If you have tofu and spinach in the fridge, you have to try this budget-friendly Vegan Palak Tofu. The sauce is creamy, and it goes great with rice or flatbread!
Jump to Recipe
Main ingredients for Vegan Palak Tofu:
- Tofu
- Frozen Spinach
- Tomato Paste
- Ginger
- Onion
- Spices (I used Cumin, Garam Masala, Turmeric)
- Coconut Milk (or other Plant Milk instead)
- Rice/Naan
What’s Vegan Palak Tofu?
Vegan Palak Tofu is a plant-based version of Palak Paneer, which is a delicious dish associated with North Indian cuisine. Traditionally, it’s made with paneer cheese, served in a creamy, spiced spinach sauce. In my recipe, tofu replaces the paneer, which adds a great amount of plant-based protein to the dish and has a great texture. You can serve it with rice or homemade Naan, which I shared a recipe on already!
How many servings and protein will I get out of this dish?
The Vegan Palak Tofu alone has around 25 to 29 grams of protein per person and a pot will serve two to three people. If you eat it with a portion of rice or naan, which is how I would recommend, it brings the total amount of protein to about 30 to 35 grams. If that’s still not enough for your olympian diet, substitute white rice with whole grain rice. That should get you the additional protein boost you need.
Jump to RecipeIs this a budget-friendly dish?
YES! While it can be made fancier, this Vegan Palak Tofu is a super budget-friendly one made with staple ingredients! Frozen spinach is usually available in big bags or on sale, or you can even grow your own if you got space! Spices and rice are usually pantry staples in every household that cooks. Especially rice is cheap when bought in bulk from supermarkets or ethnic stores. You can even split a big bag with friends! Always look at the price per kilo (€/kg) or pound ($/lb) to compare prices and find the best deal.
You should also be able to get tomato paste for cheap and it’s going to last you a long time in the fridge. Tofu is affordable in many parts of the world. If you’ don’t like it or don’t have access to it though, feel free to add beans to the sauce instead, those are always a budget-friendly source of protein and can be purchased in bulk too! Lastly, if you are not a fan of coconut milk, feel free to replace it with water or a creamy plant-based milk like soy, cashew or almond. I only used half a can for this recipe, so you can also meal-prep another curry with the rest to make the most out of it. I shared this creamy chickpea curry or red lentil daal for example!
Can you use fresh spinach instead of frozen spinach?
You can definitely use fresh spinach instead of frozen spinach for this Vegan Palak Tofu. Just keep in mind that you’ll need quite a lot since spinach loses much of its water when cooked. This recipe is a basic version of palak tofu to keep costs and cooking time down. If neither is a concern, there are plenty of ways to make it more special. You can use fresh tomatoes instead of tomato paste, or add bell pepper and garlic. To make it more filling, use a whole can of coconut milk and serve it with naan brushed with garlic oil. This recipe is very versatile, so feel free to adjust it to your taste, budget, and the time you want to spend.
Is this Vegan Palak Tofu freezer and meal-prep friendly?
Absolutely! The creamy Vegan Palak Tofu can be enjoyed over the course of a couple of days, if you store it in an airtight container in the fridge at 4°C or below 40°F within the first two hours of cooking it should be edible for at least 2 to 3 days.
You can freeze it in freezer-friendly containers or bags. Make sure you let it cool first and divide it into individual portions for easy meals later. When you’re ready to eat, just toss it in a pot with some water or let it sit in the microwave. Just a heads up, the tofu will change in texture with time. So if you mind a firmer, spongier texture then consider frying up some fresh tofu cubes while you reheat the curry! This usually only takes a couple of minutes anyway and I personally prefer the fresh, crispier texture. But that is up to you!
Vegan Palak Tofu – How to Make an Easy 30 Minute Staple
Ingredients
- 1 Onion
- 1 inch Ginger
- 1 block Tofu
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
- ½ can Coconut Milk
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 300g /10 oz Frozen Spinach
Instructions
- Roughly chop the onion and ginger. Cut the tofu into cubes.
- Toss the tofu cubes with turmeric and salt. Heat some oil in a pan over medium heat and fry the tofu until it starts to turn crispy.
- In a separate pot, heat some oil and sauté the onion and ginger until they soften.
- Once the onion and ginger start to brown, add the garam masala, cumin, salt, and tomato paste. Stir and cook for about a minute to toast the spices. Add the frozen spinach and cook until thawed.
- Once the bottom of the pot starts to stick, deglaze it with a cup of water, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom. Add the coconut milk and let everything simmer for 5–10 minutes. Blend the sauce until smooth just before serving, then stir in the crispy tofu or top the curry with the tofu!
Did you make this dish?
Please let me know how this Vegan Palak Tofu turned out for you, I’m super curious! You can leave a comment below, I really appreciate you taking the time and helping others feel more confident in trying this recipe or help me improve it. Or if there are any uncertainties within the instructions! You can also tag @lordsoftheplants on Instagram and hashtag it #lordsoftheplants for me to see your creation, which is always super fun to me!
If you are also into Indian dishes, why not check out this delicious Vegan Rajma next? It’s so flavourful, easy and cheap to make and a staple in my kitchen!