For years I’ve been wanting to make a plant-based take on palak paneer. The vibrant green color lures me in every time. Thankfully, this recipe is not only simple to make, but also incredibly delicious and requires just 30 minutes! Let me show you how it’s done.
Origin of Palak Paneer
Palak paneer is an Indian curry made with spinach, onion, tomato, spices, and paneer (which is a type of Indian cheese). A similar dish called saag paneer is made with other leafy greens (such as mustard greens) and both originated in the Punjab region of Northern India.
Our inspired take has similar flavors and ingredients, but swaps the cheese for tofu to keep it plant-based. You can find a more traditional version of palak paneer here.
How to Make This “Palak Paneer”
This recipe starts with prepping your tofu in curry powder, coconut aminos, and nutritional yeast to mock the paneer or cheese in the classic take on the dish.
Next you’ll sauté onion, garlic, ginger, and serrano pepper with cumin seed. Once browned, you’ll add diced tomatoes and cook until tender.
While that’s happening, you’ll blanch some spinach and add to a blender with your sautéed vegetables. This creates a creamy base for the palak paneer, which will blend beautifully with your cheesy, crispy tofu!
All that’s left to do is heat the mixture briefly on the stovetop with some coconut milk and more spices and you’re good to go! Such a hearty and delicious 30-minute meal!
We hope you LOVE this dish! It’s:
Quick & easy
Packed with greens
Flavorful
Satisfying
& Incredibly delicious!
This would make the perfect weeknight meal when you need something nourishing and delicious on the table fast! It’s filling on its own, but also pairs well with cooked grains, vegetable pakoras, easy naan, or mango chutney for the ultimate Indian-inspired meal!
Into Curries?
Be sure to check out our 1-Pot Golden Lentil Curry Soup, 1-Pot Chickpea Cauliflower Yellow Curry, or 1-Pot Pumpkin Yellow Curry.
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Vegan Palak Paneer with Curried Tofu
Ingredients
TOFU
- 1 15-ounce block firm tofu (drained, patted dry, and cubed)
- 1 ½ tsp curry powder (or store-bought)
- 1 Tbsp coconut aminos
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp nutritional yeast (adds a slightly cheesy flavor)
SPINACH
- 5 cups loosely packed fresh spinach (organic when possible // 5 cups equals ~6 ounces)
- Water
VEGETABLES
- 1 ½ Tbsp avocado or coconut oil (or sub water + add more as needed)
- 1 ½ tsp cumin seed (or ground cumin)
- 2 Tbsp minced ginger
- 1 medium diced white onion
- 1 serrano or jalapeno pepper (seeds removed, diced // add more or less to preferred spiciness)
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes (slightly drained // or sub fresh chopped ripe tomatoes)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced // 4 cloves yield ~12 g)
- 1/4-1/2 cup vegetable broth or water
SAUCE
- 1 ½ Tbsp avocado or coconut oil (or sub water + add more as needed)
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1/3 cup full fat coconut milk (plus more for serving)
- Sea salt, coconut aminos, or tamari (to taste // we used a few teaspoons of coconut aminos)
FOR SERVING optional
- Rice or Quinoa
- Cilantro
- Garlic Naan
Instructions
- This recipe is all about multi-tasking and is totally doable in 30 minutes. Start by preheating the oven to 425 degrees F (218 C) and draining your tofu. Then wrap in a clean towel and set something heavy on top. (This step can also be done in advance with a tofu press.)
- Cube tofu and add to a medium mixing bowl. Season with curry powder, coconut aminos, sea salt, and nutritional yeast. Shake the bowl to gently toss. Set aside.
- Heat a medium oven-safe seasoned cast iron over medium heat (if using a stainless steel skillet, add a little oil so it doesn’t stick). Once hot, add the tofu and sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until a couple of the sides are browned. Then transfer to the hot oven and bake for 15 minutes. If you prefer firmer tofu, bake longer. If you want softer tofu that mocks paneer, bake less. Set aside to rest in the pan.
- Fill a large pot halfway full with water and bring to a boil over high heat. While you wait, move on to the next step.
- Heat a large rimmed skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add oil and cumin seed, ginger, onion, and serrano pepper. Sauté until onion is soft and translucent — about 5 minutes.
- Add diced tomatoes and garlic and stir to combine. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until the tomato has softened.
- Your water should be boiling now. Add spinach and cook uncovered for 2 minutes. Then strain and rinse with cold water. Drain well. Set aside.
- Add the tomato mixture to a blender or food processor along with cooked drained spinach and the vegetable broth (or water). Blend into a smooth sauce, scraping down sides as needed. If it has trouble blending, add more vegetable broth or water.
