Palak Tofu (Vegan Palak Paneer)
Pan-fried tofu in a creamy and flavorful spinach gravy. Tofu is the perfect substitute for paneer in this plant-based version of the popular Indian dish.
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Servings: 5
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Equipment
- blender
- skillet
Ingredients
- 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
- 1 (16 oz) block super-firm (high protein) tofu cut into small cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds optional
- 1 medium onion finely diced
- 4-6 cloves garlic minced
- 1" thumb fresh ginger peeled and minced or grated (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1-2 serrano peppers finely diced; see notes about spice level
- 2 small Roma tomatoes seeds removed, diced
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon kashmiri chili powder optional - can sub paprika (mild) or cayenne (spicy)
- 10 ounces fresh spinach
- 1/3 cup full-fat coconut milk can sub vegan yogurt or cashew cream
- kosher salt to taste
Instructions
Pan-Fry the Tofu
- Brown the tofu: Add 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. When oil shimmers, add in the cubed super-firm tofu. Season generously with salt and allow to fry on one side for 2-3 minutes, until deep golden brown. Flip the tofu, season with a little more salt, and continue to pan-fry, giving the tofu a toss every few minutes, until evenly golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Blanch the Spinach
- Note: I typically use one 10 ounce bag of fresh baby spinach. If using bundles of fresh spinach, I recommend trimming off the stems, as they can be a bit stringy. Give them a thorough wash.
- Prep: Bring a pot of water up to a boil. In the meantime, prepare an ice bath for the cooked spinach.
- Blanch spinach: Add fresh spinach to boiling water and cook for just about 30-60 seconds, or until wilted. Transfer the cooked spinach to the ice bath to stop the cooking. (This will help it preserve its vibrant green color.) Strain out the spinach and set aside.
Make the Spinach Gravy
- Cook the aromatics: Wipe down the skillet if needed, then add more vegetable oil (1-2 tablespoons) and heat over medium. When oil shimmers, add in the whole cumin seeds and allow to sizzle for about 30 seconds. Then add in the diced onions, minced garlic, minced ginger, and diced green peppers. Add a generous pinch of salt and sauté until deep golden brown. (This usually takes 10-15 minutes depending on your stove and how heavy your skillet is.) You can deglaze with splashes of water as needed to keep things from sticking to the skillet.
- Cook the spices and tomato: Add in the diced tomatoes and all the spices (ground coriander, ground cumin, garam masala, ground turmeric, and kashmiri chili powder). Stir and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the tomatoes break down and become jammy. Again, add splashes of water as needed if anything is sticking to the pan.
- Add spinach and blend: Remove the pan from the heat temporarily and transfer its contents into a blender, along with the spinach we blanched earlier. Blend until it's as smooth as you prefer, adding in water as needed until everything blends. Pour the entire mixture back into the pan.If you favor more texture in your palak sauce, you can blend only the spinach, leaving the tomato and aromatics mixture as-is. In this case, blend the spinach with water as needed, then pour it into the pan with the tomato mixture.
- Finishing touches: Fold in the pan-fried tofu pieces and bring the mixture back up to a gentle simmer to heat everything through. Give the sauce a taste and add extra salt as needed — you will most likely need to add quite a bit. To finish, stir in as much coconut milk as you like (or vegan yogurt, or cashew cream).
- Enjoy: I love to serve this with fresh basmati rice and homemade vegan naan. Enjoy!
Notes
- Super-firm tofu: If you can't find the super-firm/high-protein variety, you can sub extra-firm tofu. I usually use one and a half (14 oz) blocks. I like to press them very thoroughly to firm up the texture so it more closely resembles paneer.
- Adjust spice: You can reduce the spice level by substituting in a milder pepper (such as jalapeños) and removing the ribs/seeds. If you do not like any spice, sub in half of a green bell pepper.
- No blender: An immersion blender or food processor can be used if needed.
- Coconut milk alternatives: You can use any plant-based cream you like, such as homemade cashew cream or store-bought vegan heavy cream (like the one from Silk or Country Crock). You can also use plain nondairy yogurt; the ones from Forager and Culina are my favorites.
- Frozen spinach: You can use about 6 ounces of frozen spinach if needed. (Most frozen spinach comes in 10-12 ounce bags, so use about half.) Let it defrost on the counter and then proceed with the recipe as if you had just blanched and drained it.
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