I fully admit, I was not always a big fan of Tofu. In fact, neither was I a big fan of paneer (cottage cheese). I guess it had something to do with the texture. They also don’t taste like much, so they need getting used. Anyway, long story short, I decided to try tofu in place of paneer, in this popular North Indian recipe, Palak Paneer.
Extra Firm Tofu
Tofu, being a watery, soy-based product, is somewhat tricky to handle. I remember the first time I cut open a tofu tetra pack, I almost ruined the whole thing, by dropping it on the counter. Lucky for me it was a soft landing, so I was able to save it from crumbling. Perhaps the most stable is the extra firm variety of tofu, which I used straight up first time, without draining the water. For some recipes, draining water is recommended, so I ended up investing in a Tofu Press.
Tofu Press
While there are several tofu presses you can choose from, the one I ended up was this simple device that’s highly rated on Amazon. It is easy to use – just insert the tofu slab between the two plates and tighten the screws gently. Water drains out slowly and the whole process takes about 15 minutes. Draining the water made it easier to cut and cook the tofu.
Vegan Palak Tofu Recipe
In general, Palak (spinach) paneer recipe uses milk or cream, to get that creamy taste and texture. Since I don’t enjoy creamy dishes all that much, I decided to skip that ingredient in this recipe. My concerns about ruining the dish by eliminating milk/cream were unfounded. The spices, onion, and tomato, blended with slightly cooked spinach, make this dish so flavorful, you will not miss the cream! I was also pleasantly surprised about how good the sautéed tofu tasted in this blend.
Spinach is low in calories, high in iron, fiber and antioxidants. It helps lower blood pressure and improve vision. Tofu is a nutrient-dense food. It is low in calories but high in protein and fat, and this makes it a great choice not just for vegans and vegetarians, but for anyone that wants a variety in their diet. It also contains many important vitamins and minerals.
While you’re here, don’t forget to check out our delicious North Indian recipes:
- Aloo Palak
- Kala Chana-Spinach Curry
- Delicious Dal Tadka!
- Dal Makhni
- Aloo Gobi
- Instant Pot Rajma Masala
- Aloo Beans Recipe
- Easy Mung Sprouts Masala
- Cabbage & Carrot Masala
- Bhindi (Okra) Masala
- Baingan Bharta – Roasted Eggplant Curry
- Chana Masala- Spiced Chickpeas Curry
- Bhindi (Okra) Ki Bhujia
- Sarson Ka Saag
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Vegan Palak Tofu Recipe
Ingredients
Tofu
- 3 Cups Extra Firm Tofu - Pressed and cut to small pieces
- 1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper - Freshly Ground
- 1 Teaspoon Coconut Oil
Spinach (Palak) Sauce
- 5 Cups Spinach - Packed
- 1 Tablespoon Ginger & Garlic Paste - Or crushed/minced fresh garlic and ginger
- 1/4 Cup Onion - Fine cut
- 1/4 Cup Tomato - Diced
- 1/2 Teaspoon Cumin Powder
- 1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1/2 Teaspoon Red Chili Powder - Or cayenne pepper/paprika
- 1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt - Or to taste
- 1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
- 1/4 Cup Filtered water
Instructions
Tofu
- After pressing tofu in a tofu press and draining water, cut tofu to small cubes (you can eliminate this step if you do not have a press). Heat one teaspoon of oil in a pan. Add tofu cubes, cook for a minute and sprinkle salt, pepper, chili powder. Mix well and cook tofu gently till it is browned on all sides. Set it aside in a bowl.
Spinach (Palak) Sauce
- Cook spinach in the same pan for a minute and set aside.
- Add one teaspoon of oil, sauté crushed ginger and garlic, till browned. Add onion and tomatoes and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add turmeric, salt, garam masala, chili powder and cumin powder. Mix well. Add cooked spinach, mix and set aside in a bowl. Let it cool for a couple of minutes.
- Transfer to a blender and blend to fine puree. Add a quarter cup of water to get the right consistency.
Palak Tofu
- Add cooked tofu and blended sauce to a pan and cook for a couple of minutes, making sure the sauce mixes well with the tofu.
- Transfer to a serving dish.
- Serve hot with fresh rotis and sliced cucumber.
Nice!! Just a small suggestion for tofu press, instead of buying one separately, just keep the tofu on a clean platform and simply put a weight like jug of water over it, water will automatically drain out
Thanks for the suggestion! The tofu press is just a nice-to-have. Just like paneer, putting a heavy weight on the tofu block (placed on a perforated plate) will serve the same purpose of draining excess liquid.
Hey- ya, this was so yummy, thank you for the recipe. I couldn’t see either the onion or tomato on the ingredients list so i did 1/2 brown onion (diced) and one can of diced tomatoes. Was that correct?
Hi Brodie, great catch! Yes, onions and tomatoes were missing in the ingredients list. We have fixed it now. Appreciate your feedback. Glad you liked the recipe!