- Lastly, cook your sauce. Heat the same rimmed skillet from earlier over medium heat. Once hot, add remaining oil (or some water), curry powder, and garam masala. Stir and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the spinach sauce and stir. Cook the mixture over medium-low heat for about 3-4 minutes to deepen the flavors. If it bubbles too much, lower heat to a simmer. Then add coconut milk and stir.
- Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding salt or coconut aminos to deepen the flavor and curry powder for more rich curry flavor.
- Serve over your tofu “paneer” and garnish with another drizzle of full fat coconut milk and fresh cilantro. Rice makes a lovely side, as does garlic naan! Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 4-5 days, or in the freezer up to 1 month. Reheat in the microwave or in a rimmed skillet until hot.
Video
Notes
*This recipe is our inspired (not traditional) plant-based take on palak paneer.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with avocado oil and lesser amount of vegetable broth and without optional ingredients.
Rebecca says
Oh man, This was a really great dish before I added the extra sauce. Silly me misread the amount of spice completely and it really changed the taste. I will make this again knowing my mistake now!
Andrea says
I loved this recipe! The tofu was so flavorful and had great texture. The saucy goodness couldn’t have been easier. Honestly, my only complaint is just that I dirtied so many dishes in the process. Because of my dirty-dish aversion, I decided not to blanch the spinach and just throw it in the blendtek raw with the hot tomato mixture and broth. Sure it was a risk, but it paid off. The sauce was perfect. I served it over wild black rice but would be very happy with it on almost any carb or grain.
Thanks for sharing your experience, Andrea! Glad you enjoyed it!
Emily says
Delicious! Couldn’t make it in 30min but completed by 1 hour. Doubled the spinach, added 1TB tomato paste with onion sauté. Skipped the tofu stove fry-had crispy tofu at 425 with convection oven. Took about 25min. Final sauce-added a bit more coconut milk, salt (my tomato was unsalted), and splash of maple syrup. Perfection over rice.
Thanks for sharing, Emily!! Next time would you mind adding a rating to your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. xo!
Shannon says
I couldn’t get enough of this! So delish!
jw says
i would love to make this recipe for my daughter. She has tomato allergies (in addition to allergies to eggs, dairy, and kiwi). Is there a good substitute for tomatoes that I might be able to try?
Perhaps a red bell pepper?
Savannah says
My first time making palak paneer/saag. I didn’t have a can of coconut milk but I used a carton by Silk store bought. I didn’t have a Serrano pepper so I used fried garlic chili oil. I didn’t have garam masala, the curry powder was enough. Didn’t have tofu, so ate without. Ate over jasmine rice. Super delicious. Minimalist Baker never disappoints.
Nicole says
This recipe was absolutely delicious! I opted to only bake the tofu, not pan fry it first, and it was amazing. Best tofu ever! The palak was great, too, and my two boys (8 and 13) finished them both without a fuss :)
Kristin says
I started making this thinking I had spinach, when I only had lacinato kale. I decided to try it with the kale, and I think it came out great! Still had a lovely shade of green, and tasted delicious. Definitely will make again, maybe with spinach next time.
Lindsey says
This is one of our go-to recipes. I dare say it’s my favorite dish. We have made this for friends a few times and each time they’re so surprised that it’s vegan and that it’s tofu! Thanks for putting it out there – you’re helping change minds about what vegan food can be :)
Thanks for sharing, Lindsey! xoxo
Jean says
Wow. Thus has always been my favorite East Indian Dish. We had this for dinner tonight. It was beyond fabulous. The flavours in the sauce and texture of the tofu were too good for words. 5 stars is not enough
Thanks, Jean!!
Kelli says
Like all her recipes this did not disappoint. I used tamari instead of aminos and left the hot pepper hot so the kiddos could enjoy.
Lindsey Phelps says
This dish was amazing. So green and fresh with the right amount of spice. I’ve never baked tofu before and now I’m only ever going to bake it. Better than our favorite local Indian restaurant.
Danielle says
Love this!! Probably the best Indian dish I’ve ever made!
Jessica says
This recipe is great although I had to use our immersion blender and made bit of a mess. My husband said it tested better the second day and added sweet Thai chili sauce to it for some sweetness. Our daughter is 10 months old and ate it up! Will make again!
Alisha says
How did you get the sauce so vibrant and green mine is more dark green, when I tried it.
Lauren A says
Made this for dinner tonight and it was so good! Indian food is my absolute favorite, so I definitely have high expectations and this recipe did NOT disappoint! It was so flavorful and delicious. The tofu was especially yummy! I baked it for 12 minutes and the texture was perfect. Thanks for another awesome recipe!
Anna says
This was so great!
I used Feto (fermented tofu) instead of normal tofu and it turned out perfect. Thank you for this recipe – will definitely make it again :)
Dee says
This recipe was fabulous!
