Have you ever heard of Palak Paneer aka Saag Paneer? Palak and saag are the Hindi words for spinach, and paneer is a type of hard cottage cheese native to Indian cuisine. So, palak paneer is a dish of cubed paneer tossed in a blend of spinach, cream, and Indian spices. It was one of my favorites growing up and consequently, one of the first Indian dishes I sought to veganize!
My vegan version of Palak Paneer replaces the traditional paneer with tofu and swaps the cream out for cashew cream. If you are allergic to nuts, you can easily use coconut cream instead of cashews here. The final dish is rich, spicy, tasty and totally plant-based!
Vegan Palak Paneer
Ingredients
- 15 oz extra firm tofu, drained, pressed and cut into small cubes
- 1 tsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1/2 medium red onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 cardamom pods, crushed
- 1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 medium tomato, diced (about 1/3 cup)
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp dried ground ginger
- 16 oz frozen spinach
- 1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked in water overnight
- 1/2 cup nondairy milk
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the tofu "paneer." Place cubed tofu in a medium bowl and add nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and salt to taste. Toss to cover.
- Arrange the tofu on lightly greased or parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 450 degrees for 16 minutes, flipping halfway through*.
- To a large saucepan on medium heat, add a tablespoon of oil. Once hot, add the diced onion and sauté for 2 - 3 minutes, until translucent.
- Add cumin seeds and cardomom pods to the onions. Sauté for an additional 2 - 3 minutes, until onions are soft and mixture is fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato paste and diced tomato. Once the tomato begins to release moisture, add minced garlic, garam masala, chili powder, and dried ground ginger. Cook for 1 - 2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Add the frozen spinach and break it directly in the pan. Once spinach begins to defrost and wilt, cover the pan and steam for 5 minutes.
- Remove spinach mixture from heat and allow to cool for a couple minutes before transferring to a high speed blender or food processor.
- To the blender, add drained cashews and milk. Puree until palak sauce is smooth and creamy. Consistency should be thick and gravy-like.
- Pour the palak sauce over the prepared tofu "paneer."
- Serve warm with naan (or your choice of flatbread) or Basmati rice.
Notes:
Air Fryer Method
Omit the second step if using an air fryer to prepare the tofu. Instead, preheat air fryer to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and air fry the tofu for 10 - 12 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through to avoid sticking or burning.
