Vegan Palak Paneer (Palak Tofu)
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.Palak Tofu, or vegan palak paneer, switches out tofu for cheese but has all of the delicious fragrant flavor of a traditional palak paneer recipe! It’s a healthy but indulgent dish that is super easy to make and ready in just 40 minutes!
I’ve been wanting to make a plant-based, vegan palak paneer for a while now, but I’ve never felt like any recipe I’ve made is good enough to replace the original. This one might be the winner though! I honestly think this is the best vegan saag paneer dish out there!
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What is Palak Paneer?
Palak Paneer is a classic North Indian dish. Walk into any Indian restaurant, and you’re almost guaranteed to see “Palak Paneer” or “Saag Paneer” on the menu.
It is traditionally a rich stew made with heavy cream, butter or ghee, paneer cheese (which is a type of cheese used in Indian cooking), spinach, and tons of warm spices like cumin, turmeric, and coriander. Which makes it delicious and indulgent, but not really vegan-friendly!
This palak tofu dish is full of spices, creamy and rich, but thanks to the light coconut milk, coconut oil for cooking, and tofu in place of paneer, it’s 100% vegan and only about 200 calories for 1/4 of the ENTIRE recipe. It’s a healthy vegetarian Indian recipe! You can also easily make this a gluten-free recipe with just one substitution too.
Eat it with basmati rice, brown rice, naan bread (Indian flatbread), roti, or your favorite Indian side dish. It will leave you feeling satisfied – as if you had just walked out of a fancy Indian restaurant. It’s kid friendly too! I served it to my kids (minus the cayenne) and they gobbled it up!
How to Make Vegan Palak Paneer
Recipe Ingredients and Notes
- Chopped Frozen Spinach: I chose frozen spinach because it’s faster for meal prep, but you can also use fresh finely chopped baby spinach leaves if you like. If you don’t have spinach, you can use any leafy greens – swiss chard or mustard greens would also work well in this vegan version of palak paneer. This recipe calls for a ton of spinach – so if you’re using fresh spinach you’ll likely need a couple of large containers of it to match the amount of frozen spinach you’d get in one package!
- Extra Firm Tofu: You will need to press the tofu to get out all of the moisture before pan-frying it to give it that crispy exterior. I recommend using a Tofu Press if you can!
- Tomatoes: Gives this creamy palak paneer a nice acidity.
- Spices: Loads of spices including fresh ginger, coriander powder, ground cumin, turmeric powder, cayenne pepper (or 1 green chili / serrano pepper, cut in half), cumin seeds, garam masala, asafetida (hing) and salt make up the flavor base for this dish. You can also use a curry powder which has all of these spices to save time!
- Coconut Oil: For tempering the spices and cooking this dish!
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil Cooking Spray: For pan frying the tofu
- Whole Wheat Flour: Helps to thicken up this vegan palak paneer recipe. Use a a gluten-free flour or GF-certified oat flour for a gluten-free option.
- Coconut Milk: I used light coconut milk to get all of the creaminess without added fat and calories. For a more indulgent option, you can use cashew cream, coconut cream, or whole milk coconut milk.
Tools and Equipment You’ll Need
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Dice your tofu into big cubes. Spray a large pan with olive oil cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Pan-fry the tofu cubes on each side until it is firm and slightly browned.
Step 2: Take the tofu out of the pan, place in a bowl and set aside. Meanwhile, in a food processor, blend the tomatoes and ginger until they come together in a smooth puree. You can also use an immersion blender if needed.
Step 3: In a large bowl, combine the tomato sauce mixture with the coriander powder, turmeric, garam masala cumin powder and cayenne (if you are making it for your kids – you can leave the cayenne out here and add it in at the end just for you!). In a separate medium bowl, mix the whole wheat flour with the coconut milk and set aside.
Step 4: Heat coconut oil in a large pan. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if it cracks/pops right away, then the oil is hot enough and is ready to go. Once the cumin seed pops, add hing and remaining cumin seeds. Then add the tomato puree mixture, and let it cook for a few minutes until the tomato puree is about half in volume.
Add the spinach and salt. Let cook on low for about 10 minutes. At this point, you can either blend the entire mixture to give it a spinach gravy / spinach puree like consistency, or leave it a little chunky. Palak Paneer can be made either way.
Step 5: Add the coconut milk mixture, and let cook on low another 4-5 minutes until everything is combined. Add the cubed tofu and fold it gently into the creamy spinach curry mixture.
Step 6: Let the dish simmer for 5-10 minutes on low heat. Serve warm, with diced tomatoes, roti, whole wheat tortillas, naan or rice.
What Makes This Palak Tofu Healthy?