I actually just ate saag paneer (non-vegan) 2 days ago, so the actual authentic flavor is fresh in my mind. While I mostly followed directions, here is how I changed it up:
1. I skipped pan frying the tofu and simply baked it for 15 minutes.
2. I love coconut curries, but I wanted something more authentic tasting, so I made cashew cream (1 c raw cashews, 3/4 c water) and used that instead. It gave it perfect creaminess without adding any flavor.
3. I added about 1.5 cups chopped frozen spinach (thawed first) for texture, and because that is how it always comes served when I have ordered it.
4) Lastly, because I am super lazy, I just dumped the sauce ingredients into the spinach sauce, minus the oil, and stirred. I added salt because it was a bit bland.
It is amazing. All of my family loved it, it was totally healthy and I am super excited to be able to eat this all.the.time. now!
Thank you so much!
I look forward to trying more of your recipes!
So glad you enjoyed this, Dee! Thanks for sharing your modifications!
Malgorzata Wegner says
Great recipe! It turned out perfect ?
You never disappoint ?
Christine says
I love this, and so does my whole family. It’s super easy and I feel good that the kids are getting their greens. I wonder, though, if you could tell us why we cook the spinach first before blending? Thanks! More vegetarian Indian recipes please!!
So glad to hear it, Christine! It is intended to bring out the vibrant color of the spinach. However, other readers have had success with skipping this step. Hope that helps!
Z says
Nutritional yeast tofu idea was really good. The sauce tasted so GREEN. One serrano was enough for me, I always get a 3 out of 5 on spice scales.
Rebecca says
Wow this was amazing! Tasted like the real deal!
Carolin says
Made this for the first time. It took a little longer than 30 minutes. Had it for left overs and added cauliflower to it as there was plenty of sauce. Also my sauce wasn’t a nice green colour as pictured, but the taste made up for it. On a side note I baked some chicken breasts and added that for my husbands plate.
Salina says
I just finished making this, and got rave reviews. I didn’t really check to see how long it took to make start to finish, but I always assume/know it’s going to take longer than what your recipes say. I didn’t have a serrano pepper so I used 5 small red thai chilis instead, we love spice! Hands down will be making again. The tofu portion is not to be missed, it really adds to it. LOVE!
Sonal says
Wonderful recipe – really appreciated the heat in the sauce it tasted completely authentic, esp compared other vegan saag’s I’ve made. It did take longer than 30 minutes and I adjusted the salt + skipped the boiling of the spinach in favour of using less dishes and just cooked it in my already hot for a few minutes.
Overall – definitely making again. As always LOVE all your recipes.
Thank you!
AC says
This recipe took my husband and me an hour and a half…it was delicious though
Jem says
Fabulous recipe!!!
Natasha says
Longer than 30 minutes BUT ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT. Made it with rice and naan and my girlfriend loved it
Cori says
I love this recipe! The tofu is a revelation, I officially do not miss cheese/paneer now that I have an equally delicious substitute, and my stomach thanks you too. Like some of the other commenters, this took my a lot longer than 30 minutes. I’m all about multi-tasking so I was juggling naan, rice and dessert, and I even cut-out unnecessary steps because I have made palak paneer before, but it still took me nearly an hour.
I think in the future I would blanch the spinach with hot water and rinse, and would use my immersion blender in the pan since the sauce is deep enough in my pan not to splash everywhere. I hope this helps others :)
Cynthia says
This definitely takes some multitasking, but all the steps are easy.
Reena Parikh says
This recipe was so tasty! Thank you for coming up with it! We especially loved the tofu; used coconut cream instead of full fat coconut milk because that’s all we had and the saag gravy still tasted wonderful. It was a tad too spicy for us, (even with us being Indians) haha so I would maybe take out Serrano pepper or something next time for me, but others may love the heat. The only thing I’d not is that it took us about 75 minutes to make this and the recipe says 30 minutes. We have made a few other minimalist baker recipes and it takes us about double the time listed. I think the prep times tend to listed as much lower than they are. This can be frustrating for time management in the evenings when we are looking for something that is actually 30 minute only. I hope this concern can be taking seriously and timings edited on existing recipes and future accordingly if appropriate.
cate says
Is it possible to use frozen spinach? Does anyone know how much to use? It’s so much cheaper
Hi Cate, we haven’t tried that, but it might work! If you give it a try, we would love to hear how it goes!
Callie V says
Hi Cate! I tried this with frozen spinach and used about a cup. It worked fine IMO although I’m known to add spinach to everything. Just add in with the tomatoes and allow it to cook until the tomatoes are soft.
Cate says
Thankyou Callie :) I’ll give that a try
Sae says
58 minutes from start to finish but holy hell it was worth it!!! Soooooo good. I can’t believe the flavour. I was skeptical because my friend makes a KILLER palak paneer but with paneer and cream. My husband eats a plant-based diet and this is his favourite dish so it was nice I could make this for him and he asked me to marry him again after he tried a bite of this.
So F&cking Amazing!!!!!
