This restaurant-style north Indian vegan Palak Paneer recipe is creamy and perfectly spiced. Cubes of tofu "paneer" swim in a delicious spinach sauce that's perfect to scoop up with naan or roti.
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What is palak paneer?
Palak paneer is a creamy, mildly spiced north Indian spinach curry with cubes of paneer, a soft cottage cheese. It is sometimes called "saag paneer" ("saag" is a catchall word in Hindi for all leafy greens; "palak" means spinach).
This is a delicious dish and it is also very healthy when veganized. The spinach brings in loads of healthy vitamins and nutrients and the tofu adds a hefty dose of protein.
Palak Paneer is not a difficult dish to veganize because it is almost vegan -- other than the paneer, that is, and some cream added to finish the recipe. When I first posted this recipe in 2008, I used cubes of tofu to stand in for the paneer. It was a new idea at the time, but one that has stood the test of time.
Instead of using cream to finish the tofu palak paneer recipe, we will use cashew cream, an appropriate substitute for cream in north Indian recipes.
Why you will love this recipe
- Authentic and delicious. This vegan palak paneer recipe is as close as possible to a traditional palak paneer without the dairy ingredients. The tofu paneer does a great job of absorbing the marinade and the flavors of the spinach. Some Indian cooks fry the paneer before adding it to the spinach, and some don't. I like to bake or air fry the tofu (get my amazing, easy air fryer tofu recipe here!) for the perfect balance. The flavor and texture of the chewy tofu is a perfect contrast to the creamy sauce.
- Easy recipe. While the ingredient list may have some special ingredients, like dried fenugreek leaves, these are easy enough to source. The recipe itself is straightforward enough and not difficult even for a beginner cook.
- Allergy-friendly. If soy-free, substitute the tofu with non-soy tofu, like chickpea tofu. You can also add potatoes instead of tofu, like one would to make a saag aloo or aloo palak.
Ingredients
- Tofu. Use extra firm tofu. Press the water out before you cube it. You can use the tofu as is, or, for a chewy texture, air fry the tofu or bake it.
- Vegetable oil. I use avocado oil. Use any flavorless vegetable oil, including grapeseed oil, peanut oil or sunflower oil.
- Spices: Cloves, cinnamon, green cardamom pods, cumin seeds, turmeric, cayenne, ground coriander, ground cumin and garam masala.
- Herbs: garlic, ginger-garlic paste
- Vegetables: onions, tomatoes, kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves, optional), frozen spinach. If using fresh spinach blanche it for a couple of minutes in boiling water and then puree. You can skip this step when you use frozen spinach.
- Salt to taste
- Cashews for cashew cream. Use pumpkin seeds if allergic to nuts.
How to make vegan palak paneer
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon and, when they start to color, add the cumin seeds.
When the cumin seeds begin to darken and become aromatic, add the onions and the garlic along with a pinch of salt. Saute for a few minutes until the onions start to turn golden-brown.
Add the ginger-garlic paste, saute for a couple of minutes, then add the tomatoes.
Add the turmeric, cayenne, cumin and coriander powders and mix well. Cover and let the tomatoes cook until they are very soft and pulpy.
Add the kasoori methi, if using, and mix well.
Add the spinach puree, mix, and let the sauce come to a boil. Lower the heat and continue cooking the spinach for 10 minutes. Add some vegetable stock or water if it looks too thick, but don't add too much liquid at this point-- you want the spinach to cook thoroughly and lose any raw flavor.
Add the garam masala...
...and the cubes of tofu. Mix well and let the sauce simmer for a couple more minutes.
Add the cashew cream and mix it in. Check for salt and add as needed. Turn off heat.
For the optional tadka, heat two teaspoons oil in a small skillet. Add a tablespoon of julienned or grated ginger to the oil, let it fry for a minute, stirring constantly, then pour over the palak paneer.
Expert tips
- Saute the onions to the point where they begin to turn golden brown. This develops flavor and the onions will melt into the sauce.
