Vegan Palak Paneer Recipe

Vegan palak paneer with tofu is a wholesome, flavourful Indian main course dish. This spinach curry recipe is sure to impress you!

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

• Ingredients You’ll Need
• How to Make Vegan Palak Paneer
• Serving Suggestion
• Vegan Palak Paneer Recipe

Palak paneer is a popular Indian main-course gravy dish that combines spinach with soft paneer cubes in a flavoursome, creamy gravy.

The vegan palak paneer version replaces paneer with tofu and cream with cashews, making it a dairy and gluten-free dish without compromising on taste.

Packed with good nutrients, easy to customize, and bursting with authentic flavours, it’s one Indian dish that is sure to impress both vegans and vegetarians alike.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Fresh Spinach leaves to make the gravy.
• Onion, Ginger, and Green chilli
• Cashews are a great substitute for cream or dairy
• Vegetable Refined Oil with a neutral taste for cooking. You can use vegan butter or coconut oil too.
• Spices : Cumin Seeds, Bay Leaf, Green Cardamom
• Seasoning : Red Chilli Powder, Coriander Powder, Garam Masala , Salt
• Firm Tofu cut into cubes. If you want, pan-fry it.
• Optional Garnish : Coconut cream or cashew cream drizzle

How to Make Vegan Palak Paneer

Step 1: Prepare the Tofu

• Press the tofu to remove excess moisture.
• Place it between paper towels and set a heavy object on top for 10-15 minutes. Cut the tofu into cubes.
• Optionally, pan-fry the tofu cubes in a little oil until golden on all sides.

Step 2: Blanch the Spinach

• Clean and rinse spinach with water to remove dirt particles.
• Next, place a bowl of ice-cold water next to the stovetop.
• Boil water in a saucepan with a pinch of salt.
• Once the water starts boiling, add the cleaned spinach leaves to the hot water ( image 1 ). Cook for about 40 – 50 seconds until the colour of the leaves turns bright green. Turn off the heat ( image 2 ).

• Transfer the leaves immediately to the bowl of ice-cold water ( image 4 ). This step stops the cooking process and retains the leaves’ green colour.
• In the same hot water, quickly boil onion, cashews, cardamom, ginger, and green chilli for 2 – 3 minutes. Transfer them to a blender.

Step 3: Make Puree

• Blend blanched spinach with onion, ginger, garlic, cardamom, cashews, and green chilli to make a smooth puree.

• Use ice-cold water or ice cubes to blend.

Step 4: Make the Gravy

• Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat.
• Add cumin seeds and bay leaf. Let them splutter for a few seconds.
• Pour the spinach puree into the pan.

• Add coriander powder, red chilli powder, and salt. Mix well.
• At this stage, if gravy seems too thick add water or coconut milk to get the desired consistency.

Step 5: Add Tofu

• Add the tofu cubes and simmer for 5 minutes, allowing the flavours to meld together. Taste and adjust salt or spices as needed.

Garnish with a drizzle of coconut or cashew cream, and sprinkle with fresh coriander. Serve vegan palak paneer warm with naan, or roti.

Serving Suggestion

Vegan palak paneer pairs deliciously with:

• Flatbreads : Warm naan , roti, or paratha.
• Rice : Steamed basmati rice, jeera rice , coconut rice , or brown rice.
• Side Dishes : Serve alongside kachumber salad or masala onion.

More Vegan Indian Recipes

• Jeera Aloo
• Chana Curry
• Lobia Masala
• Cauliflower Curry
• Punjabi Gobi Aloo
• Vegan Keema Masala

Ingredients

• ▢ 500 gram spinach
• ▢ 1 medium size onion, diced
• ▢ 4 green cardamom (elaichi)
• ▢ 1 inch ginger
• ▢ 1 medium spicy green chilli
• ▢ ⅛ Cup cashews
• ▢ 2 tablespoon cooking oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• ▢ 1 bay leaf
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon coriander powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Garam Masala ( get recipe )
• ▢ ¼ Cup water or coconut milk (optional)
• ▢ 200 gram firm tofu cut into cubes

