Spinach Waffles (Palak Tofu Waffles)
Crisp on the outside, fluffy and cheesy inside, these spiced tofu & spinach waffles are Indian palak paneer-inspired savory waffles. GF option
Servings: 4
Equipment
- waffle maker
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup semolina or almond flour
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons or more spices of choice, I use garam masala, ground coriander, turmeric and cayenne
Wet Ingredients
- 1/4 cup non-dairy yogurt or use thick non-dairy milk, such as oat milk or coconut milk
- 1/2 cup or more water
- 1/2 cup frozen spinach thawed and squeezed lightly to remove extra moisture, see note for fresh spinach
- 1/2 cup crumbled firm or extra firm tofu
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro optional
- 2 to 3 tablespoons vegan mozzarella cheese or other cheese of choice
Optional Additions
- 3 tablespoons of sesame seeds or hemp seeds or chia seeds to add more crunch as well as up the protein
Instructions
- In a bowl, add the dry ingredients. That's the flour, semolina, almond flour, salt, spices, baking soda, and nutritional yeast and optional seeds. Mix really well.
- Then add in the spinach, tofu, onions, cilantro, cheese, and yogurt. Drizzle in 1/2 cup of water and mix up the batter. The batter will most likely be thick, so keep adding water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you have like a muffin batter consistency that's slightly loose, but not too flowy like pancake batter.
- Let this mixture sit for 5 to 10 minutes. If you're using semolina, this mixture will thicken and you will have to add more water as you keep cooking the waffles. With almond flour, you will not need more water.
- Preheat your waffle maker, add a few drops of oil, then scoop the waffle batter into the waffle maker. Spread out the batter, drizzle a few more drops of oil on top, and close the waffle maker.
- Cook until the waffles are golden on both edges. This will take much longer than your usual waffles because of the extra moisture content in the spinach and tofu. So even if your indicator says that the waffle is done, you want to continue cooking it until it is golden. Remove the waffle and repeat for all the remaining batter. If the batter is thickening up too much while it's sitting, add another tablespoon of water and mix it in, then continue.
- Make all the waffles and set them on a cooling rack or set them in an oven which is heated to 300° F (148° C) so that they stay warm and crisp. Once all the spinach waffles are done, serve them with salsa or some chopped tomatoes. Chutneys -- like mango cilantro, or tomato chutney -- or ketchup or Szechuan sauce or other dips of choice are great with spinach waffles.
Video
Notes
Store: Store refrigerated for upto 3 days. These waffles will freeze really well. Let them freeze, then heat them in a toaster oven, regular oven, or your waffle maker to thaw and crisp up a little bit .
For a cheesy, sun-dried tomato spinach waffle instead of an Indian-spiced one, use 1 teaspoon Italian herbs, more nutritional yeast, 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper, and 1 or 2 tablespoons of chopped, sun-dried tomato.
To make these gluten-free use a mix of 1/2 cup almond flour, 1/2 cup oat flour, 1/4 cup potato starch or tapioca starch to replace all purpose flour and semolina, mix really well. Use all of this dry mix, and instead of 1/2 cup of water, add 1/4 cup of unsweetened, carbonated water or club soda and 1/4 cup of water. If you don’t want to use club soda, then use all water and add 1/2 teaspoon citric acid to the dry ingredients.
To make this recipe soy-free, omit the tofu, or you can add some crumbled up cooked chickpeas instead.
This recipe is nut-free if you use semolina and use yogurt that is not nut based
Fresh Spinach: blanch or steam and measure to use.
Nutrition
Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 440mg | Potassium: 362mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2358IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 178mg | Iron: 4mg