For years I’ve been wanting to make a plant-based take on palak paneer. The vibrant green color lures me in every time. Thankfully, this recipe is not only simple to make, but also incredibly delicious and requires just 30 minutes! Let me show you how it’s done.
Origin of Palak Paneer
Palak paneer is an Indian curry made with spinach, onion, tomato, spices, and paneer (which is a type of Indian cheese). A similar dish called saag paneer is made with other leafy greens (such as mustard greens) and both originated in the Punjab region of Northern India.
Our inspired take has similar flavors and ingredients, but swaps the cheese for tofu to keep it plant-based. You can find a more traditional version of palak paneer here.
How to Make This “Palak Paneer”
This recipe starts with prepping your tofu in curry powder, coconut aminos, and nutritional yeast to mock the paneer or cheese in the classic take on the dish.
Next you’ll sauté onion, garlic, ginger, and serrano pepper with cumin seed. Once browned, you’ll add diced tomatoes and cook until tender.
While that’s happening, you’ll blanch some spinach and add to a blender with your sautéed vegetables. This creates a creamy base for the palak paneer, which will blend beautifully with your cheesy, crispy tofu!
All that’s left to do is heat the mixture briefly on the stovetop with some coconut milk and more spices and you’re good to go! Such a hearty and delicious 30-minute meal!
We hope you LOVE this dish! It’s:
Quick & easy
Packed with greens
Flavorful
Satisfying
& Incredibly delicious!
This would make the perfect weeknight meal when you need something nourishing and delicious on the table fast! It’s filling on its own, but also pairs well with cooked grains, vegetable pakoras, easy naan, or mango chutney for the ultimate Indian-inspired meal!
Into Curries?
Be sure to check out our 1-Pot Golden Lentil Curry Soup, 1-Pot Chickpea Cauliflower Yellow Curry, or 1-Pot Pumpkin Yellow Curry.
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Vegan Palak Paneer with Curried Tofu
Ingredients
TOFU
- 1 15-ounce block firm tofu (drained, patted dry, and cubed)
- 1 ½ tsp curry powder (or store-bought)
- 1 Tbsp coconut aminos
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp nutritional yeast (adds a slightly cheesy flavor)
SPINACH
- 5 cups loosely packed fresh spinach (organic when possible // 5 cups equals ~6 ounces)
- Water
VEGETABLES
- 1 ½ Tbsp avocado or coconut oil (or sub water + add more as needed)
- 1 ½ tsp cumin seed (or ground cumin)
- 2 Tbsp minced ginger
- 1 medium diced white onion
- 1 serrano or jalapeno pepper (seeds removed, diced // add more or less to preferred spiciness)
- 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes (slightly drained // or sub fresh chopped ripe tomatoes)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced // 4 cloves yield ~12 g)
- 1/4-1/2 cup vegetable broth or water
SAUCE
- 1 ½ Tbsp avocado or coconut oil (or sub water + add more as needed)
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1/3 cup full fat coconut milk (plus more for serving)
- Sea salt, coconut aminos, or tamari (to taste // we used a few teaspoons of coconut aminos)
FOR SERVING optional
- Rice or Quinoa
- Cilantro
- Garlic Naan
Instructions
- This recipe is all about multi-tasking and is totally doable in 30 minutes. Start by preheating the oven to 425 degrees F (218 C) and draining your tofu. Then wrap in a clean towel and set something heavy on top. (This step can also be done in advance with a tofu press.)
- Cube tofu and add to a medium mixing bowl. Season with curry powder, coconut aminos, sea salt, and nutritional yeast. Shake the bowl to gently toss. Set aside.
- Heat a medium oven-safe seasoned cast iron over medium heat (if using a stainless steel skillet, add a little oil so it doesn’t stick). Once hot, add the tofu and sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until a couple of the sides are browned. Then transfer to the hot oven and bake for 15 minutes. If you prefer firmer tofu, bake longer. If you want softer tofu that mocks paneer, bake less. Set aside to rest in the pan.
