Vegan Saag Paneer Recipe (Palak Tofu) | Dairy-free and Gluten-free (2024)

5 from 5 votes

For the vegan saag paneer curry:

• 1 tbsp oil divided
• 5 oz chopped kale leaves (measured after de-stemming; original weight approximately 10 oz.)
• 2 green chiles halved and de-seeded (use 1 to reduce heat)
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 2 green cardamom pods
• 2 whole cloves
• 1/8 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 white onion finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 inch ginger minced
• 2 Roma tomatoes finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 cup plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk (I used cashew milk)
• 1/4 cup plain, unsweetened non-dairy yogurt

For the baked "paneer" tofu:

• 1 14-oz. package extra-firm tofu
• 1/4 cup plain, unsweetened non-dairy yogurt
• 1 tsp oil
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/8 tsp ground turmeric (optional)
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 pinch kala namak (optional)
• salt

For the baked "paneer" tofu:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drain excess liquid from the tofu package, and then press it, either using a tofu press; or by wrapping it in a clean towel and placing a heavy object on top of it for about 10 minutes.

• Mix together the rest of the tofu ingredients and season to taste with salt. Cut the tobu into cubes. One at at time, dip the tofu into the yogurt mixture, shake off the excess, and place it on the baking sheet.

• Bake for approximately 40 minutes, flipping after the first 30 minutes, until the tofu and coating have firmed up.

For the vegan saag paneer curry:

• In a large pan, heat 1 teaspoon of oil over medium heat. Add the chopped kale leaves and sliced green chiles. Cook, stirring frequently, until the kale is bright green and wilted. Remove from the heat and transfer to a small blender or food processor. Puree until smooth or nearly smooth, adding only as much water as needed to blend.

• Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil to the pan along with the whole spices (cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves and cumin). Cook for about 60 seconds or until fragrant and starting to sputter. Add the chopped onion and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until transparent, about 3-5 minutes.

• Add the ginger and garlic, and cook for 60 seconds or until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and continue to cook until starting to thicken, another 3-4 minutes. Stir in the ground spices (coriander, cumin, and garam masala).

• Add the pureed greens mixture, non-dairy milk, and non-dairy yogurt and baked tofu. Cook until bubbly and warm throughout, about 2-3 minutes. Season to taste with salt. Remove the cinnamon stick (it's not as essential to remove the cloves and cardamom pods, but you can do so if you see them). Serve hot, with rice if desired.

WHOLE SPICES: If you don't have the whole spices needed, you can use a pinch of each of them in their ground form, added at the same time as the rest of the ground spices.

KALE: You can substitute another leafy green for the kale, such as spinach, by weight.

NON-DAIRY YOGURT: For the curry, if you don't have access to plain, unsweetened dairy-free yogurt, substitute half of the quantity of additional non-dairy milk and one tablespoon of lemon juice. For the tofu, simply omit the yogurt.

KALA NAMAK: I would only recommend adding this if you already have it on hand; if you do, a pinch of it adds a slightly "eggy" sulfuric flavor that works well in this dish.