This recipe is a vegan version of the Indian spinach curry, Palak Paneer, that uses tofu instead of the typical Indian cheese 'paneer': Palak Tofu. It's rich, creamy and delicious!
Palak Paneer was always my #1 choice in Indian restaurants (before I went vegan, obviously). It's a creamy spinach curry (Palak) with the traditional Indian cheese (Paneer).
To make this dish vegan, we're using tofu instead of paneer. Firm tofu is actually consistency-wise very similar to paneer, so it's the perfect substitution! We're adding kala namak (Himalayan Black Salt) to the tofu to give it a similar taste. Delicious!
For this dish, we're going to use a LOT of spinach, which is rich in iron and calcium. The Palak Tofu Paneer uses 4 large handfuls of spinach, so I'd say this dish is the most delicious way of getting an iron boost.
How to make Vegan Palak Tofu
The ingredients
You will need:
- firm tofu
- lots (!) of spinach
- coconut milk
- tomato
- oil
- spices
- kala namak (black salt; can be subbed with regular salt but use less of it)
- curry powder
- ginger powder
- garam masala
- salt
The basic steps
Serve the Palak Tofu with ...
I've had this Palak Tofu with homemade naan and fluffy basmati rice. What a feast!
More vegan curry recipes you will love
- 15+ Amazing Vegan Curry Recipes
- Falafel Curry
- 15-Minute Chickpea Curry
- Coconut Curry with crispy tofu
- Sweet Potato Curry
Love it? Rate it!
I hope you will enjoy this vegan Palak Tofu Paneer Curry as much as I did! Let me know if you give it a try!
And don’t forget to rate the recipe if you like it, this helps other users figure out if it is worth a try!
If you don’t want to miss out on any new recipes, subscribe to my newsletter, follow me on Instagram and Facebook!
Cheers, Bianca
Vegan Palak Tofu Paneer
Ingredients
Tofu 'Paneer'
- 12 oz firm tofu
- 2 teaspoons canola oil (or any other neutral plant-based oil)
- ½ teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon kala namak
Spinach Curry
- 4 large handfuls spinach fresh
- 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons garam masala
- 1 tomato diced
Instructions
- Cut the tofu in cubes. Bring a large pan to high heat, add the oil, cubed tofu, curry powder, and kala namak. Give it a stir. Let it cook until the tofu is golden and with slightly crispy edges. Set aside the tofu in a bowl.
- In the same large pan, add the spinach and cook it until it wilted (you might have to work in 2 batches because it's a lot of spinach). Then reduce the heat and add the coconut milk, ginger powder, salt, and garam masala.
- Use a handheld blender to blend the spinach curry.
- Add the chopped tomato to the curry and let it cook (bring up the heat again) for another 3-4 minutes until hot and until the tomatoes are soft.
- Then add the tofu paneer to the spinach curry, give it a quick stir, and it's ready to serve! Basmati rice and homemade naan are THE perfect side dishes!
MaryB says
Looks delicious! Want to try this. Would it be possible to bake the tofu (without oil) and then add to the dish? Thank you.
Bianca says
Sure, absolutely you can do that! :)
Lisa says
My husband and I made this as written. We found it incredibly salty. I would make it again but add salt to taste in the curry sauce rather than the 3/4 tsp in the recipe ingredient listing.