
  • 1/4 cup (56.5 ml) almond milk or coconut milk
  • 2 Tablespoons soaked cashews , soaked for 15 minutes or use ground raw cashew (less or more for creamy consistency to preference)
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 1 inch ginger
  • 1 Serano chili pepper or to taste
  • 1 medium tomato chopped
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp (0.25 tsp) salt to taste
  • 1 teaspoon raw sugar or maple syrup
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) garam masala , less or more to preference, depends on the freshness of the spice mix and your preference of flavor
  • cashew cream, pepper flakes to garnish

Instructions

  • In a pan, add oil and heat on medium heat. Chop up the tofu and add to the oil. Mix to coat and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add all the spices under Spiced Tofu and mix to coat. (Add 2 tsp nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor if you like) Continue to cook for 8-10 minutes, partially covered on low-medium heat. See video.
    Alternatively: Toss the tofu in oil and the spices, spread on parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 400 F for 20 mins for a more paneer-ish texture.
  • Meanwhile, wash the spinach and add it and all the other ingredients under Spinach curry except garam masala to the blender. Blend into a smooth puree. Add the puree to the sizzling tofu. Mix well. Add garam masala to taste. Cook covered on low-medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until the raw garlic smell is not detectable and desired sauce consistency is achieved. Taste and adjust salt and spice.
  • Drizzle some cashew cream and Serve hot with Naan, Roti or other flat breads, or with quinoa or rice. Add pepper flakes for added heat. Sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon powder for variation.

Video

Notes

Nut-free, use coconut milk or coconut cream instead of almond milk and garnish with coconut cream.
 
Soy-free : Use chickpea tofu or 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas
Variation: You can also use Tempeh to make this. Cook the tempeh with oil for 3 minutes, then add spices under spiced tofu and a 1/2 cup water. Cook covered on low-medium, for 15-20 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. To make soy-free, use potatoes and/or cauliflower, and follow steps under spiced tofu. Cook at low heat for 6-8 minutes, then add spinach puree. If you dont have garam masala spice blend, use curry powder, or use cumin, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon powders and a bay leaf.
 
Nutritional values based on one serving

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Vegan Palak Tofu "Paneer" - Tofu in Spinach Sauce
Amount Per Serving
Calories 226 Calories from Fat 117
% Daily Value*
Fat 13g20%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 598mg26%
Potassium 403mg12%
Carbohydrates 14g5%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 13g26%
Vitamin A 3540IU71%
Vitamin C 20mg24%
Calcium 208mg21%
Iron 3.3mg18%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Vegan Palak Tofu Paneer | Vegan Richa

Filed Under: gluten free, grain free, Indian Vegan Recipes, main course:India, popular Tagged With: vegan, video



⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you Love the Recipe, Please consider rating it using stars in comments! It helps readers and helps more people find the recipe online! I love hearing from you all! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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  1. Sky says

    July 13, 2020 at 9:02 pm

    I tripled this recipe, and I found that it was fairly bland and thin. So I added significantly more spices, and it was still too thin after cooking it down for a while.

    However, I added a significant amount of Mediterranean style hummus to the dish and it thickened up.

    After doing that it was delicious!

    Reply
    • Richa says

      July 13, 2020 at 9:46 pm

      The sauce is pretty thick if you pack in a spinach for the measurement and then blend it. You can just add in more spinach and blend of the sauce feel thin in a blender. You can add in more spices as you like. My garam masala is generally very fresh. Older spices have significantly less flavor payoff.

      Reply
    • Richa says

      July 13, 2020 at 10:08 pm

      Missed the tripling part, with increased amounts you wouldn’t need as much liquid. There’s 1.5 times the liquid when doubling. With all that excess liquid it’s understandable that it would be bland and need more salt and spices. But increase volume to cooking time also increases. Cook longer even with reduced liquid.

      Reply
  2. Joanna says

    July 21, 2020 at 9:58 am

    5 stars
    Made this several times and I swear it gets better each time. Better than our local vegetarian Indian restaurant’s palak tofu!

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      July 21, 2020 at 2:52 pm

      wow!!!! don’t tell them that! Thank you – so glad to hear that

      Reply
  3. Rosaglenda says

    July 31, 2020 at 10:22 am

    5 stars
    First time I made it easy and really so delicious.

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      August 1, 2020 at 12:24 pm

      that’s what I like to hear! thank you kindly

      Reply
  4. Chandni Kadkol says

    August 14, 2020 at 6:54 am

    5 stars
    Yum, My hubs and I made this recipe 3 times and it gets better every time. So delicious!!! And so healthy too.

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      August 14, 2020 at 9:54 am

      Awesome! I’m so glad to hear that! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Sutha says

    August 15, 2020 at 5:17 pm

    Hi Richa,
    Your recipes are awesome! My partner is vegan and has a tomato allergy and he absolutely loves Indian.
    I was wondering if you had any ideas of what could be substituted for tomato in curries?

    Many thanks,
    Sutha

    Reply
    • Richa says

      August 16, 2020 at 6:04 pm

      Roasted red pepper adds a similar full bodied volume. Add some lime or amchur for tang

      Reply
  6. Payal says

    September 9, 2020 at 11:32 am

    5 stars
    Was super quick and easy and VERY delicious! Loved it!

