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Vegan Punjabi Palak Paneer Recipe (Indian Spinach Curry)

This Vegan Punjabi Palak Paneer recipe uses spinach cooked with fragrant spices like cumin and garam masala, for a hearty Indian curry!
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 2 servings

Equipment

  • Medium Pot for boiling spinach
  • Colander for draining spinach
  • Large Pot for blanching spinach
  • Skillet
  • Immersion Blender

Ingredients
  

For the Tofu

  • 1 block (300 g) extra-firm tofu
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil

For the Curry

  • 9 cups fresh spinach packed
  • pinch pink salt for blanching the spinach
  • ice cubes for blanching the spinach
  • 2 tbsp avocado oil
  • 2 medium white onions diced
  • 6 medium garlic cloves finely grated
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger finely grated
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2½ tbsp dried fenugreek rub the dried fenugreek leaves between your hands to crush them before adding
  • 2¼ tsp pink salt
  • 1 tsp red chili powder
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 2 tsp coriander powder
  • ½ cup lukewarm water
  • 1 tsp garam masala powder
  • 1 can (400 mL) full-fat coconut milk

Instructions
 

Pan-Fry the Tofu

  • Open the pack of tofu and drain the water. Cut the block into ½-inch cubes.
  • In a skillet over medium heat, add in the avocado oil. Once heated, evenly spread out the tofu cubes. Ensure the oil fully coats the pan.
  • Pan-fry the tofu for about 1-2 minutes per side, until lightly browned - they should still be a bit soft, not super crispy. Flip the pieces over and repeat on the other side.
  • Once it's done, sprinkle a bit of pink salt and toss the tofu. Then transfer to a bowl and set it aside.

Blanch the Spinach

  • Bring a pot of water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Once boiling, add in the spinach and boil for 30 seconds to a minute.
  • While the water is boiling, prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with cold water and adding ice cubes.
  • Using a colander, immediately transfer the blanched spinach to the ice bath.
  • Let the greens sit in the ice bath for about 1-2 minutes. Once cooled, drain the water in a colander. Gently squeeze out any excess water and set aside.

Make the Spinach Curry

  • Place the same skillet that was used for the tofu, over medium heat. Add in 1 tbsp of the avocado oil.
  • Once hot, add in the onions and garlic. Stir for a few minutes, until the onions are golden brown for 8-10 minutes. Add in the remaining 1 tbsp of avocado oil halfway through this process, as the pan will become dry without it.
  • Add in the ginger and tomato, stir for 1-2 minutes more. Add in a few tbsp of lukewarm water as the pan dries up, so the ingredients don't stick to the bottom.
  • Stir in the spices (except the garam masala). Slowly add in a half cup of water, to avoid the mixture sticking to the pan.
  • Stir in the spinach and coconut milk.
  • Let it cook, covered, on medium-low for about 10 minutes, stirring every other minutes. Add in lukewarm water if the mixture starts to stick to the bottom of the pan.
  • Add in the garam masala.
  • Cover the pan to avoid splattering, and use an immersion blender to blend the mixture until smooth. Taste test and add more salt as desired.

Put It Together

  • Stir in the pan-fried tofu cubes.
  • Let it cook on medium-low for another 10 minutes, ¾ of the lid covered, stirring occasionally. The mixture will bubble and splatter, so it's important to keep it covered for the most part, allowing a bit of heat to escape.
  • After about 10 minutes, remove from the heat and serve with warm naan. If a thicker consistency is desired, continue cooking and stirring the mixture until thickened. Then remove from heat and enjoy!

Notes