- Fill a large pot halfway full with water and bring to a boil over high heat. While you wait, move on to the next step.
- Heat a large rimmed skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add oil and cumin seed, ginger, onion, and serrano pepper. Sauté until onion is soft and translucent — about 5 minutes.
- Add diced tomatoes and garlic and stir to combine. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, or until the tomato has softened.
- Your water should be boiling now. Add spinach and cook uncovered for 2 minutes. Then strain and rinse with cold water. Drain well. Set aside.
- Add the tomato mixture to a blender or food processor along with cooked drained spinach and the vegetable broth (or water). Blend into a smooth sauce, scraping down sides as needed. If it has trouble blending, add more vegetable broth or water.
- Lastly, cook your sauce. Heat the same rimmed skillet from earlier over medium heat. Once hot, add remaining oil (or some water), curry powder, and garam masala. Stir and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the spinach sauce and stir. Cook the mixture over medium-low heat for about 3-4 minutes to deepen the flavors. If it bubbles too much, lower heat to a simmer. Then add coconut milk and stir.
- Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding salt or coconut aminos to deepen the flavor and curry powder for more rich curry flavor.
- Serve over your tofu “paneer” and garnish with another drizzle of full fat coconut milk and fresh cilantro. Rice makes a lovely side, as does garlic naan! Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 4-5 days, or in the freezer up to 1 month. Reheat in the microwave or in a rimmed skillet until hot.
Video
Notes
*This recipe is our inspired (not traditional) plant-based take on palak paneer.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with avocado oil and lesser amount of vegetable broth and without optional ingredients.
kim pastrana says
I made this! It really only took about half an hr. Mine needed more salt but all the other spices were great! I also did not boil spinach. I just tossed it into tomato onion part and simmered it down a bit. So I saved a pot! I served over cauliflower rice
I will make again! Thank you!
Amazing! Thanks so much for sharing, Kim!
Joyce says
Looks wonderful and will definitely make the recipe, as MB is a “go-to” in our kitchen!
However, we need a substitute for spinach/swiss chard due to oxalate levels. Do you have any suggestions?
Thank you in advance and for all you do and share!
Hi Joyce! This recipe relies heavily on spinach so replacing it might be difficult! Can we recommend this one instead?
Sarah says
I received a 2nd degree burn from the spinach mixture bubbling out of the pot. I might amend steps 9/ 10 to turn the burner off completely or down to low before adding the spinach mixture.
Oh my! We’re so sorry that happened, Sarah. We’ll give it another look!
Lindsay M says
My whole family really enjoyed this recipe! It definitely took me longer than 30 minutes the first time, but now that I have made it I think I will do better at multitasking the next time.
We’re so glad everyone enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing your experience, Lindsay! xo
Elle says
Wow what an incredible recipe that keeps on giving! I’ve been making this dish for about 5 years as written and it’s always so heart warming and tasty. Today I put in about a 1-1.5 cups of white beans to the sauce while blending to give it even more protein umph and it was incredible. Turned out even bette then expected so I didn’t even add the coconut cream at the end. I always double the tofu and double the tofu sauce bc I like mine to be extra covered in flavor and skip putting the tofu on the stove and just bake it for longer to make it nice and crispy. Amazing recipe, thank you!!
Amazing! We’re so glad you’ve been enjoying it, Elle. And we love your modifications. Thank you for sharing! xo
Anne BA says
This recipe is amazing and has become a favorite in our household. We’ve served it with brown basmati or with naan, and it is perfect with a little mango chutney on the side. My husband and kids fight over the leftovers (when there are any). Thanks for such a great recipe!
Aw, fighting over it is the best compliment! Thanks so much for sharing, Anne! xo
Paul Bockstanz says
Oh so good! Minor modifications by adding additional vegetables (eggplant, green pepper, onion sauteed) and used a whole can of coconut milk. Added additional hot spice as desired. Absolutely amazing, have made it a couple times, very adaptable to personal taste. Thank you!
Lovely! We’re so glad you enjoy it, Paul. Thank you for sharing!
