How to Make Palak Paneer
Step #1: Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Place the sliced tofu in a strainer set over a large bowl. Pour the boiling water over the top of the tofu. Discard the water, transfer the tofu to a plastic freezer bag, and add the nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and salt. Toss the tofu around to coat in the yeast mixture, then press out as much air as possible and seal the bag. Refrigerate for up to 3 days, or overnight at minimum. To be honest, the first time I ever had palak paneer, I thought it was made with tofu. I found out later that the ‘paneer’ part is, of course, referring to paneer cheese. Who knew, right? I’ve been partnering with House Foods this year, which has been pretty awesome for me as a tofu lover. I had a blast creating Korean Bibimbap Bowls and Indonesian Curry Noodle Bowls, so I decided to keep moving west and head to India for Vegan Palak Paneer! Seeing as I always forget to press my tofu, I used my favorite hack of using boiling water to expel the excess moisture. Tofu, in its normal state, doesn’t have a very cheese-like flavor. I decided to take the advice of Marc at No Recipes and marinate the tofu in a mixture of nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and salt. Step #2: When ready to prepare, place the spinach, water, garlic, ginger, green chili, tomato, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a large blender. Process until pureed. Set aside. Step #3: Drain the marinated tofu. Heat the tablespoon of vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin, cayenne, and drained tofu. Toss well and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, until lightly browned. Step #4: Pour the spinach mixture into the pan; stir well, cover the pan, and turn the heat down to low. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the garlic has lost its raw bite. Taste and add salt as needed. To reheat, gently warm it in a microwave or on the stovetop over low heat, adding a small amount of water or vegetable broth to keep it moist.