Jasmine says
This recipe was spectacular. This is actually my all time favorite Indian dish. It was simple and it totally delivered. Definitely double the spices. I used the entire can of coconut (just my preference), and the tofu is great (and I’m not a tofu person) and the recipe is simple despite the time it may take you to complete. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make a Tikka Tofu Paneer!
Thanks so much for the sweet note and lovely review, Jasmine. We are so glad you enjoyed it! We will add Tikka Tofu Paneer to our ideas list. Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Serena says
Wow!!! Best thing We have ever made! So delicious. Whole family loved this!!!!!
Pegarita says
I have loved every Minimalist Baker vegan/gluten-free recipe I’ve made. This one…meh. It’s OK. For all you loyalists who are getting ready to slam me for being less than enthusiastic, please hear (or, more accurately, read) me out. I’m not a professional cook, chef or baker. I actually cook 2 or 3 times a week. So maybe this recipe takes a pro 30 minutes, but it took me an hour and 15 minutes. (And of course that doesn’t include the time it takes to clean up.)
I did the multi-tasking thing, but chopping tomatoes, ginger and garlic, slicing onions, cutting up the tofu after it’s pressed and preparing it for cooking, measuring out the oil and spices—no way could I have done that in 30 minutes even 40 years ago when I was a spring chick. The results? As another poster commented, the tofu’s fantastic and I’ll use that part of the recipe again for sure. All the rest though, in my book, isn’t worth the time and effort.
.
Rachel says
Made the Vegan Palak Paneer with Curried Tofu this week and loved it (as with all MB recipes!). I try to make recipes that will have leftovers and starting out the spinach didn’t seem to be as much as I hoped so I doubled the amount of spinach. I didn’t feel like I had to adjust anything to accommodate the extra spinach. The dish got tastier and tastier through the week. I will definitely make this again and have already shared the link with multiple friends. This recipe, with it’s easy to find ingredients, is priceless.
Belle says
Can I just say… I don’t normally leave comments or feedback but this recipe is worth it!! It tastes just like a restaurant. I had my other half even asking if I had brought it haha
Too save some cleaning up I added the spinach to the tomato mixture and let it wilt and it worked like a charm! Thank you soo much for this recipe definitely going on my rotation… also the curried tofu you can just eat on its own! It was delicious ??
Tati says
I just made this and of course accidentally bought reduced fat coconut milk. It’s all good though because this recipe is amazing!!! Full fat would have definitely made this more rich but it was still phenomenal! Much like an earlier reviewer stated I doubled the amount of curry powder and garam masala. This was the best tofu I have ever eaten I was eating the crispy bits off of the tinfoil. This is the only way to make tofu for me now. This recipe bangs and I will be making it to accompany an Indian feast.
Veronica says
This is a game changer, and absolutely AMAZING! I made it last night for dinner and my family loved it!
Sarah says
Palak (saag) paneer has always been my favorite south asian dish so I was stoked to see this recipe. It’s soo delicious and I could eat this all the time. The tofu though – wow!! I could snack on that alone. I loved the taste but the texture reminded me so much of paneer. You really nailed it!
Definitely making this one again soon. Thank you!
Kristine says
This is my new favourite!! The sauce was soooo good! :)
I didnt have any tofu so I swapped it for oumph, which also worked fine!
Thanks for sharing!
Corey says
Made this tonight and took a cue from others and doubled (in the case of the curry powder tripled) the spices. Yum! As someone who is on a modified LowFODMAP diet, this worked well with the omission of the onion! I’m ok with garlic now, thank goodness. I tossed the spinach into my food processor without blanching it, thus eliminating a pan and turned out great. Used the same pan for sauteeing the tofu for the sauce. Served it over millet, since I’m a weirdo who loves it, but would like to make GF naan next time. Oh, and garnished with some chickpeas for xtra protein! Thanks for this amazing recipe!!
Srivani says
OMG – this recipe is AWESOME! The flavours are incredible. I didn’t use a hot pepper because I didn’t have one, but it was still spicy, yet not too much. I did use Mori-No extra firm silken tofu – I often use this one for “paneer” because I find the soft texture is similar to what I remember with paneer. Because the tofu is quite soft, I skipped the pan-frying and just put cubes into a bowl, seasoned as directed, and roasted in the oven. WOW! This recipe just made my Favourites list. Super simple.
Jana says
This was great! I agree with the others who’ve said it’s a good idea to double the spices. I made it as written and have ended up adding a lot of hot sauce to each serving. I also wish it didn’t use so many pans!
I would REALLY love a Minimalist Baker Ethiopian recipe next :)
Ah, we love Ethiopian food! Any specific dishes to request?
Jana says
Ooh I mean the lentils (misir wat?) are a solid favorite but I will say that I had some stewed beets at an Ethiopian restaurant once and it blew my mind. A GF injera recipe would be fun too – I know traditional injera is 100% teff flour and therefore naturally gluten free!