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      September 9, 2020 at 9:42 pm

      perfect! Success !

      Reply
  7. Julie says

    September 13, 2020 at 6:41 pm

    5 stars
    Palak paneer is one of my very favorite things to eat. It is warm, comforting, all the good things. I had been missing it since becoming vegan. I knew there were tofu versions, but never thought I could make a decent one myself. This recipe is *perfect.* The seasoning is absolutely spot on and it is so easy it will absolutely be making it onto my weekly rotation. I am so happy!

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      September 15, 2020 at 1:22 pm

      perfect – thank you so much. i’m so glad that you found the recipe

      Reply
  8. Aran says

    September 13, 2020 at 7:43 pm

    5 stars
    This was hands down amazing!!!! I found pumpkin seed tofu and roasted it in the oven with the spices…. the consistency was paneer 100%. I doubled the sauce, because I love things saucy! I had no idea making this recipe is this easy!!! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      September 15, 2020 at 7:59 pm

      wow that’s awesome. you’d probably like this chickpea flour tofu: https://www.veganricha.com/chickpea-flour-tofu/“>Chickpea flour Tofu – Soy-free Tofu Recipe

      Reply
  9. Robin says

    September 15, 2020 at 3:35 pm

    5 stars
    This is the BEST palak “paneer” I have ever eaten, whether at home or in a restaurant, vegan or not! It’s uber creamy and the flavor and spice are perfect. I didn’t even need to use the coconut cream garnish. I have slaved over recipes that took much longer and were way more complicated, but this is better. It was easy and quick. I doubled the recipe and the next-day leftovers were amazing. I’m putting it in regular rotation as a delicious, healthy entree. Bravo!

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      September 15, 2020 at 8:23 pm

      Mission accomplished !!!

      Reply
  10. Keren Paquette says

    September 22, 2020 at 3:36 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious! whole family loved it. Easy and delicious. I ended up baking the tofu, no oil and it turned out great.
    I also made the chickpea socca to go with it. I will need a little more practice with that one
    Thank you for another delicious recipe!

    Reply
  11. Monica says

    October 20, 2020 at 7:56 pm

    5 stars
    Another hit! Love this recipe and love that it is spinach based to get in those greens! I like the spinach a little less chopped, so I blend all of the sauce ingredients first without the spinach then add the spinach and just pulse a few times. This will be a staple in my weekday dinner lineup.

    Reply
    • Richa says

      October 20, 2020 at 8:47 pm

      Awesome

      Reply
  12. Swetha says

    October 26, 2020 at 8:51 pm

    5 stars
    This is by far the best palak tofu I have ever had.
    I baked the tofu at 400F and then fried in a cast iron dutch oven with some nutritional yeast to enhance the flavor. Everything else I followed the Spinach recipe as-is. Was a little bland, but I added more salt and garam masala when mixing with the tofu. Definitely making this again

    Reply
    • Richa says

      October 27, 2020 at 9:17 am

      Awesome! Yes adjust to preference. Spinach when just cooked is an overpowering flavor. I usually let it mellow for 10-15 mins before adjusting salt and spice. They usually get stronger as it sits. If there’s some leftovers for the next day you will notice that increased flavor profile

      Reply
  13. Serena Patel says

    November 17, 2020 at 2:28 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely amazing dish. I cook a lot of curries and this one was so simple but had a lot of flavour. Baking the tofu really made the texture closer to paneer. I’m having a diwali dinner tonight so made this and I think everyone will love it. Thanks for your amazing vegan recipes 🙂

    Reply
    • Richa says

      November 17, 2020 at 4:52 pm

      Awesome

      Reply
  14. Satin says

    December 4, 2020 at 4:49 am

    5 stars
    I literally have NO words… ok I’ll try… SHEER GENIUS!! THIS IS DIVINE!! ( I’m finding my words, phew). I added cubed potatoes to the tofu and baked. Used the optional 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast. Added a little extra water for more of a sauce. Serving with rice later. Thank you Richa the kids will appreciate this after school today. Much love from a happy vegan family from London! 💕

    Reply
  15. Jigna says

    December 17, 2020 at 6:34 pm

    5 stars
    This is my favorite go to palak tofu recipe! Family loves it!

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      December 19, 2020 at 5:24 pm

      yay!!!

      Reply
  16. Preeti says

    December 31, 2020 at 6:21 am

    5 stars
    So easy and so delicious- definitely the best palak tofu I ever made – I just found your website and love it – you made our Diwali and Christmas!

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      December 31, 2020 at 11:29 am

      so glad you found me -thank you

      Reply
  17. Tina says

    January 11, 2021 at 1:11 pm

    5 stars
    This was so delicious! Wow! Will definitely make it again! Thank you!

    Could I use frozen spinach instead of fresh? And would I have to decrease the amount if using frozen?

    Reply
    • Vegan Richa Support says

      January 12, 2021 at 9:14 am

      just a little to 1 3/4 cup

      Reply
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Hi, I'm Richa! I create flavorful plant based recipes that are inspired by my Indian upbringing, including many gluten-free, soy-free, and oil-free options. Read more about me and the blog...

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