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Spinach Palak Tofu Paneer

Spinach Palak Tofu Paneer

This week I was having some serious cravings for a curry. I have a few recipes stored away in my handy cook book, but as I flipped through the pages, nothing jumped out at me. I took this as a sign to get creative and find something new. And that’s exactly what I did.

You may be wondering, what is spinach palak tofu paneer? Palak paneer is a dish that originated from the Indian subcontinent and has been served for hundreds of years. Typically, it is a dish that uses cubed cream cheese in a curry dish. Interestingly, palak paneer was invented as a vegetarian dish. However, seeing as this isn’t vegan friendly, I have created a version of this using tofu but keeping the essence and feel of the original dish. 

So let’s take a closer look.

Spinach Palak Tofu Paneer ingredients portrait

To make this recipe, you will need a little more time and effort than most of our other recipes. But I only bring you these big ones if they are worth it and trust me, this one is worth it! So, you will need 19 ingredients and 45 minutes for this recipe. 

There are many notable ingredients in this meal but some stand out among the rest. First, we have tofu. Tofu is a staple piece among many vegan dishes and has incredible array of nutritional benefits. It’s a good source of protein, iron, calcium, magnesium, copper, and contains all 8 essential amino acids. 

We also have spinach, ginger, and pumpkin seeds. In total, all of the 19 ingredients combined provide us with a good source of vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, potassium, and manganese.  

The spinach palak tofu paneer is the perfect meal for lunch or dinner because it’s: 

  • An incredible source of protein – 21g per serve! 
  • Tasty.
  • A great source of fiber – 9g per serve. 
  • Colorful and fun. 
  • Incredibly nutritious. 

diced tofu minced garlic and ginger portrait

To store your spinach palak tofu paneer, you will need to place it into an airtight container and pop it into the fridge for up 48 hours. You will need to be wary about not storing your cooked tofu for too long as it can become unhealthy and unsafe to eat.

And that about sums it up. I hope you have enjoyed this recipe, I know I have. See you next time! 

Liked this recipe? Why not head over and check out our Green Beans with Creamy Tomato Sauce and Chickpeas or our Potato Stew with Green Beans and Roasted Peanuts recipe for more exciting ideas. 

Spinach Palak Tofu Paneer double portrait

Ingredients
12
Prep time
15 minutes
Total time
Category: Lunch, Dinner
Serves: 3
Allergens: Cilantro, Soy, Tomatoes

Ingredients

US Metric

For the palak

  • 4 cm fresh ginger (minced)
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 198 g spinach (washed)
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 180 g tomato (inside removed and thinly sliced)
  • 1 medium yellow onion (thinly sliced)

For the tofu

  • 196 g firm tofu (diced)
  • ½ tablespoon toasted sesame oil

For the spices

  • 1 tsp fenugreek seeds
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp ground cumin

For the water

  • 118 ml water

For the pumpkin seed cream

  • 1 lime (juiced)
  • 43 g pumpkin seeds (roasted)
  • 118 ml water

For the rice

  • 285 g brown rice
  • 710 ml water

Directions

  1. Heat up the water for the rice and boil the rice until soft for about 30 min.
  2. Preheat 2 separate frying pans, one for the tofu and one for the palak.
  3. Add the sesame oil two both frying pans, fry the tofu for about 15 minutes until golden brown and add the onion and ginger to the other frying pan.
  4. Fry the onion and ginger for about 5 minutes than add the garlic and spices as well.
  5. Toast the spices and make sure the garlic doesn't get burned.
  6. Add the tomatoes and simmer for about 5 more minutes, after that add everything to a bowl.
  7. You can use the same frying pan and add the spinach, wait until it wilts.
  8. Add the spinach to the bowl with the onions, add water and salt and blend everything well with an immersion blender until smooth.
  9. for the pumpkin seed cream add the seeds, water and lime juice and blend everything until smooth with an immersion blender.
  10. Mix the tofu with the palak, adjust taste and add some pumpkin seeds cream, serve with rice.
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