Nora says
Just catching up on reviewing all the recipes I’ve tried lately. This was delicious, as expected. Great flavor and I loved the tofu. So easy to make, too. Thank you!
Thanks, Nora!
Sarah says
This recipe is AMAZING. I followed it exactly, doubled, and served over quinoa.
I always obsessively read comments but never leave them myself, this recipe changed that! Thank you for another amazing recipe!
Ah, thanks Sarah! That’s so great! xo
Leah says
Delicious! I have tried many times to make palak paneer at home trying to find the most authentic (and often overly complicated) recipe, and have always been disappointed. This one did not disappoint! Very close to a restaurant version. Easy and fast, too. I skipped the sauté step with the tofu and just baked it to save on dishes and thought it turned out great that way.
Thanks, Leah!! xo
Laana says
Made it last night and had it for lunch today with rice – wonderful! So delicious, full of flavour and creamy! It tasted rather strong yesterday, but i guess it settled and balanced out overnight. The only change i made was to substitute tofu with a new exciting something-like-tofu product we have here in Finland – Oat Block. It’s made of oats and pea protein, has a very mild pleasant taste and a texture similar to paneer. I just cubed it and added to the sauce without any frying. It worked really well! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Thanks for sharing, Laana! That Oat Block sounds incredible! Hope it lands in the states!
Haley Woods says
The sauce being grey doesn’t look very appetizing, although I’m sure it’s delicious. I bet it’s the curry powder that turns it that color? I’ve had a palak tofu recipe for years and it’s good green color. For my recipe instead of blanching spinach you wilt it in a hot oiled pan, way quicker and brings out color just as well.
The curry powder can turn it a darker color, as can soy sauce / coconut aminos. You can also shorten the cook time at the end and only bring the sauce up to just hot instead of cooking longer. The spinach turns darker the longer it’s cooked!
Martha R. says
A big giant THANK YOU!! This recipe, although quite a bit a work without pre-prepping, was worth every minute. I made it pretty close to your recipe, on jasmine rice. Mixed the blend of regular and hot curry. You were on the money to use the amino’s in the end to bring out the curry taste. You are amazing!
Thanks, Martha! xoxo
Dana says
This recipe is a winner!! My husband and I enjoyed it so much the first time around that I made it again less than a week later. Nothing but positive reviews here!! The only thing I will say is that the prep time is definitely much longer than what the recipe specifies. I think the only folks that could get it done in 30 minutes are those more experienced at cooking. I am not a novice by any means, but I found the prep to be rather long. However, it is well worth the effort. The flavors of this dish will leave you wanting more! I doubled the recipe the second time so we could have more leftovers. I’ll be making it for company next weekend. 5 stars!!
Lovely! Thanks fro sharing, Dana! Lovely name, btw ;D
Lindsay says
Dana! This recipe was amazing! I made it last night for a group of my non vegan friends and everyone loved it! It is quite an easy recipe! I made it alongside your chana masala (which I have made almost a dozen times now) and they were both huge hits AND I was able to multi task both recipes because they are so easy! Thank you ??????
Yay!! Thanks, Lindsay!
Stephen says
This turned out to be a “restaurant quality” dish. It really doesn’t take that much time after you study the recipe. Next time I’ll use two blocks of tofu for four people. I increased the “marinade” by 50% so that the cubes would be well seasoned. Used tamari rather than coconut aminos. Biggest change was that I used an immersion blender rather than a food processor or blender. Removed the pot with the vegetables and spinach and put on a hot plate. By tilting the pot a bit could submerge the stick blender. So much easier in that could do it in the pot and also not have to clean up an appliance. What is termed a “sauce” is maybe a bit misleading as it’s more like and Indian “tarka.” I put those ingredients in a small saucepan and then added to the mixture. Stirred in the coconut milk before letting all of it simmer. Thanks for sharing this fantastic recipe.
Stephen says
I meant a trivet and not a hot plate.
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Stephen!
Katelyn says
Incredibly delicious and relatively easy! I always shy away from making Indian dishes because they feel so complex but this seemed easy enough, and it was! There is a bit of multi-tasking involved, but I had help from my boyfriend so the multi-tasking wasn’t too challenging. I’d recommend getting all of your ingredients measured and set out ahead of time. The tofu was also insanely good. I had some tofu leftover and ate a few pieces on their own as a snack the next day and they were so tasty and satisfying. Thanks so much for this recipe!! It will be a new staple in my kitchen!
Lovely – thanks for sharing! Next time would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers! xo
Sonia says
This is truly masterful — and I say that as someone who grew up eating palak paneer.:) Brilliant recipe. The thing I love most about your creations is that I have NEVER messed anything up, which, trust me, is rare, lol! Everything I recreate on your blog turns out beautifully, so much so that I’ve tricked people into thinking I actually know my way around a kitchen. When I tell them about your site, they quickly become fans. Thank you for sharing your creativity with the world.
