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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
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 tastiestVegan Palak Tofu Paneer !
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.
Add all the spices and mix and cook for 8-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, collect all the ingredients for the spinach curry and blend them.
The tofu is all seasoned up by now.
Add the spinach puree, mix well and cook for 10-15 minutes.
Drizzle some cashew cream or coconut cream and serve hot.
This popular recipe is also in my cookbook! Now available internationally!
Recipe Card
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4.98 from 124 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 minutes mins
Cook Time25 minutes mins
Total Time45 minutes 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 Or use paprika for less heat
Spinach curry
- 2 cups (60 g) packed Spinach washed, chopped if large, Or 6-8 oz frozen spinach
- 1/4 cup (62.5 ml) water
- 1/4 cup (56.5 ml) almond milk or coconut milk (use less or more for preferred consistency)
- 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 fresh 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. Omit cashews
Soy-free : Use chickpea tofu or 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas
Variation:
Reserve some of the crisped tofu to add on top and serve.
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.
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 226Calories 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.
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Sally
Love this recipe.
Easy to make and very tasty.
I’ve made it a few times and always works.Reply
Vegan Richa Support
Yay!
Reply
Janet G
I make this often, and I double it to share because it is so delicious and my friend loves it, too. The spices used give it a really nice, subtle taste. And I don’t feel guilty eating LOTS of it, as I know it is packed with super healthy greens.Reply
Vegan Richa Support
Awesome! Thank you for commenting.
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Krista
This is one of my favorite recipes! I’ve made it many times. It’s easy and so flavorful.Reply
Vegan Richa Support
Awesome!
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Paula
Made this a few days ago & loved it! Thanks!!Reply
Vegan Richa Support
Yay! Thanks for commenting
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jean
Super tasty – I made mine a bit too thick – overdid it on the spinach because I love spinach – will stick to the recipe more next time. Great flavours – Thank you : )Reply
Vegan Richa Support
I love spinach too!
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William
Made this for extended family over the holidays to show my “vegan cooking.” It was their favorite. People who normally don’t like ‘tofu,’ the onion/garlic sauce helps add a lot of flavor they don’t expect. Great recipe!Reply
Vegan Richa Support
Glad everyone liked it1
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Carolyn
I replaced the coconut milk with cottage cheese and did not fry the tofu beforehand (out of laziness). I just added it to the curry, let it simmer a while longer, and hoped for the best. Omg, it was amazing! Best recipe I’ve tried hands down!Reply
Vegan Richa Support
thank you so much, Carolyn! glad you enjoy
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Kim
This is one of my all-time favorite recipes! Simple, nutritious, and delicious every single time.Thank you for sharing!
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Vegan Richa Support
yay! so glad you enjoy. thank you for commenting!
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Jessica
This recipe is tasty but mine turned an unappetizing brown color! how do I prevent that?Reply
Richa
Use more spinach. Frozen spinach has a stronger color so that will help as well and cook over lower heat for a few mins less time
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Janet G
I have had that happen, as well. Mixing red (the tomato) and green naturally makes brown so it can happen. I find that if I don’t over-simmer, it holds the green colour much better!
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Susan
I’ve made this recipe several times, and I’m always surprised how quickly it comes together. The color is such a vibrant green, and the flavors are fantastic!!Reply
Vegan Richa Support
🙂
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Kaye
This was great, so easy to make in the blender. I have tried different recipes of this and never too happy with the taste. This will be the recipe I will make often. Thanks for being an incredible cook, I have 2 of your cookbooks.love your recipes.Reply
Vegan Richa Support
thank you for buying my cookbooks and for this great review!
