Vegan saag paneer with tofu

A gorgeously green spinach or 'saag' curry with cubes of marinated tofu. The perfect flavourful midweek meal served up with some fluffy naan bread.

Saag paneer or sometimes known as palak paneer is an Indian takeaway classic dish enjoyed by many across the UK. Traditionally this curry is made with cubes of the Indian cheese paneer and dairy cream to thicken but we are of course veganising this one. I have never tried paneer but have heard that tofu replicates the texture closely and works well as a paneer replacement. This curry is surprisingly flavourful which you wouldn’t usually expect from a dish that is so green. The spice blend and addition of cream make this an aromatic yet creamy sauce. This a simple and fairly cost effective dish, perfect for a weeknight meal or I like to hold an Indian food night for my family and serve this along side a couple of other curries, some fluffy naan breads and steamed basmati rice. The flavours of this dish intensify overnight so be sure to save some to reheat for your lunch the next day!

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Ingredients and substitutes-

• Tofu- I used extra firm tofu (the tofoo brand in the UK) in this dish however you could also use medium firm tofu just be careful when handling it as it can be more prone to falling apart- paneer usually stays in nice cubes which is what we’re trying to replicate here.

• Cornflour- Cornflour is used to coat the tofu to give it a crispy exterior and also helps to thicken the sauce. You can also use tapioca or potato starch. This step is not essential so feel free to skip if you don’t have any of these.

• Spinach- Fresh or frozen can be used for this recipe. I tend to keep a bag of frozen spinach to chuck into pasta dishes last minute giving it a hint of green without having to worry about the spinach going bad in the fridge. If you do use frozen, defrost in the microwave first and squeeze out some of the water as the frozen stuff tends to be more watery than fresh.

• Tomatoes- I used cherry tomatoes in this dish but you can use whatever tomatoes you like- I wouldn’t recommend tinned however because you don’t want the tomatoes to overpower the creamy green side of this dish.

• Chilli- The spice levels can be adjusted or omitted depending on preference. I personally am not great with spice so I just used one fresh red chilli in this recipe. You can of course use chilli flakes or powder.

• Cream- Here I used alpro soy cream to replace single cream but you can use whatever you have available- oat cream, coconut cream or make your own cashew cream.

• Spice mix- The spices in this recipe are accessible in mainstream supermarkets and are versatile- you may have them in your cupboard already.

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Top Tips!

Marinating the tofu-

Paneer is saltier than tofu so if you want that extra touch- brine your tofu in salt water for an hour or upto 24 hours. You can also coat the tofu in spices and leave to marinate. These tips will all elevate the flavours in your curry if you’re in a fancy mood however these steps can be skipped to allow for a quick meal if you’re in a hurry!

Cooking the tofu-

I like the tofu to have a firm texture in this curry so that the cubes are more ‘paneer’ like so I coated the tofu inn cornflour before frying. However if you prefer a softer tofu feel free to skip the cornflour step. Equally if you prefer not to fry then feel free to bake or air fry but the tofu will be a little drier- nothing the gorgeous green curry sauce cant fix though!

Sauce texture-

I personally like to blend the sauce to make it smooth however bigger pieces of spinach unblended can also work if you don’t have a blender.

And now for the recipe!

Vegan saag paneer curry with tofu

​Serves- 2 Time- 20 minutes

Ingredients-

• 280g Tofu

• 250g spinach

• 1 tsp Turmeric

• 1 tbsp cornflour

• 250g Spinach

• ½ Onion diced

• 1 red Chilli deseeded

• 50ml cream

• 4 salad or cherry tomatoes

• 1 tbsp Garlic ginger paste

• 1 tsp Turmeric

• 1 tsp Garam masala

• 1 tsp Fenugreek

• 1 tsp Curry powder

• 1 tsp Salt

Method-

1. Cut the tofu into even sized cubes and add to a bowl with the cornflour, 1tsp turmeric and ½ a tsp of salt. Toss to combine.

2. Fry the tofu pieces in a little oil until golden on all sides. Set these aside for later.

3. Add some oil into the pan and add the onion and cook until softened.

4. Next dice the chilli and tomatoes and add them to the onions and stir them together.

5. Add the garlic ginger paste and the spice mix and stir to coat everything.

6. Add in all of the spinach and put a lid on the pan. Switch to a low heat and wilt the spinach stirring a few times in between.

7. Now blend up the sauce in a high speed blender or leave unblended if you prefer a chunkier sauce. Return the blended sauce to the pan and add in the tofu and lastly the cream.

8. Simmer for 5 minutes to reheat the tofu.

9. Serve up and drizzle some more cream on the top.

10. I enjoy mine with a fluffy naan bread and always make sure I have leftovers for lunch the next day!

FAQ-

·         Can I use a different protein?- Yes I think this sauce would go with most proteins, another alternative I like is using chickpeas slightly roasted in spices in the air fryer then added to the sauce and warmed through before serving.

Why not try these other curry recipes?

• Tempeh tikka masala

• Tofu Korma

• Creamy coconut chickpea curry

Did you make this recipe?

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Click here to watch the recipe video

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