- Prep the tofu to your preference. You can bake or air-fry the tofu before adding it to the palak sauce for a chewier texture. But if you prefer softer cubes of tofu in the palak paneer, use them directly. Add them toward the end of cooking, when you know you won't be needing to stir the palak paneer much, so you don't break the tofu into little bits.
- Use frozen spinach. You can use fresh spinach, but I prefer frozen because I can more easily find frozen organic spinach at the supermarket, it won't go bad on you because you can freeze it until you are ready to use it, and it usually costs less.
- Don't use coconut milk. I explain the reason for this in my post on how to veganize Indian recipes with appropriate substitutes. If you want to make this dish nut-free, leave out the cashew cream and use oat cream or pumpkin seed cream.
Tweaks for special diets
- Oil-free: Toast the spices and cumin seeds on a dry skillet, then add onions and garlic along with a quarter cup of water. Saute until the onion starts to brown. You can skip the optional tadka at the end.
- Soy-free: Use soy-free tofu, like chickpea tofu. Or use boiled potatoes instead of tofu.
- Low-carb: Palak paneer has very few carbs to begin with, and the tofu adds a nice amount of protein.
Serving suggestions
- Serve the tofu palak paneer with an Indian flatbread like roti, aloo kulcha or vegan naan.
- Serve it with basmati rice or jeera pulao.
- Serve a spicy curry like chana masala or Pindi chole alongside the palak paneer for a yummy north Indian meal.
Storage instructions
- Refrigerate: Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to four days.
- Freeze: You can freeze leftovers in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. The tofu will become chewier when frozen.
- Reheat: Reheat in a saucepan or microwave. Add water if needed to thin out the gravy and check for salt.
More vegan Indian recipes
Vegan Palak Paneer with Tofu
Equipment
Ingredients
- 14 oz extra firm tofu (press out the water, then cut into ½-inch cubes)
- 2 tablespoon cashews (use pumpkin seeds if nut-free)
- 16 oz frozen spinach (substitute with two large bunches of fresh spinach*)
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
- 4 cloves
- 1-inch piece cinnamon
- 5 green cardamom pods
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 large onion (finely diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
- 1 heaping tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 3 medium tomatoes (finely diced)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cayenne (adjust up or down based on your taste)
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves). Optional, but I strongly recommend it.
- Salt to taste
For optional tadka finish
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
- 1 tablespoon ginger (julienned)
Instructions
- If you'd like to bake or air-fry the tofu cubes before adding them to the recipe, do so in advance.
- Make cashew cream by blending the cashews with 3 tablespoons water until very smooth. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cloves, cardamom and cinnamon and, when they start to color, add the cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds begin to darken and become aromatic, add the onions and the garlic. Add a pinch of salt. Saute for a few minutes until the onions start to turn golden-brown.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste, saute for a couple of minutes, then add the tomatoes. Add the turmeric, cayenne, cumin and coriander powders and mix well. Cover and let the tomatoes cook until they are very soft and pulpy.
- Add the kasoori methi, if using, and mix well. Add the spinach puree, mix, and let the sauce come to a boil. Lower the heat and continue cooking the spinach for 10 minutes. Add some vegetable stock or water if it looks too thick, but don't add too much liquid at this point-- you want the spinach to cook thoroughly and lose any raw flavor.
- Add the garam masala, then stir in the tofu cubes. Let the sauce simmer a couple of minutes. Add the cashew cream, add salt, stir in, and turn off heat.
Make optional tadka
- In a small skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the julienned or grated ginger and saute for a minute, stirring constantly. Carefully pour over the cooked palak paneer. Serve.
om kumar
Lovely recipe Vaishali! I have tried many many of your recipes and they all turn out lovely! My kids used to love only restaurant North Indian dishes. Being a South Indian, I could never capture that. But with your recipes, my kids are enjoying home food 😊 Thank you!!