Reply
Janet Greenwood
I have had this recipe bookmarked forever. Why did I wait so long to make it??? It is delicious! As good as any take-out. Thank you for another fabulous recipe. (I am now planning to go out tomorrow for more tofu and spinach!Reply
Vegan Richa Support
woohoo! really happy you loved it enough to make a trip for more! 🙂
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sonia b
I rarely leave comments but this deserves a comment and I wish I could give more than 5 stars. This was always one of my favorite Indian dishes but always so full of salt and oil. I love this version and have been making it at least once a week for two months..sometimes more! I use pre-marinated teriyaki tofu from Trader Joes (it’s just savory tasting and doesn’t have any other flavor really). I double the spinach gravy and add a can of chickpeas along with the tofu. Thank you so much for this recipe!Reply
Vegan Richa Support
I am so happy to hear, Sonia! Thank you for your kind comment. 🙂
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Tammy
Mine ended up with a bit of a bitter taste. Is there anything I can try to smooth it out?
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Richa
Hmm did you use mixed greens or just spinach? Probably add more non dairy cream and cook a few mins longer. Spinach mellows in flavor the longer it cooks
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Eve De Ley
This was spectacular comfort food! I added toasted cumin seeds and chopped cilantro on top! Added extra nutritional yeast and oil on the tofu and extra black salt into the main dish. Also, looked up a mild garam masala and made my own, making it even more mild and lessening clove. Learned a lot and will use some of your techniques for other dishes and make this again! I quadrupled it, for the two of us, we will eat it all with gusto! Thank you!Reply
Vegan Richa Support
I’m so happy to hear! Thank you for the kind comment.
Reply
Jennifer
Superb & easy. I bake tofu instead. My easy clean up preference and less oil. Need to try suggested greens alternatives. Love 💕 site. My brother too!Reply
Vegan Richa Support
I can’t wait to hear what you think.
Reply
Kim
I’ve made this recipe for dinner a few times, including tonight, and it’s delicious. Love that it’s so easy, nourishing and flavourful.Reply
Vegan Richa Support
So glad that you love it.
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Dave
This is our go to when we cook Indian, no matter what other dishes we make.Reply
Vegan Richa Support
Amazing.
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Christine
First of all, I LOVE your website! It’s one of my favorites for finding delicious, healthy, plant based receipes.
My question is…does this receipe freeze well? I double most of my receipes and freeze the other half for later meals. I’m guessing the spinach curry would freeze well but not the tofu?
Thanks!
Reply
Vegan Richa Support
thank you! you actually can freeze tofu but it will just slightly change the texture & taste. More info here: https://stayhealthyhacks.com/can-you-freeze-cooked-tofu/
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Mark
If you have even a halfway decent blender, this has to be one of the easiest -and most delicious-vegan renditions of an Indian traditional dish that I have tried.Reply
Richa
Indeed !
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Kim
This recipe is easy, delicious, and nutritious, thanks so much for sharing!!I have a question: What is the cashew cream you use for this recipe? Is it a homemade cashew cream or something you buy at the store?
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Richa
I blend some cashews with water and use. You can also use some coconut cream or thick part of coconut milk for garnish or just omit
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James
This is one of my wife’s favorite Indian dishes (always been my least favorite), I made it for the first time tonight afyer years of having it as take out. I can’t say enough how good this recipe is, I will be making this again in the near future not only for her buy for myself too, thank you for sharing this recipe, I’m looking forward to exploring more of your page this week. Thanks again!
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James
This is one of my wife’s favorite Indian dishes (always been my least favorite), I made it for the first time tonight afyer years of having it as take out. I can’t say enough how good this recipe is, I will be making this again in the near future not only for her buy for myself too, thank you for sharing this recipe, I’m looking forward to exploring more of your page this week. Thanks again!Reply
Richa
Awesome!!
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Vegan Richa Support
enjoy, sounds nice & glad that you’re making it @ home
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Louise M Harmon
I LOVE this recipe! It is one of my family’s favourites.
In place of fresh tomato, I substitute several pieces of sun-dried tomato, as it is more readily available, and adds more flavour.
I usually make a double batch!