Instructions

• Press the tofu to remove excess moisture. Place it between paper towels and set a heavy object on top for 10-15 minutes. Cut the tofu into cubes.
• Optionally, pan-fry the tofu cubes in a little oil until golden on all sides.
• Clean and rinse spinach with water to remove dirt particles.
• Boil water in a saucepan with a pinch of salt. Once the water starts boiling, add the cleaned spinach leaves to the hot water. Cook for about 40 – 50 seconds until the colour of the leaves turns bright green. Turn off the heat.
• Transfer the leaves immediately to the bowl of ice-cold water. This step stops the cooking process and retains the leaves’ green colour.
• In the same hot water, quickly boil onion, cashews, cardamom, ginger, and green chilli for 2 – 3 minutes. Transfer them to a blender along with blanched spinach leaves.
• Blend blanched spinach with onion, ginger, garlic, cardamom, cashews, and green chilli to make a smooth puree. Add ice cold water or ice cubes while blending.
• Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and bay leaf. Let them splutter for a few seconds.
• Pour the spinach puree into the pan. Add coriander powder, red chilli powder, and salt. Mix well. If the gravy seems too thick, add water or coconut milk.
• Add the tofu cubes and simmer for 5 minutes, allowing the flavours to meld together. Taste and adjust salt or spices as needed.
• Garnish with a drizzle of coconut or cashew cream, and sprinkle with fresh coriander.
• Serve vegan palak paneer warm with naan , or jeera rice .

Recipe Notes:

• Spice Levels : Adjust the number of green chillies based on your spice tolerance. Nut-Free Option : Use coconut milk instead of cashews for a nut-free alternative. Green Colour: The right blanching technique and adding ice cubes while blending helps in getting bright green spinach puree. Tofu: I have used a flavoured tofu with veggies for this recipe. You can use plain tofu also.

Nutrition

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Vegan Palak Paneer Recipe

Equipment

• stockpot or saucepan
• Heavy Bottom Kadhai

Ingredients

• 500 gram spinach
• 1 medium size onion, diced
• 4 green cardamom (elaichi)
• 1 inch ginger
• 1 medium spicy green chilli
• ⅛ Cup cashews
• 2 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon coriander powder
• ½ teaspoon Garam Masala ( get recipe )
• ¼ Cup water or coconut milk (optional)
• 200 gram firm tofu cut into cubes

Instructions

• Press the tofu to remove excess moisture. Place it between paper towels and set a heavy object on top for 10-15 minutes. Cut the tofu into cubes.
• Optionally, pan-fry the tofu cubes in a little oil until golden on all sides.
• Clean and rinse spinach with water to remove dirt particles.
• Boil water in a saucepan with a pinch of salt. Once the water starts boiling, add the cleaned spinach leaves to the hot water. Cook for about 40 – 50 seconds until the colour of the leaves turns bright green. Turn off the heat.
• Transfer the leaves immediately to the bowl of ice-cold water. This step stops the cooking process and retains the leaves’ green colour.
• In the same hot water, quickly boil onion, cashews, cardamom, ginger, and green chilli for 2 – 3 minutes. Transfer them to a blender along with blanched spinach leaves.
• Blend blanched spinach with onion, ginger, garlic, cardamom, cashews, and green chilli to make a smooth puree. Add ice cold water or ice cubes while blending.
• Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and bay leaf. Let them splutter for a few seconds.
• Pour the spinach puree into the pan. Add coriander powder, red chilli powder, and salt. Mix well. If the gravy seems too thick, add water or coconut milk.
• Add the tofu cubes and simmer for 5 minutes, allowing the flavours to meld together. Taste and adjust salt or spices as needed.
• Garnish with a drizzle of coconut or cashew cream, and sprinkle with fresh coriander.
• Serve vegan palak paneer warm with naan , or jeera rice .

Notes

• Spice Levels : Adjust the number of green chillies based on your spice tolerance. Nut-Free Option : Use coconut milk instead of cashews for a nut-free alternative. Green Colour: The right blanching technique and adding ice cubes while blending helps in getting bright green spinach puree. Tofu: I have used a flavoured tofu with veggies for this recipe. You can use plain tofu also.

Nutrition

These buttery almond cookies with delicate crumbs are one of the easiest treats you can bake for the Holiday Season.

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

• Ingredients You’ll Need
• How To Make Cookies
• My Tried and True Tips
• Easy Almond Cookies Recipe

There’s something undeniably comforting about the aroma of freshly baked cookies during the Holiday season.