- High in Protein: Protein helps keep you full longer, and it’s great for your bones, muscles, and metabolism. Each serving of this vegan palak paneer will give you 11 grams of plant protein!
- Low Calorie: You get a big helping for only about 185 calories per serving. That means you can go back for seconds (or thirds) totally guilt-free!
- Vitamins and Minerals: Spinach is a true superfood. It packs high amounts of nutrients including potassium, magnesium, B vitamins, Vitamin E, C, K, Iron and Calcium.
Recipe FAQs
Is Palak Tofu Paneer Kid-Friendly?
When serving this palak tofu recipe to kids, I recommend omitting the cayenne/serrano pepper. Without that “hot spice”, kids typically enjoy this dish. If your kids are accustomed to eating Indian cuisine, they are probably going to gobble it up. However, if your children don’t always eat Indian food, they may need some time to get used to the flavors. Give them a little bit at a time to try it with some naan bread for dipping!
What Is Hing?
Hing also goes by the name Asafoetida. It’s a very common spice used in Indian recipes, and can be found on Amazon or at most Indian grocery stores. It has a strong, sulfuric flavor, similar to garlic and onions – so a little goes a long way!
Can I use another plant based milk?
While I haven’t tried this recipe with anything except coconut milk, I’d imagine that unsweetened almond, cashew or oat milk could all work.
Variations and Serving Suggestions
Add some acidity at the end! I like adding a squeeze of fresh lemon juice or lime juice right before serving this delicious palak paneer. It helps brighten the dish and pairs well with the acidity of the tomatoes.
Try some yogurt! Coconut yogurt or coconut cream as a drizzle on top of this dish adds a cooling richness that tastes great.
To make this more indulgent: Use cashew cream, full fat coconut milk or coconut cream to the spinach sauce instead of light coconut milk.
Add fresh herbs: A garnish of chopped cilantro is a classic garnish for any Indian dish!
Serve with: Basmati rice, brown rice, naan bread (Indian flatbread), whole wheat roti or whole wheat tortillas, or your favorite Indian side dish like dahl or sabji.
Top Tips For Making Vegan Palak Paneer
- I recommend measuring out all of your spices and prepping all of your ingredients ahead of time. Once you start, the recipe moves pretty quickly and most of the time involved is in the prep!
- Don’t forget to press your tofu to remove all the excess water!
- Make sure you use extra firm tofu – silken or regular tofu will fall apart in this dish.
- You can store this palak paneer with tofu in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe as tofu changes texture when it goes from frozen to defrosted.
Check Out These Other Indian Inspired Recipes!
- Vegan Matar Paneer (with Tofu Paneer)
- Pav Bhaji (or Indian Spiced Vegetarian Sloppy Joes)
- Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry
- Dal Makhani
- Indian Stew with Rice and Lentils
- Roasted Cauliflower Curry with Sweet Potatoes
If you have tried this Vegan Palak Paneer or any other recipe on my blog, then please rate it and let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see more delicious, healthy, family friendly food!
🎥 Watch How to Make It
Vegan Palak Paneer (Healthy Palak Tofu)
This palak tofu recipe is full of spices, creamy and rich, but thanks to light coconut milk and tofu in place of paneer, it’s only about 200 calories for 1/4 of the ENTIRE recipe, and it's gluten-free and vegan friendly too!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 183kcal
Ingredients
- 1 10oz package chopped frozen spinach
- 1 14-16oz package extra firm tofu
- 2 medium tomatoes
- 1 tsp chopped ginger
- 1½ tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp coconut oil
- ½ tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 Pinch of asafetida hing
- ½ tsp salt or to taste
- 2 tbsp whole wheat flour
- 1½ cups light coconut milk
- ½ tomato diced to garnish
Instructions
- Dice your tofu into big cubes. Spray a large pan with olive oil cooking spray. Pan-fry the tofu on each side until it is firm and slightly browned.
- Take the tofu out of the pan, place in a bowl and set aside. Meanwhile, blend the tomatoes and ginger until they come together in a smooth puree.
- Combine the tomato mixture with the coriander powder, garam masala, turmeric, cumin powder and cayenne (if you are making it for your kids – you can leave the cayenne out here and add it in at the end just for you!)
- Mix the whole wheat flour with the coconut milk and set aside.
- Heat coconut oil in a large pan. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if it cracks/pops right away it is ready. Add hing and cumin seed. After cumin seeds pop, add the tomato puree mixture, and let it cook for a few minutes until the tomato puree is about half in volume.
- Add the spinach and salt. Let cook on low for about 10 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk mixture, and let cook on low another 4-5 minutes until everything is combined.
- Add the tofu and fold it gently into the spinach mixture, let simmer for 2-3 minutes. Serve with diced tomatoes, roti, whole wheat tortillas, naan or rice.
