L16 · Lunch · Delhi and wider North India
Palak Tofu
A soy-based take on palak paneer: firm tofu in a bright, garlicky spinach purée. Tofu absorbs the spice well and keeps the dish lighter than paneer.
- Region
- Delhi and wider North India
- Diet
- Strictly vegetarian, egg-free
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Time, as written
- Prep 15 min · Cook 25 min
- Serves
- 3
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Status
- Adaptation — tofu in place of paneer
- Good for
- Everyday lunch, lower-calorie meals
Nutrition
High protein| Per serving | kcal | Protein | Carbs | Fat | Sat fat | Fibre | Sugars | Protein per 100 kcal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palak tofu only (about 300 g) | 255 | 20 g | 12 g | 14 g | 3 g | 6 g | 4 g | 7.5 g |
| Full plate: curry, 2 whole-wheat rotis | 480 | 27 g | 56 g | 15 g | 3 g | 14 g | 6 g | 5.5 g |
Headline figures are for the full plate as served, with its stated roti, rice or bhakri; the dish alone is shown in the table.
Tier: High protein. Tofu uses a typical firm-tofu label (about 15 g protein, 8.5 g fat per 100 g) — verify against the brand used. Values checked against IFCT 2017 on 14 Oct 2026.
Values are estimates calculated from the listed ingredients and quantities (IFCT 2017 and product labels), not laboratory measurements. How the numbers were calculated.
Ingredients
Plate
Method
Press tofu between kitchen towels under a heavy pan for 15 minutes. Cut into 2 cm cubes.
Blanch spinach in boiling water for 1 minute, then plunge into iced water to keep it green. Blend with chillies to a smooth purée.
Sear tofu in 4 g oil in a non-stick pan on medium-high, 2 minutes per side, until golden. Set aside.
Heat the remaining oil; add cumin and sliced garlic until golden. Add onion; cook 5 minutes. Add ginger-garlic paste and tomato; cook 5 minutes.
Add turmeric and coriander powder, then the spinach purée, salt and 100 ml water. Simmer 4 minutes — longer dulls the colour.
Stir in milk, tofu, garam masala and kasuri methi. Simmer 2 minutes. Serve with rotis.
Protein optimisation
- Where the protein comes from
- Tofu supplies 15 g per serving, spinach 2.5 g, milk and vegetables 1 g.
- Boost
- Increase tofu to 400 g (+5 g protein, +50 kcal per serving).
Variations, serving and storage
- Regional
- Punjabi saag-style — add 100 g sarson (mustard greens) and 50 g bathua with the spinach in winter.
- Substitution
- Paneer for tofu (palak paneer; see D01 for a lighter version).
- Storage
- 2 days refrigerated; colour fades on reheating.
- Food safety
- Keep tofu refrigerated in water, changing the water daily; use within 3 days of opening.
- Meal prep
- Make the spinach purée ahead; it keeps 1 day.
Allergens
Soy, milk (small amount); gluten (rotis)
Labels: High protein · Lower-calorie · Lower-carbohydrate (curry only) · Whey-free · Gluten-free* (curry only) · No added sugar
Gluten-free* means gluten-free only when certified gluten-free hing is used; most hing contains wheat flour.