Cheese is replaced with tofu in this impressive but easy Indian-inspired vegan meal. For this Tofu Palak Paneer, spiced pan-fried tofu cubes are tossed in a creamy spinach curry, and then served over rice. Ready in about 30 minutes!
Looking for more delicious vegan Indian-inspired recipes? Check out my Lentil Curry, Vegan Butter Chicken, Easy Red Lentil Dahl, and Vegan Tikka Masala.
Tofu Palak Paneer is a rich and aromatic Indian-inspired dish that combines pan-fried tofu with a luxurious and easy vegan spinach curry. With protein from the tofu and plenty of vitamins, minerals, and fiber from the spinach, palak paneer with tofu is as healthy as it is delicious!
What is palak paneer?
Palak paneer is a popular Indian dish made with an aromatic and well-spiced spinach curry or gravy (palak) and pieces of Indian cheese (paneer). It has warm and vibrant flavors and plenty of richness from the cheese.
While vegetarian, this dish is traditionally not vegan-friendly because of the heavy cream in the gravy and cheese being a main component. My version, however, swaps these for simple vegan substitutions, like golden fried tofu cubes instead of cheese and vegan cream instead of heavy cream.
The result? A protein-rich, creamy, and flavor-packed Indian-inspired dinner!
How to make tofu palak paneer
Find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Add the pressed tofu cubes to a large bowl and sprinkle the nutritional yeast, garam masala, and salt over top. Toss to coat.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the tofu and fry in a single layer until the pieces are golden brown on all sides. Transfer them to a plate and set aside.
Tip: Do not move the tofu around when you first add it to the pan! Instead, leave it alone for a few minutes so a crust can form. This makes it way easier to flip without ripping.
Next, boil some water in a large pot and add the spinach. Cook until the spinach leaves wilt, then drain the water.
Transfer the blanched spinach to a blender or food processor and blend until it’s as smooth as you like (I like it with some texture, but you can blend it until it’s completely smooth if you’d like). Set aside.
Heat more oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, sauté the onion, garlic, ginger, serrano pepper, and cumin seeds until soft and fragrant. Next, stir in the garam masala, coriander, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and salt.
Tip: Stir the aromatics and spices frequently while they’re simmering in the hot oil, or else they might burn.
Pour the spinach sauce into the pan with the onion mixture. Stir in the cream, then let the sauce simmer.
To finish, add the fried tofu paneer to the pan and toss to coat. Serve the spinach tofu curry over rice with chopped cilantro on top and vegan naan on the side. Enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
Palak paneer and saag paneer are almost the same dish, as they’re both made with paneer (Indian cheese) and a leafy green curry. The main difference is the types of greens used in the curry. Palak is the Hindi word for spinach, while saag refers to mixed greens, like mustard greens, kale, fenugreek leaves, spinach, etc.
You can really take this dish to the next level by serving each scoop over cooked basmati rice or brown rice and garnishing each bowl with fresh chopped herbs, like cilantro or parsley, a dollop of mango chutney, and a spritz of lemon juice or lime juice.
I wouldn’t say that vegan spinach curry is spicy, but a dollop of vegan raita or plain vegan yogurt on top can help temper any spicy or bold flavors. Lastly, include a few pieces of Indian flatbread on the side, like roti or my Homemade Vegan Naan, to scoop up every bite!
Yes! Instead of pan-frying, you can bake or air fry the tofu cubes instead.
Yes, blanching the spinach is a very important step when making the spinach sauce. It not only softens the spinach leaves but also removes the natural bitter flavor. The spinach curry will likely taste very bitter if you sauté the leaves in a hot oiled pan instead.
Tofu Palak Paneer
Ingredients
Tofu Paneer
- 14.5 ounce block firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Spinach Sauce
- 10 ounces baby spinach
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 1 serrano pepper seeds and stem removed and finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste
- 1/2 cup vegan cream or coconut milk, cashew cream
For Serving, optional
- chopped cilantro
- cooked basmati rice
- Vegan Naan
Instructions
Make the tofu paneer
- Press the tofu: Wrap the block of tofu in paper towels. Place a plate or pan on top of the wrapped tofu, and put a couple of heavy books on top of that. Let the tofu press for 30 minutes, or up to an hour.
- Cut the tofu into cubes and place in a large bowl. Add the nutritional yeast, garam masala and salt and gently mix until coated.
- Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the tofu in a single layer. Let the tofu brown on all sides, it should be a nice golden color all over. I use a fork to gently flip each piece over. TIP: When you place the layer of tofu in the pan, don't touch or move it at all for a few minutes, so a crust can form, making it easier to flip without ripping.
- Transfer the golden tofu cubes to a plate and set aside while you make the sauce.
Make the spinach sauce
- Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add the spinach and cook for about 1 minute, until the spinach wilts. If it doesn't all fit at once, add half, then once it wilts, add the rest.
- Drain the spinach in a colander. Transfer to a blender or food processor and blend for about 10 seconds, then scrape the side and blend for 10 more seconds. I like to leave some texture, but you can blend it smoother if you want. Set aside.
- Heat a large skillet with the oil on medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Next, add the garlic, ginger, serrano pepper and cumin seeds and sauté for 30 seconds. Now add the garam masala, coriander, turmeric, cayenne pepper and salt. Stir to coat the onions in the spices.