Naomi says
This was delicious- definitely a keeper. Mine came out spicier than I’d imagined, but I liked the spice. I will definitely do what another reviewer suggested- double the recipe and freeze half . It was a bit time consuming but I imagine. It will get faster the next time I make it . I also skipped a step and just baked the tofu. It was perfect.
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Naomi! xo
Bridget says
I’m glad I finally tried your recipe, it did not disappoint!
I’ve been putting off making this at home as my favorite takeout dish ever is Saag and tofu, but I moved recently and haven’t been able to find a similar Saag and no places near me will make it with tofu instead of paneer. lame
Some modifications I made after reading other reviews:
1. Doubled the spices!
2. Used 2 sm fresh tomatoes instead of canned
3. Cooked the spinach with the veggies (added with the tomatoes)
4. Subbed coconut milk instead of veg broth (not sure if I should have done this, but I was being lazy and trying to use up the can & it still came out great)
I will definitely make this again, thank you for making such a versatile recipe. This is my definition of comfort food!
Amazing! We’re so glad you made and enjoyed it, Bridget. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Alex says
Another great recipe from Minimalist Baker! It reminds me of why I used to cook your recipes so often – they’re all fast and easy to make, healthy, and packed with flavour.
Don’t let the simplicity of this recipe fool you – its delicious, satisfying, and healthy! I cooked my tofu in an air fryer which worked well and reduced cook time. Next time, I am going to add roasted potatoes to the curry to stretch it into more meals.
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Alex!
Ellie says
This was a delicious meal the first time I made it but I do think it needs some more tweaking on my part. It took me a little over an hour to make (although I made coconut rice as well but that’s really just mixing rice, liquid and setting it to boil) so I would suggest making 2-3x just the sauce and freezing it for later. The sauce was super delicious but I think it still tasted a bit too heavy on the tomato so I will try balancing out with other flavors next time (I think more spinach). I also thought the tofu could be more flavorful – next time I’ll try adding more nutritional yeast and letting it marinate for at least 30 minutes. Can’t wait to get this recipe down because it’s such a fantastic healthy vegan take on palak paneer. Definitely pair with minimalist baker’s coconut rice. Enjoy!
Thanks for the review and for sharing your modifications, Ellie!
Rachael says
Last night I made this, and it was so yummy! For the paneer substitute I used a combination of the tofu recipe and Daiya grilling cheese, that I cooked on a griddle pan. We served it with Garlic Naan.
The instructions were perfect and it went down perfectly with a nice cold beer.
Thanks 🙏🏻
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modification Rachael!
Lisa O'Flynn says
This was absolutely delicious. I was a little more generous with the spices. Can’t help myself. I also used coconut cream because that’s what I had in the cupboard. I will definitely make this again. Yum yum yum. Thankyou Minimalist Baker for another cracker vegan recipe. Xoxox
Yay! Thanks for the great review, Lisa!
Chris Clark says
Absolutely loved this recipe!!!! The flavors were amazing and delightful! It was the first time that I succeeded in making the tofu crispy. I did use a cast iron skillet to fry the tofu and then baked it till it was even crispier.
It was probably the most multi-tasking recipe that I have ever attempted and it was worth it.
Here is how I modified the recipe:
– I skipped the parboil of the spinach and added it sauteed onions, spices & tomatoes. The spinach wilted perfectly.
– I skipped the blending and just added the sauce to the onions, tomatoes and spinach dish.
– I added a little bit more aminos and curry powder.
– I served it with quinoa for myself and rice for my friend.
I will make this again and again! Thank you for this wonderful dish that led to a wonderful date.
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Chris! So glad you both enjoyed it!
Anna says
This was super delicious and unique! I actually didn’t like paneer before becoming a vegan, so the tofu was perfect for me. The only thing I will say is that this was a lot more labor intensive than I feel was let on by the description. With two of us working at the same time, it took around an hour or slightly more to make this and the GF naan which is another “20-30 minute recipe.” If you are crunched for time, I highly suggest getting all of your ingredients arranged, measured, and ready to go earlier in the day.