Thanks for sharing, Sonia!
Kathleen says
Once again an amazing meal! Every recipe I’ve made is a 10/10. Being vegan and gluten free you are constantly my life saver.
Aww, you are so sweet, Kathleen! We are so glad to hear that our recipes are helpful for you! xo
omega says
Yesssss! Was delicious.
Whoop! Thanks for sharing!
Kathleen says
Absolutely wonderful, delicious dish. It makes a lot of sauce so I made a second batch of the seasoned tofu the next day for the leftover sauce. Minor adaptations based on items in my pantry included using fire roasted tomatoes (Muir Glen brand) and one tsp canned green chilies vice the Serrano pepper. As Dana mentioned I used cumin powder instead of going out and buying cumin seed. I ate this dish three days straight it was so good. May bring it to a potluck next week for St Patrick’s Day—it’s the color green after all! PS: To press the tofu I wrapped it in paper towels and laid a full unopened vegetable broth carton sideways on it. Left it alone 15 minutes. Then opened and used the same carton later when adding the broth to my blender.
Thanks for sharing, Kathleen!! xoxo
Lauren says
Super yummy! Great with rice
Yay yay! Thanks, Lauren!
Samantha says
We made this recipe last night for dinner, what a winning combination! Lately I’d been feeling a little stagnant with my plant-based recipe inspiration but this creation has reignited the flame! I baked the tofu cubes for 20 minutes total (max crispiness!) and added additional curry spice to the final blended sauce. Make this dish, you won’t be disappointed!
Whoop! Thanks, Samantha!!
Courtney says
Loved this dish! Soo delicious and satisfied the saag paneer craving for sure. Wish Indian food restaurants in my neighborhood served creamy vegan options like this. Next time I’ll increase the spices a bit to get a tiny bit more flavor but truthfully it was a near — if not already — perfect recipe in my book!
Lovely, thanks Courtney!
Linda says
I made this today for lunch. Although it was a lot of work, the end result was very tasty. The only thing I would change is to maybe double the amount of spices called for. I found that the taste was a bit mild for my liking but otherwise it was quite authentic. My house even smells like a restaurant!
Thanks for sharing, Linda!
Kate says
Hi Dana, love the sound of this. I bulk bought some tofu but is silken, will that work? Alternatively I also have some tempeh in the cupboard would that be better? Just had the tempeh bolognese with some GF pasta which was delicious!!! Excited to try this tomo xx
Silken tofu will usually not hold its form – it’s quite soft. I’d recommend firm or extra firm if you can!
Kiran says
hey! I am interested in trying this but I wanted to make some corrections. Palak Paneer is traditionally a north indian (Punjab) dish. South India also has their take on it and looking at this recipe and ingredients used, this take on it is more the South indian version (e.g: addition of coconut oil/milk – north indian cooking does not incorporate this but the south does as coconuts are abundant). Also, using regular spinach vs. baby spinach will make a taste difference. Regular spinach (organic if possible) has an earthier flavour than baby spinach so that will give a more authentic flavour. And, if time permits, cooking the spinach with the spices on low heat for a few hours really brings out the flavour (in lieu of blanching and food processing). Just check it every so often and add more water so that it does not stick. Green/Red chilies (the long skinny ones) are the ones to use to give it some heat. Hope that helps!
Super helpful! Thanks for sharing! I had no idea about the different types of spinach! xoxo
Ben says
So good! Will definitely be making again soon!
Thanks, Ben! Whoop!
Penny says
This was amazing! So so delicious, will definitely be making this regularly.
So amazing, Penny! Thanks!
Sophie says
So delicious! Tastes restaurant quality. Thank you so much!
Yay!! So glad you enjoyed it, Sophie!
Peggy says
4.8 stars. Made this tonight and loved it. Shared the meal with my adult son, who licked his plate clean but also shared that he’s not so much into tofu these days. He suggested substituting the tofu with oven roasted potatoes. I’ll try that next time!
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Peggy!
Cassie Autumn Tran says
Yum yum, I made a saag tofu several years ago, but I have yet to make a rendition on it. Means that I can test out other recipes like this one, which looks absolutely magnificent!
Kay Kay says
Very flavorful and tastes like the palak paneer I used to have at the Indian restaurant near me. It closed a few years ago…
I am loving this vegan take on the recipe! Thank You! Delicious! ***** 5 extra stars!
Yay!! Thanks, Kay Kay!
Hillary says
Oh yum yum. I just made this for dinner and served it over brown rice – thanks for the recipe! My curried tofu was a little salty for my taste – is this because I used tamari instead of coconut aminos? I didn’t add the additional salt called for.
yay!!! Thanks, Hillary!
