Vegan Tofu Saag Paneer
Tender green spinach and golden fried tofu, along with sultry Indian spices, make this tofu saag paneer the perfect side dish for your vegan curry feast.
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This tofu-based vegan saag paneer is a flavourful treat, that will make a wonderful change from (or addition to!) your usual chickpea curry.
It makes a delicious side dish to an Indian-inspired vegan spread, or can be served in a double portion as a main course.
What is saag paneer?
Saag paneer is a flavourful Indian dish, popular as a vegetarian side dish. It traditionally uses spinach and paneer cheese, which is a mild, firm, non-melting cheese commonly used in Indian cuisine.
Paneer is traditionally made from buffalo or cow’s milk, meaning it’s not vegan, but firm tofu makes a great plant-based alternative as it gives a similar texture and taste profile.
Is saag paneer healthy?
This dish is loaded with nutrients, in particular from the spinach which is rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, folic acid, iron, and calcium.
It also gets a boost from superfood seasonings like turmeric, ginger, and garlic.
This vegan tofu saag paneer gets an added benefit of containing fewer calories and less fat than one made with cow’s milk paneer, while maintaining a similar protein content.
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
Method
Ingredients
(Servings: 4)
- For the 'paneer'
- 0.25 0.25 x 400g block extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
- 0.25 0.25 tsp turmeric
- 0.25 0.25 tsp garam masala
- sea salt and black pepper
- For the sauce
- 25 25 g spinach leaves, well washed
- 0.125 0.125 large onion, roughly chopped
- 1 1 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1.25 1.25 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- 0.25 0.25 bunch fresh coriander, stalks only
- 0.125 0.125 lemon, juice only
- 0.5 0.5 tsp ground cumin
- 0.5 0.5 tsp garam masala
- 0.25 0.25 tsp sugar
- 0.125 0.125 x 400ml tin coconut milk
- To serve
- Fresh coriander leaves
- lime wedges
Method
- Cut the drained, pressed tofu into bite sized chunks and dust with the turmeric and Garam Masala. Add the tofu to a non stick frying pan with a splash of oil and cook, turning regularly, until golden at the edges. Remove from the pan and set aside to drain on kitchen paper.
- For the sauce, place all the ingredients into a high powered blender and mix until pureed.
- Pour the sauce into the frying pan and gently cook until fragrant and bubbling, stirring frequently.
- Return the tofu to the pan with the sauce, add the coconut milk and check the sauce for seasoning, adding more salt if necessary.
- Serve hot, garnished with coriander leaves and wedges of lime.
Nutritional Information per 100g: Calories 92, Fat 6.2g, Saturates 3.7g, Carbohydrates 3.5g, Sugars 2.2g, Protein 4.8g, Salt 0.16g
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