Thank you for sharing your honest experience, Anna! xo
Hadley says
Could I use frozen spinach instead of blanching fresh? If so how would I go about that and what volume might you recommend?
Can’t wait to try it!
Hi Hadley, that should work! We’d suggest ~1 cup frozen spinach. You could skip cooking the spinach in step 7 and add the frozen spinach directly to the blender. Let us know if you try it!
Josée says
Really liked this recipe
I reduced tomatoes to one cup.
I cooked spinach in vegetable and tomato sauce to save one step 😊
I would definitely make it again
Kelly says
I am preparing a lot of dishes to freeze and I absolutely love this recipe and have made it several times! But do you know how it will freeze?
Hi Kelly, this one should freeze great. Hope you love it!
Faith says
Hi, I am in need of your expert advice. I LOVE this recipe, but the smell of the food lingers in my house for days in the most unpleasant way. I have made a few of you curry dishes (all delish) but this is the only one I have made that calls for garam marsala & I think that is the culprit. I have tried boiling vinegar and everything else suggested on the web. So my question is – can I just leave the garam marsala out? I want to try your instant pot kitchari recipe and also leave the garam marsala out.
Thank you! Love your site!
Hi Faith, we’re so glad you enjoy it! You can leave it out and add more curry powder if it’s lacking flavor. Hope that helps!
Baiba says
One of my favorite meals! Love it, thanks for the recipe! :)
Yay! Thanks, Baiba!
Lissy says
I made this tonight and it was so amazing I had to write a review. Both my husband and baby ate seconds! So simple yet so full of flavor. I made a few modifications – used garlic powder and frozen ginger instead of fresh. It was still great but I’m sure fresh would’ve been even better. Thank you for such an amazing recipe!
We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed it, Lissy! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Christina says
So delicious! We loved the Vegan ‘paneer’ palak! I added garbanzo beans too for a little added protein. I used 11 oz of spinach and a whole can of full fat coconut milk. The spices and ratios were perfect. My kids and husband and I love Indian food and this is one of our favorites from a local restaurant – and this recipe was like a copy cat. Five stars!
Amazing! So happy to hear that everyone enjoyed this. Thanks so much for the lovely review, Christina!
Jenny says
Super successful! I love ordering saag at Indian restaurants and this was my first attempt at making it at home. Thank you!! Changes I made: I only used one pot, wilted the spinach right into it and then used an immersion blender. I also kept tasting the pureed saag, adding a little bit more curry powder and garam masala and salt until it was just right for me. Taste can be so subjective! Giving one less star for the complicated steps that result in more dishes used. I am glad I read other reviews and simplified.
Thanks so much for your thoughtful review, Jenny! So glad you enjoyed!
blythe says
My family loved this. In didn’t come together in 30, but with practice I should be able to get closer. I omitted the oven baking part of the tofu and it still turned out amazing.
Yay! Thanks so much for the review, Blythe, so glad you all enjoyed!
Danielle says
Hi! Do you think this recipe would work with light coconut milk? I don’t mind that it wouldn’t be quite as creamy or tasty in exchange for a slightly healthier version :) .
Yes!
Danielle says
Thank you!
Paul says
I really enjoyed this recipe. Mine was not super flavorful, but after reading the other comments I think its because I’m using old spices. The tofu was excellent though, it really took the cake.
I do have a question though. I would like a richer/fattier Palak, how could I do that? Like Coconut yogurt or something like that?
I also noticed my Palak was more runny, how could I thicken that up?
Thanks a lot!
Hi Paul, thank you for sharing your experience! You could add coconut yogurt or coconut cream to make it both thicker and richer. Hope that helps!
karah says
10/10 WILL make this again. i was a bit skeptical about the tofu being a good substitute for paneer, but it really was. thank you for the awesome recipe!
