Cooking the tofu

Sag Paneer was always my favorite dish at an Indian restaurant. I had made it at home a few times, from a long and difficult recipe that involved making the paneer from scratch, starting with milk. That recipe was amazing, but time consuming! I had thought about making it dairy-free by using tofu to replace the paneer. Then I ran across Vegan Richa’s recipe for Palak Tofu and found that her version with tofu is quick to make and just as delicious! I’ve modified it to be even faster and easier. The regular option is to serve it over rice or another grain, but you can also serve it over homemade French fries for fusion cuisine — my family calls it Green Poutine. Either way, it’s delicious!

My family also calls this “The Green Dinner.” That compliments a recipe on this site that my family calls “The White Dinner.”

Cooking the optional French fries

Cashew cream in a small blender jar

The “Green Poutine” option

Print Recipe

Vegan Sag Paneer / Palak Paneer / Green Poutine

This quick, vegan version of Sag Paneer uses tofu to replace the paneer. It is delicious! You can serve it on grain, which is traditional, or serve it on homemade French fries for an amazing Green Poutine!

Cooking time, depending on options20

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 4

Ingredients

Tofu

2 tablespoons canola oil - preferably organic
1 package firm tofu - about 14-16 ounces
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon curry powder
a light sprinkling garlic powder

Spinach or Kale Curry

3 cups frozen spinach or kale, or 4 packed cups of fresh greens
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup cashews
2 cloves garlic, or a light sprinkling of garlic powder - optional
2 teaspoons dried ground ginger
1 cup salsa or chopped tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cashew Cream

1/2 cup cashews
6 tablespoons water -- this is the same as 3/8 cup

Grain or French Fries

EITHER 1 cup rice or quinoa or millet or super-grains mix and 2 cups of water - this is the grain option
OR 1-2 pounds potatoes, plus some canola oil and salt - this is the "Green Poutine" option

Instructions

Grain or French Fries

If you are making the grain option: If you are using quinoa, rinse it in a fine-mesh strainer to remove the bitter saponins. Then, whichever grain you are making, put it into a pot with the water. Heat to boiling, then turn the heat down to a simmer and let it cook until the water is absorbed. For brown rice that will be about 45 minutes, for other grains about 20 minutes. Once most of the water is absorbed, you can turn off the heat and let it finish cooking on the residual heat from the pot -- this saves energy and helps prevent burning.
If you are making French fries for the "Green Poutine" option, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Wash the potatoes and cut them into French-fry shapes. A food processor with a French fry cutter makes quick work of this, or you can cut them into French-fry-shapes or wedges with a knife. Scatter the potatoes on a nonstick cookie sheet. Toss with a couple of tablespoons of oil and 3/4 teaspoon of salt. Bake for 20-30 minutes, tossing occasionally, until they are browned and yummy-looking.

Tofu:

Cut the tofu into half-inch cubes. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet. Add the tofu and cook on medium heat for three minutes. Lower the heat and add the rest of the ingredients listed under Tofu. Cook for five minutes while you work on other tasks for this recipe.

Cashew Cream

Put 1/2 cup of cashews and 6 tablespoons of water in the smallest jar of a blender, and blend for several minutes, until the mixture looks smooth and creamy. If you don't have a very small blender jar (about 10 ounce size), you may need to double or triple the amounts in order to have enough to blend well. Set the mixture aside while you finish the rest of the recipe, then blend it again and use a spoon to taste a dab of it to make sure it is blended enough to be creamy. Blend more if needed.

Spinach or Kale Curry

If you are using frozen spinach or kale, defrost it in the microwave. If you are using fresh greens, rinse them. In a food processor, blend 1/4 cup of cashews with 1/4 cup of water. Then turn it off and add the greens, the other 1 1/4 cups of water, and all the other curry ingredients. (My blender is too small for this mixture, but a really large blender should also work.) Blend it until smooth. Then add it to the pot with the tofu, and cook until it is heated through.

To Serve

Put a scoop of grain or French fries on each person's plate or bowl. Add a scoop of the tofu mixture, then drizzle a little cashew cream on top to decorate.

Notes

For a nut-free option, I think you could leave out the cashew cream topping, and replace the cashews in the curry mixture with a nut butter alternative such as sunbutter.

Awesomely yummy, gluten-free, healthy, dairy-free, vegetarian, delicious recipes!

Sag Paneer / Palak Tofu / Green Poutine – vegan with tofu, dairy-free, and gluten-free