Thank you for this great recipe!Reply
Vegan Richa Support
thanks Louise, sun-dried sounds nice
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Maggie
This dish has become a staple in our house in the cool months when we are getting lots of varied greens from our CSA every week. We’ve used a wide variety of greens mixed together besides spinach: broccoli leaves, mustard, collard, even sweet potato greens (they’re edible, though regular potato leaves aren’t), and even carrot tops! If I have any edible green leafies that are at the end of their edible life, they’re going in the blender when I make this. I’ve also substituted some canned tomatoes for the fresh ones when fresh ones were out of season. It all works! We also skip the oil and toss the tofu with your spice blend and air fry it — we let it airfry while we’re putting everything else in the blender. It comes together SO fast. This recipe is such a great way to make something delicious with an abundance of greens!!!Reply
Vegan Richa Support
oh sweet potato greens – interesting , wow you got the air fryer into the mix too!! 💨 💨
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Allison
Amazing! Better even than the palak paneer that I remember from our favorite takeout spot.Reply
Vegan Richa Support
Awesome !
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Sarah
I really love this recipe! It was so easy to cook, and the payoff is huge! It is so flavoursome and so comforting. The level of spice is just perfect. And I feel like vitamins are jumping around my body on account of the spinach. Thank you! I am looking forward to seeing what else you have got!Reply
Vegan Richa Support
yay! thanks for popping in
Reply
Diana
This is the recipe that brought me to your website. I am not an experience cook, but this is so easy even for me. I have made it a handful of times following your recipe exactly. Love it! Thank you for sharing your talent with the world. I am honored to benefit from your gift.Reply
Margie
Actually found this recipe in the comment section of a NY Times Cooking Tofu Saag recipe. Didn’t try the NYT version so can’t compare, but this was absolutely fantastic! Since I was making dinner for both vegan and non-vegans, I made a big pot of the spinach curry and let it simmer. Later added it to roasted tofu and shrimp (separately, of course). This was a HUGE hit. Everyone loved it. Will definitely be making again.Reply
Vegan Richa Support
sounds like a great night! thank you
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Hannah
Very easy recipe to make – although I only did the sauce on this occasion. Super tasty and healthy!Reply
Vegan Richa Support
good all on its own – thanks for popping in ♡
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D
Amazing recipe. My husband and I like it better than trader joe’s, or our local Indian restaurants!Reply
Vegan Richa Support
wow! thank you
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Ann Carter
This could be my all-time favorite vegan recipe! It was so delicious and I ate both servings!Reply
Vegan Richa Support
wow – love to hear it
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Evon
This was absolutely delicious! The spicing was JUST right – SUPER flavorful.
I had a whole spice garam masala that I ground especially for the dish.I don’t eat much tofu these days, but I am glad that I made a double batch of the spinach sauce and will grab another block of tofu when I’m out today. It is such a joyful dish to sit own to! Thank you
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Vegan Richa Support
Awesome thank you
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Tina
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?
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Vegan Richa Support
just a little to 1 3/4 cup
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Preeti
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
so glad you found me -thank you
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Jigna
This is my favorite go to palak tofu recipe! Family loves it!Reply
Vegan Richa Support
yay!!!
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Satin
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
Serena Patel
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
Awesome
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Swetha
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 againReply
Richa
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
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Monica
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
Awesome
Reply
Keren Paquette
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
Robin
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
Mission accomplished !!!
Reply
Aran
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
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
Julie
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
perfect – thank you so much. i’m so glad that you found the recipe
Reply
Payal
Was super quick and easy and VERY delicious! Loved it!Reply
Vegan Richa Support
perfect! Success !
Reply
Sutha
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,
SuthaReply
Richa
Roasted red pepper adds a similar full bodied volume. Add some lime or amchur for tang
Reply
Chandni Kadkol
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
Awesome! I’m so glad to hear that! 🙂
Reply
Rosaglenda
First time I made it easy and really so delicious.Reply
Vegan Richa Support
that’s what I like to hear! thank you kindly
Reply
Joanna
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
wow!!!! don’t tell them that! Thank you – so glad to hear that
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Sky
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
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
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
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