- Pour the blended spinach into the pan and stir well. Stir in the cream and let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Add the tofu paneer to the sauce, and serve with basmati rice, naan and perhaps chopped cilantro.
Video
Notes
- Leftovers will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It can also be frozen.
- For the cream, you can use a store bought unsweetened and unflavored vegan creamer, or canned coconut milk or my favorite – cashew cream. In a pinch, you can even use an unsweetened plant milk like soy, almond or oat milk.
- The nutrition information is an estimate only and does not include rice or naan.
Fantastic recipe! This was delicious and as good as food from a restaurant! I’m very happy to have found this recipe for a vegan palak paneer. This was nice and easy enough to make for a weeknight meal. For me and my husband this recipe made enough for about 3 servings. Will make again and thank you for your recipes!
You are welcome, Natalie! I am so glad that you are enjoying my recipes, and that you loved the Tofu Palak Paneer! Thank you for sharing your fantastic review and comments! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Hi Nora, first off: you gained a fan 🙂
This day I made the Tofu Palak Paneer (along with the utterly delicious cashew cream) and I am really blown away. Being a great fan of Indian food, this version came as a most welcome surprise. And I really love it. The “mouth feel” of the dish is excellent and the amount of spices suits like a glove. Each byte a little feast…
Thank you for posting!
Best wishes (of course also for 2026!) from Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Marcel
Hi Marcel. Welcome to NoraCooks! I am thrilled that you loved the recipe, and I hope you will have fun exploring many of my other recipes! Thank you for sharing your glowing review and comments! Wishing you a wonderful 2026, filled with lots of happy cooking!
How much frozen chopped spinach would be used in this, instead of fresh? Frozen is what I have in hand.
A 10-ounce package of frozen spinach should work.
Nora has done it once again. This recipe is very straight forward, easy to make, and SO delicious it blew me away. I’m actively gobbing it up as I type this (I had it for dinner last night and I’m having the leftovers now). It tastes just as good, if not better, reheated. This is the only recipe you’ll ever need for this! 1000/10, Nora. Don’t stop being you, my family depends on it.
Hi Courtney. I am so encouraged by your positive and wonderful words! I’m thrilled that you and your family love to this recipe! Thank you for sharing your glowing review! I appreciate you using my recipes, and wish you lots of happy cooking!
This was truly amazing! Absolutely loved the creamy spinach sauce and the tofu was delicious even on its own. So healthy too. 10/10!
Hi Jillian. I appreciate your stellar review and feedback! I’m thrilled that you love the recipe! Thank you for sharing!
This was absolutely delicious!! Very easy and so tasty. It did not make 4 servings for us, only enough for two people for dinner with a little left over. I added more spinach to mine for extra vegetable.
Hi Dee-Dee. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for taking time to share your stellar review and recipe experience!
This was so good – way beyond my expectations. I even gave a bowl to my neighbor who is from India and she gave it a 10/10. I have a tomato allergy, so finding a palak recipe that does not use tomatoes was very exciting for me! Well done, Nora!
Hi Blythe. Thank you for sharing your awesome review and feedback! I’m so glad that you found a Palak Paneer recipe that you are able to enjoy! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
I just had to take a moment to share my thoughts on this meal because it truly exceeded my expectations! I followed the recipe closely, although I used a poblano pepper (seeds included) instead of a Serrano since that’s what I had on hand. I might have accidentally added a bit more spinach, as I didn’t measure it out, but I think it worked out beautifully. I also opted for super firm tofu since I’ve been finding it a bit challenging to press tofu lately. I served everything over some basmati rice, and I can’t express how vibrant and flavorful this dish turned out! It’s definitely a recipe I’ll be making again. Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful skills with all of us!
Hi Nicole. I am absolutely thrilled that you loved the recipe! Thank you for sharing your cooking experience and fabulous review! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Wow!! This recipe is absolutely delicious. I used paneer instead of tofu. This is better than most saag paneers I have ever eaten in a restaurant! And the best I have ever made using other recipes. Thanks.
You are welcome, Fiona! I’m so glad you loved the recipe! Thanks for sharing your glowing review and feedback!
Just made this and its delicious! If you roughly chop the aromatics and then cook them and THEN blend everything for the spinach mixture its a bit less wrist effort. 🙂
You can use soft tofu also and it’s delicious! I think it comes out tasting like original paneer made out of cheese. Great recipe!
Interesting; thanks for the tip!
Excellent recipe! I used low fat coconut milk and I wanted a super smooth sauce, so I sauteed the garlic, onion and spices on the stove and then put everything into the blender. Blanching the spinach kept that beautiful green color! I made the tofu in the air fryer. Will definitely make this again!
Hi Laura. Thanks for sharing your recipe experience and fabulous review! Your meal sounds delicious! I love this recipe as well! Wishing you lots of happy cooking!
Another wonderful recipe and easy! I forgot to buy a Serrano pepper and it was sort of too late so I just made it without it. I added a can of chickpeas at the end for extra protein. I made the cashew cream from your website and used it in the dish. Turned out SO very good! Thank you for another simple yet amazing recipe.
You bet, Amira! How fabulous that you loved the recipe! I appreciate you sharing your stellar review and recipe experience! Thank you! Wishing you happy cooking!