Delicious, buttery almond cookies are a classic holiday favourite after Christmas Plum or Gingerbread Cake and are a great fit for an edible gift hamper.

Whether you’re a seasoned baker or a beginner, this homemade almond cookie recipe is easy to follow and yields a batch of delicious treats that are sure to impress family and friends.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• All Purpose Flour and not cake or cookie flour.
• Almond Meal or blend skinned almonds to make flour
• Caster Sugar or baking sugar with fine granules.
• Whole Egg with yolk at room temperature.
• Unsalted Butter , softened not melted.
• Baking Powder, Vanilla, Salt

Optional Toppings

• Sliced skinned almonds for garnish
• Powdered sugar for dusting
• Melted chocolate for drizzling

How To Make Cookies

Step 1: Prepare the Dough

• Cream Butter and Sugar : In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This step ensures the cookies’ delicate texture. Use a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment. I use food processor for the task.

• Add Egg and Vanilla : Mix the egg and vanilla extract, and whisk for 20 – 30 seconds.

• Add Dry Ingredients : In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add this mixture to the wet ingredients in three batches, gently combining using a spatula or paddle attachment.

• Incorporate Almonds : Fold in the almond meal. The dough should come together smoothly without being overly sticky.

Step 2: Shape the Cookies

• Preheat Oven : Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Shape the Cookies : Roll the cookie dough into 1-inch or lime-sized balls. Flatten slightly with your palm of ¼ inch thickness.

Step 3: Bake and Cool

• Add Toppings : Press a few sliced almonds onto the top of each cookie for added crunch and visual appeal.
• Bake : Place the cookies in the preheated oven and bake for 15 – 20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Avoid overbaking to keep the centres soft.
• Cool : Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

My Tried and True Tips

• Use Softened Butter : It incorporates air better during creaming, resulting in lighter cookies. Avoid melting the butter as it can lead to overly flat cookies. If you prefer crunchy cookies use ice-cold butter.
• Don’t Overmix : Overmixing the dough can develop the gluten in the flour, making the cookies tough instead of tender.
• Measure Ingredients Accurately : Use a kitchen scale for precise measurements, especially for flour, to avoid dense cookies.
• Spiced Almond Cookies : Mix in a pinch of cinnamon/ chai masala or pumpkin pie seasoning.
• Gluten-Free Option : Replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend and ensure your baking powder is gluten-free.

More Baking Recipes

• Double Chocolate Chip Muffin
• Whole Wheat Mocha Muffin
• Indian Nankhatai Cookies
• Chewy Granola Bar
• Lemon Pound Cake
• Bakery Style Rusk

Ingredients

1 Cup = 250 ml liquid and 200 gram flour

• ▢ 1 ¼ Cup all-purpose flour (maida)
• ▢ ⅓ Cup almond meal see Note 1
• ▢ ⅓ Cup caster or baking sugar
• ▢ 2 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 100 gram unsalted butter, softened
• ▢ 1 eggs, at room temperature

Ingredients for decoration

• ▢ ½ cup sliced almonds

Instructions

• In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This step ensures the cookies’ delicate texture. Use a hand or stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
• Mix the egg and vanilla extract, and whisk for 20 – 30 seconds.
• In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add this mixture to the wet ingredients in three batches, gently combining using a spatula or paddle attachment.
• Fold in the almond meal. The dough should come together smoothly without being overly sticky.
• Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Roll the cookie dough into 1-inch or lime-sized balls. Flatten slightly with your palm of ¼ inch thickness.
• Press a few sliced almonds onto the top of each cookie for added crunch and visual appeal.
• Place the cookies in the preheated oven and bake for 15 – 20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Avoid overbaking to keep the centres soft.
• Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe Notes:

• Note 1: To make the almond meal at home, dry roast the skinned almonds. Blend them in a processor to a coarse powder.
• For making the dough you can use food processor without blade attachment, stand mixer with paddle attachment or a hand mixer for whisking. Room Temperature : Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Freezing : Freeze the dough for up to 3 months. Simply thaw, shape, and bake when needed. Baked Cookies : You can also freeze baked cookies for up to 2 months. Reheat in the oven for a freshly baked taste.

Nutrition

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