Yay! We’re so glad to hear it, Karah! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Joanne Harrop says
I confess i’ve become lazier each time i’ve made this – four times now, and delicious every single time. First time, followed directions as given. Second, skipped the fry stage, with the tofu, went straight to baking. Third, dispensed with par-boiling the spinach, just added it to the spices and onions as if to stir-fry before adding the tomatoes. And this time, combined the fry and the sauce: more oil, all the spices, and the coconut milk, added in stages to the vegetable mix. Then, the wand blender, and bob’s your uncle.
Haha, love it! So glad you’ve been able to make it even easier! Thanks for the lovely review, Joanne!
Laura says
Followed your lead…
– did not fry tofu, added spices and put it straight into the oven
– did not put spinach in boiling water, just added it to a big pot with everything else and it wilted just fine
– used a hand blender for everything in the big pot
Quick and delicious, will make again – which is true of all the MB recipes I’ve made!
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing, Laura! xo
Richard says
This was amazing!
I had a heap of fresh kale and other greens that I needed to use so substituted lots of kale, Pak choi and other greens into my dish.
Woohoo! Thanks for sharing, Richard!
Sandra Fickert says
Your instructions are very easy to follow and the dish turned out to be just delicious!! The sauce is very creamy and full of flavor, the tofu just perfect after baking it for 15 minutes. I love it. Thank you for sharing!!
Yay! We’re so glad to hear it, Sandra. Thank you for sharing! xo
Gherlanezu says
I think this is an amazing interpretation of the palak paneer I had in India. Flavorful and spicy, a dish you can play with to fit your taste and level of Indian spices you like.
Delicious! Will be a recipe to be repeated over and over.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Vanessa says
Okay, but not very flavorful despite all the spices. I think if this was cooked longer to deepen the flavors, it would be better. It also definitely needed more curry and a bit of spice. Not bad, but really needs to be modified.
Hi Vanessa, sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy it as written. Feel free to add more spices and/or cook longer. We also wonder if it’s possible your spices were older (~6 months) or it wasn’t a very flavorful brand of curry powder? We’d suggest our DIY curry powder for best flavor.
Evan M. says
Holy CRAP this was AMAZING. I was absolutely BLOWN away.
The flavors are just amazing.
The tofu being fried on 2 sides and then baked along with the nutritional yeast gives it a lovely chew and flavor that goes so well with the spinach curry!!
This just came together PERFECTLY for me. I cannot wait to make it again!
Woohoo! We love to hear this. So glad you enjoyed, Evan, thanks for the lovely review!
Laura CT says
For whatever reason, I have been craving a healthier version of saag paneer and this did the trick. I used silken tofu and baked it b.c I wanted 1. to try it out and see if it could be baked and 2. bc. I wanted a creamier texture. It worked great, though you have to be gentle with it. Saag was fantastic and as my 13-year-old happily ate a bowl of it with rice said, “Wait, this is spinach? Wow! I am eating spinach!” Thanks for another great recipe. Minimalist Baker is now the first place we look for new recipes.
Aw, love that! Thanks so much for sharing, Laura! xo
Tara says
Made this after looking at a bunch of recipes and the one this is based on (linked). I kind of merged both by using hing (traditional Indian seasoning that i keep around bc i am Indian and make traditional food frequently), turmeric, and yogurt instead of coconut milk. This is an awesome recipe. The final product is way healthier than any saag paneer takeout you’d get, tastes fantastic and this method of preparing tofu instead of paneer works perfectly (honestly i was snacking on the tofu while i cooked). It definitely took longer than 30 minutes (closer to an hour), and my appliances definitely heated at a different rate so the sequence of steps was off (because our stovetop heats way faster than oven). Would definitely make again if i had time. My family thoroughly enjoyed it, including my young child. I served with naan, but would potentially also serve with rice in the future.
Thanks so much for sharing your experience and modifications, Tara! We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed it! xo
Rebeca says
I used frozen spinach (probably could have just added it to the tomato sauce instead of boiling ahead of time) and simply baked the tofu the 15 minutes. I did end up adding a tbsp of tamari and then another tsp of salt, perhaps because I’d used the larger amount of liquid so that I could just use my immersion blender to blend the veggies. With the immersion blender it doesn’t come out as smooth as in the video, but it is really tasty and actually more the texture that I’m used to. A go-to recipe. Thank you!