Hi Hillary, yes, that is most likely why! We would recommend using less tamari than coconut aminos. Hope that helps!
Hillary says
Thank you Dana! How much less, do you suppose?
Genevieve says
I just made this and it was delicious! Just the right amount of spice, if you don’t mind a little kick ;). It’s very saucy and I think if you did two packages of tofu you would still have enough and then some. I served this with basmati rice but I think I might try the naan next time as this dish is begging to be sopped up. Thank you!
Whoa whoa! Thanks for sharing, Genevieve!!
Tracey Kidd says
I was going to make this for dinner tonight and thought I’d prep the tofu yesterday when I had some spare time…but we ended up eating all of the curried tofu! It was so delicious that I will have to make some more to cook with the gorgeous green sauce since palak paneer is usually the dish I test out at various Indian restaurants to see how great they are.
Thanks for the inspiration!
Yay! Thanks Tracey!! When you do make the whole dish, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks!
Tracey Kidd says
Woops! I didn’t see the stars the first time, I was just so excited to share how yummy the curried tofu was.
Jenny says
Just made this and it’s sooo good! Instead of blanching the spinach I just tossed raw greens in the saute pan with the veggies and wilted it, then blended. Reminds me of the palak paneer from my local Indian restaurant that I miss so much!
Whoop! Thanks for sharing your spinach preparation. Love it!
Suzanne says
I subbed baby kale for spinach and tempeh for tofu. Didn’t bake the tempeh just steamed then sauteed with the spices, aminos and nutritional yeast) and it turned out AMAZING!!
Yay! Thanks, Suzanne! Next time would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks!
Madeline Downie says
This is SO good! Quick, relatively easy to make, and perfection alongside some garlic naan (for dipping, mmmmmmm…)
MAKE THIS!
Lovely! Thanks, Madeline!!
Chrissy Leadbetter says
Wow, what a flavorful, delicious dish that didn’t take long to make!! Tastes like restaurant made. I couldn’t stop eating the tofu “paneer”, so my leftover lunch tomorrow wont have as much :*( haha. I didn’t have spinach, so I made a tomato curry using basically all the other ingredients listed and ate with rice. A++ Dana!
Yay!! Thanks, Chrissy!!
Lauren says
Palak Paneer has always been one of my favorite dishes! After figuring out my dairy allergy, I sadly have to give this up…. UNTIL NOW!!!! Dana, this is literally the best Palak Paneer I have ever had and I have eaten this at a ton of places including very traditional Indian restaurants. I took a bit of this while I was making it and literally said, “holy sh*t!”.
Thanks for this recipe <3
Whoop whoop! Thanks, Lauren! (FYI, my favorite response to mind-blowing food lately has been “holy ka-sh*t!” – guess we’re on the same vibe!) xoxo
Russell Hendrix says
If I wanted to use paneer in this recipe instead of tofu would I still cook it the same?
We aren’t sure, but we think the paneer would be added at the end and not be cooked. Hope that helps!
Jessie says
Fry the paneer in a little oil until it spits and is brown ish red on the outside. Set aside on paper towels and add at the end. No baking!
Callie V says
I tried this with paneer and simply added it at the end and let it simmer for about 5 minutes until soft. It may be more flavorful with all the seasonings but no need to bake it.
Sonia says
My husband made this for our family the day you posted it. It was so so so so good! We especially loved the curried and crispy tofu. The flavors were all there and it tasted rich and creamy. We ate it with chapati and some channa masala. Thank you for this recipe!!
Yay! Thanks, Sonia!
Melanie says
I wish I could give this more stars. It was hands-down the best palak paneer I have ever had. Thank you for this amazing recipe. I can’t wait to make it again.
Ah! Thanks, Melanie! Such a kind compliment. So glad you loved it.
Rob says
Just made this and it was bomb! I made the recipe as written and served it with basmati rice. Thanks for sharing :)
Thanks, Rob!
zoe says
I just made this, was so happy to see it appear on your blog it is one of my all time indian favorites!
Yay! Thanks Zoe! Next time would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks!
Nancy says
I have just finished making up the sauce and it is AMAZING! I made one switch up based on some other paneer recipes I reviewed – I used the solid coconut milk to cook the spices in, then added the spinach mixture. I used the spices as written as it is perfect! Great that the sauce can be made ahead of time and then the tofu can be prepared just before serving. It’s marinating with the spices. One of likes soft tofu so that will go in the sauce and the other can have the oven baked. This is amazing…I can’t wait for dinner! thank you.
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Nancy!
FMG says
What a delicious recipe! Made it last night and loved it so much I had leftovers for breakfast with an egg on top. The sauce is perfect!
Thank you for making vegan, gluten-free and vegetarian cooking exciting!
Whoop! Thanks for sharing!
