Palak Tofu is a delicious, rich Indian curry made with protein-packed pan-fried tofu and spinach gravy. It can be prepared in under 30 minutes using an Instant Pot or on the stovetop. This healthy dish is vegan, low-carb, keto, and gluten-free!
Palak paneer is a very popular North Indian curry that you can find in every Indian restaurant. Today, I am sharing an easy Palak Tofu recipe (vegan version of palak paneer) by replacing 'paneer' with 'tofu'.
This curry is packed with lots of spinach, protein-rich tofu, and a few Indian spices. Serve with roti, naan, or rice for a perfect weekday meal. It's vegan, gluten-free, and keto-friendly. I have shared both the Instant Pot pressure cooker and stovetop pot methods below.
If you are looking for more Indian Tofu Recipes, then check out
Looking for more vegan recipes? Check out this collection of 70+ Best Vegan Indian Recipes.
Jump to:
Ingredients
- Palak: I used fresh organic baby spinach.
- Extra-firm Tofu, also known as soy paneer, is cubed into 1-inch pieces. Always try to use Organic Tofu.
- Onion, garlic, and ginger: I used roughly chopped onions, garlic, and ginger.
- Tomato: I used Roma tomatoes for this recipe, but you can also use canned crushed or diced tomatoes as an alternative.
- Cream: Optional. I have used coconut cream, but you can also use heavy cream or cashew nut cream. You can also make cashew nut cream at home by blending soaked cashew nuts with water in a blender.
- Spices and Herbs: I have used turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder, and garam masala as spices and dried fenugreek leaves (Kasuri methi) to give restaurant-style flavor to the dish.
How to Make Palak Tofu Curry
Pan-fry Tofu
Firstly, press the extra-firm tofu with a heavy object for 10-15 minutes to drain excess moisture. You can also use a tofu press.
Cut into 1-inch cubes.
Note: I have used approximately 1 ½ cups of cubed tofu (7 oz) for this recipe.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot, add cubed tofu and sprinkle ½ teaspoon of red chili powder, salt, and pepper to taste on the tofu.
Saute for 4-5 minutes till tofu turns light golden brown. Keep aside.
Note: You can also roast the tofu in the air fryer for a crispy texture.
Instant Pot Method
Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pot. Once the oil is hot, add 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds and let them splutter.
Next, add 1 medium roughly diced onions, ½ inch ginger, 2-3 cloves of garlic, and 2 green chilies. Sauté until the onions turn light brown.
Add 1 large diced tomato, ½ teaspoon of red chili powder, ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon of coriander powder, salt to taste, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add ½ cup of water and deglaze the pot. Next, add 10 oz of fresh spinach (palak), about 8-10 cups.
Close the Instant Pot and set the pressure valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 2 minutes. If using frozen spinach, then set the timer to 1 Minute.
Once the pot beeps, Do a QUICK RELEASE (QR).
Using an immersion blender, blend the ingredients in the pot to a creamy texture. If you don’t have an immersion blender, transfer the mixture to a regular blender, cool it and blend until smooth, and then return it to the Instant Pot.
Lastly, add ½ teaspoon of garam masala, 1 tablespoon of crushed kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), and the pan-fried tofu. Mix well. You can also add 2 tablespoons of coconut cream or cashew cream if desired. There’s no need to boil or sauté again after adding the tofu. Let it sit for 5 minutes to blend the flavors.
Indian spinach tofu curry is ready to serve.
Stovetop Pot Method
- Heat oil in a kadai/pot. Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, let the cumin splutter, then add onions, ginger, garlic, green chili, and saute until onions turn light brown.
- Next, add the diced tomato, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, and salt. Cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add water and spinach. Close the lid and cook for 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Then turn off the stove.
- Cool the mixture, then blend the ingredients until creamy using a blender. Transfer the blended mixture back into the Kadai.
- Add garam masala, kasuri methi, and pan-fried tofu, and mix well. You may also add some coconut cream or cashew cream if desired. After adding the tofu, there’s no need to boil or sauté again. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
How to Serve Palak Tofu?
Serve Palak tofu curry with jeera rice, naan, or both. You can also pair it with plain basmati rice and drinks like mango lassi on the side.
If you are on a Keto diet, pair it with cauliflower rice.
Storage Suggestions
- Store: Leftover spinach tofu curry can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days.
- Freeze: Freeze in freezer-safe containers or Ziploc bags for up to 2 months.
- Reheat: Heat the curry in a microwave or stovetop until warm. If it's frozen, defrost it first and then reheat.
