You might also enjoy other vegan Indian recipes like aloo palak, vegan butter chicken, tofu makhani and palak dal.

Veganizing palak paneer

Palak paneer is a creamy, mildly spiced north Indian spinach curry with cubes of paneer, a soft cottage cheese. It is sometimes called “saag paneer” (“saag” is a catchall word in Hindi for all leafy greens; “palak” specifically means spinach). This is a delicious dish and it is also very healthy when veganized. The spinach brings in loads of healthy vitamins and nutrients and the tofu adds a hefty dose of protein. Palak paneer is not a difficult dish to veganize because it is almost vegan – other than the paneer, that is, and some cream added to finish the recipe. When I first posted this recipe in 2008, I used cubes of tofu to stand in for the paneer. It was a new idea at the time, but one that has stood the test of time. Now, many cooks use tofu as a paneer substitute in Indian recipes. Instead of using cream to finish the tofu palak paneer recipe, we will use cashew cream, an appropriate substitute for cream in north Indian recipes.

Why you will love this recipe

Authentic and delicious. This vegan palak paneer recipe is as close as possible to a traditional palak paneer without the dairy ingredients. The tofu paneer does a great job of absorbing the marinade and the flavors of the spinach. Some Indian cooks fry the paneer before adding it to the spinach, and some don’t. I like to bake or air fry the tofu (get my amazing, easy air fryer tofu recipe here!) for the perfect balance. The flavor and texture of the chewy tofu is a perfect contrast to the creamy sauce. Easy recipe. While the ingredient list may have some special ingredients, like dried fenugreek leaves, these are easy enough to source. The recipe itself is straightforward enough and not difficult even for a beginner cook. Allergy-friendly. If soy-free, substitute the tofu with non-soy tofu, like chickpea tofu. You can also add potatoes instead of tofu, like one would to make a saag aloo or aloo palak.

How to make vegan tofu palak paneer

Tweaks for special diets

Oil-free: Toast the spices and cumin seeds on a dry skillet, then add onions and garlic along with a quarter cup of water. Saute until the onion starts to brown. You can skip the optional tadka at the end. Soy-free: Use soy-free tofu, like chickpea tofu. Or use boiled potatoes instead of tofu. Low-carb: Palak paneer has very few carbs to begin with, and the tofu adds a nice amount of protein.

More vegan Indian recipes

Recipe card

Check to get new recipe updates by email.

Vegan Palak Paneer with Tofu   Holy Cow  Vegan Recipes - 37Vegan Palak Paneer with Tofu   Holy Cow  Vegan Recipes - 25Vegan Palak Paneer with Tofu   Holy Cow  Vegan Recipes - 78Vegan Palak Paneer with Tofu   Holy Cow  Vegan Recipes - 70Vegan Palak Paneer with Tofu   Holy Cow  Vegan Recipes - 4Vegan Palak Paneer with Tofu   Holy Cow  Vegan Recipes - 6Vegan Palak Paneer with Tofu   Holy Cow  Vegan Recipes - 44Vegan Palak Paneer with Tofu   Holy Cow  Vegan Recipes - 31Vegan Palak Paneer with Tofu   Holy Cow  Vegan Recipes - 43Vegan Palak Paneer with Tofu   Holy Cow  Vegan Recipes - 83Vegan Palak Paneer with Tofu   Holy Cow  Vegan Recipes - 62Vegan Palak Paneer with Tofu   Holy Cow  Vegan Recipes - 43Vegan Palak Paneer with Tofu   Holy Cow  Vegan Recipes - 20Vegan Palak Paneer with Tofu   Holy Cow  Vegan Recipes - 2Vegan Palak Paneer with Tofu   Holy Cow  Vegan Recipes - 53Vegan Palak Paneer with Tofu   Holy Cow  Vegan Recipes - 60Vegan Palak Paneer with Tofu   Holy Cow  Vegan Recipes - 15Vegan Palak Paneer with Tofu   Holy Cow  Vegan Recipes - 46