Leslie says
It was delicious. My company loved it. Well done!
Yay! Thanks, Leslie!
Andrea says
Delicious ! This was a favourite dish before I went vegan. Love this version – creamy, full of flavour and the tofu is on point. Next time I might pump up the spices a bit more, but will definitely make again!
Thanks, Andrea!
Clara says
OMG, this dish is so delicious and fresh tasting. Works so well with the tofu and so easy to make.
Will definitely cooked again very soon. Thanks Dana
Yay! thanks, Clara!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Clara! Thanks for the lovely review!
Meghan says
I made this today and it is so delicious! I’m honestly surprised at just how good it is! I will definitely make this again.
Thanks Meghan!
Erin says
This looks so amazing but I dont have coconut aminos, is there anything I can substitute this with? Thanks!
Kelly Evans says
Tamari or Soy Sauce
Milena says
We just made this dish for our Sunday lunch and it rocks! The taste is rich and the dish is very filling and lovely. Just like from the restaurant. The recipe is easy to follow and it turned perfect. Thank you, Dana, this was a blast.
L says
Yay!! This looks so good and I can’t wait to try the tempeh bolognese! Are you going back to your old more frequent recipe posting schedule?
Ha! Yes. We slowed things down a little recently, but are going to be posting more frequently moving forward. xo!
Nancy says
The tempeh bolognese is so good, just made it last week.
Holly says
Made this just now and it was delicious! I used 2 packages of extra-firm tofu for 3 hungry adults and a toddler who eats like a teen. I served it with basmati rice and there were next to no left-overs. I made modifications, only to the amount of seasonings (I don’t measure but I more than tripled my curry powder, garam masala, nutritional yeast, ginger, cumin seeds, and garlic. Hubby and I always up the seasonings on Indian food at home as we find that it’s hard to over-season Indian food but very easy to under-season. If I had more time I would have let the seasonings soak into the tofu for an hour or more, so this could be great to prep and place in the fridge in the morning for an evening meal. This was very flavorful and tastes very close to restaurant quality but don’t skimp on the spices. Next time, I’ll bake this for about 20-25 minutes because we like our tofu to be a little more on the firm side. Great recipe overall!
Thanks for sharing, Holly!
Linda says
I have been waiting forever for a vegan palak paneer. This is probably the only dish I miss since becoming vegan. I cannot wait to try it out. One question, can you substitute anything else for the coconut aminos in the tofu? Perhaps Braggs liquid aminos? Thank you!
Holly says
I used Braggs and it was delicious.
Linda says
Thanks so much!
Thanks for sharing, Holly! I agree – I think Braggs or tamari would be great substitutes. Just start lower and work your way up as coconut aminos can often be less salty in my experience.
Alison says
Can’t wait to make this! My market didn’t have nutritional yeast on hand. Should I skip it or is there a sub you would suggest? Thanks!
Sonya says
I think you can skip it. I don’t like the flavor of it so I never use it. Its job is to make the flavor a bit “cheesey” but without it the flavor will still be good. Vegimite is also a replacment for nutritional yeast.
Hope this helped :)
I’d say it’s not necessary. It does add a “cheesy” paneer-like flavor. But you could also just try a little garlic powder instead. Hope that helps!
Hannah R. says
My first thought when I saw this recipe: “Yeah, girl.”
Indian food is our favorite and I love tofu as a sub for paneer. Drooling already!
Kay Kay says
I’m beyond thrilled to find this recipe today. Was going through my vegan cookbooks in search of a good paneer recipe. Question: How long should the tofu be pressed?
Thanks!
It doesn’t need long – I usually press it first thing and press for 5- 10 minutes while prepping the other ingredients!
Hayley Morrin says
This looks fantastic. I never got a chance to try paneer before I went vegan so I’m super excited to make this!
Yay! Let us know how it goes!
Elaine says
Could you just blend up the raw spinach? Why do you need to cook it first?
Hi Elaine, that could potentially work! We haven’t tried it as this method is intended to bring out the vibrant color of the spinach. However, let us know if you do try it!
Soymoon says
I didn’t blanch the spinach. It seems like too much energy would be used to heat up the
water. So after I poured the tomato mixture into the blender, I put the water into the empty skillet, brought it to a simmer, added the spinach and covered it for a minute. It wilted it without overcooking. Added the spinach and liquid to the blender. Worked well.
Glad to hear it worked out! Thanks for letting us know!
Cynthia Metcalf says
Blanching it also helps to get rid of the toxins and reduces some of the oxalic acid from the leaves
rupali says
hello Dana! thanku for sharing VEGAN PALAK PANEER WITH CURRIED TOFU racipe. this is a new racipe for me. i will try this racipe definatilly for different test. thanku so much dana.
Barbara McKenzie says
This was delicious- I haven’t had paneer in 2 years since I went vegan – I think it tastes really similar- well done!