Tips for Palak Tofu Recipe
- Pan Fry Tofu: I highly recommend pan-frying the cubed tofu with some spices until golden brown before adding them to the curry. You can also air fry tofu or bake them.
- Cream: Adding coconut, cashew nut, or fresh cream is optional. This is added to make the curry more rich and creamy. Make cashew-nut cream by blending a few soaked cashew nuts and water in a blender.
- Quick Release: Perform a quick release after pressure cooking to avoid overcooking the curry. This helps preserve the spinach's bright green color.
Variations
- Tofu Alternative: For a non-vegan option, replace tofu with paneer (cottage cheese). Other variations like cooked chickpeas, mushrooms, cubed-boiled potatoes, or sweet corn can be added to this spinach curry.
- Other Greens: Add mustard greens or kale along with spinach.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. This palak tofu recipe is vegan. Make sure to use coconut cream or cashew nut cream.
Yes, it is keto-friendly. Use extra-firm tofu and heavy cream or coconut cream to make it keto-friendly.
Yes. Just 'Pressure Cook' on High for 1 minute. All other steps remain the same.
This recipe works best with spinach, but you can also use mustard greens, kale, or Swiss chard.
You can use cubed paneer (Indian cottage cheese). You can also add pieces of boiled potatoes, roasted cauliflower, boiled chickpeas, roasted mushroom, or sweet corn.
More Instant Pot Indian Curry Recipes
Palak Tofu (Spinach Tofu Curry) - Instant Pot
Equipment
Ingredients
For Tofu
- 7 oz extra-firm tofu cubed (about 1.5 cups)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- salt and black pepper to taste
For Gravy
- 10 oz spinach (palak) (about 8-10 cups)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin (jeera seeds)
- ½ inch ginger roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 2 green chili
- 1 medium onion (about 1 cup), roughly diced
- 1 large tomato roughly chopped
- ½ cup water
- salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) optional
- 2 tablespoons coconut cream (or fresh cream or cashew cream), optional
Dry spices
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
Instructions
For Tofu:
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot, add cubed tofu and sprinkle red chili powder, salt and pepper.
- Saute for 4-5 minutes till tofu turns light golden brown in color. Keep aside.
Instant Pot Method:
- Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Add oil to the POT. Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds and let the cumin splutter.
- Next add roughly diced onions, ginger, garlic, green chili, and saute until onions turn light brown.
- Add diced tomato, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, salt, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add water and deglaze the pot. Next add in the fresh spinach.
- Close the Instant Pot with pressure valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 2 minutes. If using frozen spinach then set the timer to 1 Minute.
- Once the pot beeps, Do a QUICK RELEASE (QR).
- Blend the ingredients in the pot to a creamy texture using an immersion blender. If you don't have an immersion blender then take the mixture out, cool it, and then blend in a regular blender and add the mixture back to the instant pot.
- Lastly add garam masala, kasuri methi, and pan-fried tofu and mix well. You can also add some fresh cream or cashew cream. No need to boil/saute again after adding Tofu. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
Stovetop Pot Method:
- Heat oil in a kadai/pot. Once the oil is hot add cumin seeds, let the cumin splutter then add onions, ginger, and garlic, green chili, and saute until onions turn light brown.
- Next add diced tomato, red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, salt, and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add water and spinach. Close the lid and cook for 3-4 minutes on medium heat. Then turn off the stove.
- Cool the mixture and blend the ingredients into a creamy texture using a blender. Later transfer the mixture into the Kadai.
- Add garam masala, kasuri methi, and pan-fried tofu, and mix well. You may also add some coconut cream or cashew cream if desired. After adding the tofu, there’s no need to boil or sauté again. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
Notes
Tips for Palak Tofu Recipe
- Pan Fry Tofu: I highly recommend pan-frying the cubed tofu with some spices until golden brown before adding them to the curry. You can also air fry tofu or bake them.
- Cream: Adding cashew nut cream or fresh cream is optional. This is added to make the curry more rich and creamy. Make cashew-nut cream by blending a few soaked cashew nuts and water in a blender.
- Quick Release: Perform a quick release after pressure cooking to avoid overcooking the curry. This helps preserve the spinach's bright green color.
Variations
- Tofu Alternative: For a non-vegan option, replace tofu with paneer (cottage cheese). Other variations like cooked chickpeas, mushrooms, cubed-boiled potatoes, or sweet corn can be added to this spinach curry.
-
Nutrition
★ Like this recipe? FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Youtube for more quick & easy recipes.
Alina
Excellent dish! Thank you for sharing.
Bhavana Patil
I am so glad you liked it Alina. 🙂