Vegan Palak Paneer

OMG! What a wonderful palak! I haven’t had such a successful recipe in a long time! This Indian spinach puree turned out creamy, without cashews or coconut milk, and seasoned to perfection. The guys licked their fingers and went back for seconds! 😊

I replaced the traditional paneer with soft tofu; I cut it into cubes and soaked it in salt water overnight – so that it would develop a flavor. Next, I seared it until golden, on all sides – and added it to the paneer as well.

I served this amazing dish with a homemade vegan egg, chapati, and jeera rice (cumin seeds) that I quickly prepared in the microwave (recipe in a bit).

Enjoy, and let me know how it turned out 😋❣

RECIPE

Vegan Palak Paneer

Creamy palak—without cashews or coconut cream. The traditional paneer is replaced by soft tofu. And how can it be without a pinch of Israeli Hutzpah? I felt it most appropriate to add a vegan egg that I prepared in between. Serve this delicious vegan Palak Paneer with chapati brushed with melted vegan garlic butter, and Jeera Rice, which you quickly prepared in the microwave. Enjoy!” 😋🌱🍳

5 from 1 vote

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Servings 4

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US Customary – Metric

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

Spinach

• ▢ 800 gram frozen spinach
• ▢ 2 Tbsp oil
• ▢ 1-2 Dried Shatta pepper by taste
• ▢ 1 cup water

Palak

• ▢ 1 Tbsp canola oil
• ▢ 1 Tbsp coconut oil or canola oil
• ▢ 1 small cinnamon stick
• ▢ ¼ cumin seeds
• ▢ 5 cardamom pods use a kitchen hammer
• ▢ 5 cloves
• ▢ 1 small onion, finely chopped
• ▢ 1 Tbsp grated ginger, by taste
• ▢ 5-6 cherry tomatoes finely chopped or one medium tomato
• ▢ salt by taste
• ▢ 1 tsp garam masala by taste
• ▢ 1 cup water according to desired thickneדs
• ▢ ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk optional
• ▢ 1 tsp dry fenugreek leaves optional
• ▢ Cooked spinach we made earlier

Paneer

• ▢ 300 gram soft tofu
• ▢ water to soak the tofu
• ▢ 1 Tbsp salt
• ▢ 2 Tbsp oil for frying

For Serving

• ▢ Jeera Rice rice with cumin seeds
• ▢ Chapati with vegan melted garlic butter
• ▢ vegan fried egg

Instructions

 

Pre Preparations

• Soak the tofu for a few hours, preferably overnight: place the tofu cubes in a bowl that comfortably accommodates them, sprinkle a tablespoon of salt, pour water over the tofu until it is fully covered, and gently mix to evenly distribute the salt. Cover the bowl and refrigerate until ready to use

Spinach

• Thaw the spinach, It's not mandatory, but will speed up the process.
• Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large pan or wok, add Shatta peppers and spinach. Cover and cook on a medium heat for about five minutes, until the spinach softens. Stir occasionally, let cool.
• Transfer the cooked spinach to a blender, add a glass of water and grind to a smooth puree; Keep aside.

Palak

• Heat 1 tablespoon of neutral oil (canola, corn, etc.) plus 1 tablespoon of coconut oil (or an extra tablespoon of neutral oil) in the pan where we prepared the spinach, add cinnamon, crushed cardamom pods, cloves and cumin seeds, and fry for a few seconds, until the spices start to sizzle, add chopped onion and fry until the onion starts to turn golden.
• Add the crushed ginger and fry for about another minute, until it releases its aroma. Then, add the chopped tomatoes and salt, and cook for approximately five minutes, until the tomatoes easily fall apart when touched with a spoon.
• Add garam masala and cook until fragrant – about two minutes.
• Add water and milk, and cook, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes, until the onion is completely soft.
• Lower the heat, then add fenugreek leaves and the ground spinach that we set aside. Mix everything well, bring it to a boil over medium heat, and let it cook for three to five minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. If the mixture becomes too thick, gradually add water or unsweetened almond milk. Remember to avoid overcooking—maximum five minutes.

Paneer

• Drain the tofu cubes and dry with a paper towel.
• Heat oil in a large pan and fry the tofu cubes on all sides until they are nicely golden.

For Serving

• Divide the palak into portions, and sprinkle the fried tofu cubes on top.
• Serve with naan, chapati brushed with melted vegan garlic butter, and/or microwaved jeera rice.
• You can serve the palak cheese with a homemade vegan fried egg, like the cool one in the picture, and also with lapa/sloof, challah, or even pasta 🙂
• The palak is based on this excellent recipe.

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