So great! Thanks for sharing, Rebeca!
Sunny says
This is one of my favorite weekday meal and is a great source of iron, especially when cooked in cast iron as you suggest! In the summer we use our Swiss chard, also yummy. Thanks so much for the recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Sunny! Thanks so much for sharing!
KP says
It took me a while to get up the courage to make this one, as it looked complicated, but it’s actually not hard despite all of the moving pieces. I used fresh tomatoes and 9 oz of spinach, since that’s how much we had, and I think both were good calls. The result was sublime. My meat-loving spouse adored it.
So great! Thanks for sharing, KP!
Darcy says
I made this for a second time. This time I just baked the tofu rather than pan fry first, and did all the vegetables in one pot to reduce on pots.
I find it too tomatoe-y so next time instead of using a full can I’ll likely use either a half can or one fresh tomato.
I love the tofu! I also sprinkled extra nooch and salt over top to serve.
Thanks for sharing, Darcy! We’d recommend a fresh tomato.
Savannah Katherine Stevens says
I have made this recipe twice now! LOVE it. I always use the full can of coconut milk just so I don’t have to store the rest. It works great that way too. Also I couldn’t find Garam Masala once and used Curry Vindaloo and it tasted great as well. Always recommend the air fryer for tofu, though! LOVE that thing.
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Savannah! Thanks so much for the lovely review and sharing your tips!
Kedi says
Another new favorite!!! I always thought curry was too complicated to make at home but this was so delicious and I had most of the ingredients on hand. I love the tofu texture—I baked for about 25 minutes and it was nice and firm. My second time making it, I took a shortcut and added spinach straight to the tomato mixture, but the texture was a bit different and from now on I’ll stick to the original instructions :-) Thank you so much for all you do!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Kedi! Thanks so much for your kind words and lovely review! xo
Sherri says
Is there a tofu press that you recommend? I see you don’t have this direction as part of your recipe but I made pressed tofu recently and think that would work. I did it the old fashioned was but was hoping for something easier and cleaner. A bonus would be making ricotta Salazar in same device.
Thanks!
Love all you recipes BTW
Hi Sherri, thanks for your kind words! We like this tofu press.
Sarah says
Hello! I love this website because it has revived my love for cooking and baking after going on a strict autoimmune diet. I am allergic to soy, gluten, dairy, and eggs but I’m still hoping to make something like this because I desperately miss palaak paneer. I can’t have cheese or soy so this dish doesn’t totally work! In place of the tofu, I am thinking of subbing cauliflower or maybe a small amount of chicken. Any thoughts?
Yes either of those options should work!
Rebeca says
You can also add potatoes insteaad of the tofu and you’d have aloo palak (or saag aloo).
Stephanie Fish says
This was a huge hit with my family, will definitely make it again!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Stephanie! xo
Makayla says
I made this for dinner and it was very good! I didn’t have a serrano/jalapeño pepper so I subbed 1/4 tsp of cayenne. I fried the tofu a little longer than suggested since I like crispier tofu. I really enjoyed this dish, thank you!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Makayla. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Ashley says
hi! if i want to make the sauce ahead of time (for a group trip) would follow all the sauce steps, including adding the coconut milk and then freeze? then day of, i can just heat the sauce up and make the “paneer”?
Yes, we think that would work great! It would be best to leave out the coconut milk until after heating the sauce.
Chiara says
I’ve made this recipe heaps of times and it’s my favourite homemade curry and so worth the multitasking! The only change I make is that I airfry the tofu because I try to avoid using my oven during aussie summer!
Smart! Thanks so much for sharing, Chiara!
Deb says
I skipped sautéing the tofu and just put it straight in the oven after seasoning. It’s still good!
Great! Thanks for sharing, Deb! xo