Notes
Top Tips For Making Vegan Palak Paneer
- I recommend measuring out all of your spices and prepping all of your ingredients ahead of time. Once you start, the recipe moves pretty quickly and most of the time involved is in the prep!
- Don’t forget to press your tofu to remove all the excess water!
- Make sure you use extra firm tofu – silken or regular tofu will fall apart in this dish.
- You can store this palak paneer with tofu in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I don’t recommend freezing this recipe as tofu changes texture when it goes from frozen to defrosted.
Nutrition
Calories: 183kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 472mg | Potassium: 582mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g
I am always looking for new ways to cook with tofu and this looks delicious.
Thanks so much Dannii! I’m sure you will love this recipe!
Me and my husband loves this fragrant and healthy Palak Tofu! We’ll definitely making it again!
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear you liked this recipe Jo! 🙂
Hey, this looks delish. Do you use an 8 ounce, 14 ounce, or 16 ounce package of tofu?
Thanks so much Lisa! I use a 16oz package of tofu!
Looks delicious, trying this out today! Thank you Anjali!
Yay! I’m sure you will love this recipe Shoumi!
What is hing? I’ve never heard of it. If I can’t find it in my local market can I successfully make this recipe without it?
Hi Narcisa! Hing is an Indian spice — it’s used in most Indian recipes 🙂 It’s also called Asafoetida. You can buy it at any Indian grocery store or on Amazon here. But you can make this recipe without it — it just won’t have the same exact flavor as the authentic version (but it will still taste good!) Hope that helps!
I’m happy to see the healthier version of Palak Paneer! I eat only vegetarian but I always found this dish too indulgent-feeling. I love how all the elements work together with the basic spinach and since I’m really curious about the difference, seems like this is the new must-try of the next weekend! Oh, and I admire your food-photography skills! :)) Honestly, if I was cooking, the result never looked so amazing – and definitely not in the pictures! Glad to find inspiration here! 🙂
Thanks so much Petra, I hope you love this recipe when you try it!
wow tofu ! i like tofu, maybe i must try this recipe for experiment with my favourite food tofu. Thank you Anjali.
Great! Let me know how you like it!
That looks so delicious!
Thanks Marie! I’m sure you will love it when you try it!
Thanks! I just listened to your interview with Howard Jacobson. Very cool. This recipe looks great. I was wondering the same thing as Sara G as I read through it. I look forward to giving it a try. Cheers!
Hi David! Thanks so much for stopping by – so glad you liked my interview! I can’t wait for you to try this recipe – and you’ll have to keep me posted on how the coconut milk turns out in it. Thanks again!
I just tried this recipe using frozen spinach tonight. It turned out a bit funny looking and then I looked backed to Manjula’s recipe and saw her suggestion about pureeing the spinach if you are using frozen spinach. I pureed only about 75% of the cooked mixture (tomato mixture, milk mixture, and spinach) to leave some texture in there before adding the tofu. It then turned out wonderfully. Thanks so much for alerting me to the recipe. Thanks also for the suggestion on how to serve it to a lo. My son is 16 months old. Keep up the good work!
Oh great! I’m so glad you liked this recipe and it turned out well! I did see that Manjula suggested pureeing the spinach – I chose not to because I like the chunkier texture. But pureeing the spinach is definitely the more traditional way to go. And yay for serving it to your little one too! 🙂 That’s awesome!
Thank you so much for sharing this absolutely delicious recipe. I am so glad that I came across your blog! I will surely be coming back for some more good recipes.
So glad you liked it! Thanks!
I want to try this recipe & replace the milk with a plant based milk. Would you recommend coconut or almond milk? Thank you!
I’d definitely try coconut milk. Let me know how it turns out!
Looks yummy. Love how you blend the tomato using a vitamix, creates a nice creamy texture.
Thanks! And yes – the texture of the spinach in this dish is super creamy and velvety – which I love!
This sounds so good!! I have been trying to find new ways to eat tofu. My father hates it, but I am trying to eat less meat, this sounds soo good, I am definitely going to make this tonight, cant wait!!
Thank you so much Ellen! I’m sure you will love this when you try it – keep me posted on how it goes!
I was wondering what to cook with tofu when you posted this recipe. Super tasty, healthy, and easy to prepare! This is now my favourite tofu recipe!! 🙂
Woohoo! So happy to hear that Tai!
I recently tried Palak Paneer for the first time at an Indian restaurant, and I fell in love! But I’ve been hoping there’d be a way to make a good lightened up version. This is perfect! Totally making this for dinner tonight! Thanks!
Oh awesome!! I know isn’t Palak Paneer the best? I can’t wait to hear how you like this recipe Krista!