The first time I tried Saag Paneer I thought, “This cheese tastes very tofu-y.” So when I saw a recipe for it on Connoisseurusveg, I wondered why I hadn’t thought of that before. 🙂 She’s a genius.

This came out really good, guys. It’s creamy and well flavored. The pan fried tofu works perfectly as a cheese stand in. Indian food just got a whole lot easier around my kitchen! I paired it with a really easy grilled flatbread recipe because making naan would have required some yogurt, and soy yogurt is impossible to buy here. The flatbread kept me on a vegan track! It would also be amazing with some jasmine rice.

Vegan Saag Paneer recipe slightly adapted from Connoisseurusveg!

Grilled Flatbread recipe slightly adapted from Food52.

---

VEGAN SAAG PANEER

Ingredients:

• 1 chopped onion
• 1 TBSP grated fresh ginger
• 3-4 minced garlic cloves
• 4-5 cups washed, fresh spinach
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 2 full cups extra firm tofu, drained and cut into cubes
• 1 TSP turmeric
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 1 TSP ground cumin, 1 TSP garam masala, 2 TSP sugar, ½ TSP salt
• 3/4 cup coconut milk

Directions:

In your food processor (in small batches if you have a small processor) pulse the onion, ginger, garlic and spinach. Add a little lemon juice if it isn’t chopping well. Stop when it’s all chopped up.

On a hot skillet, heat up your oil and start frying your tofu. Cook until the tofu is slightly crispy on the outside. Since it’s not pressed, it will take a little bit for it to fry up nicely. Add your turmeric, coating well, and continue to cook for a few more minutes.

Now, we combine everything. Add your spinach mixture, veggie broth, lemon juice, cumin, garam masala, sugar, and salt. Smell those flavors… it’s ridiculous. Cook until the spinach is nicely wilted and most of the liquid is gone.

Add your coconut milk. Cook until nice and creamy but not soupy.

---

GRILLED FLAT BREAD

Ingredients:

• 3 cups all purpose flour 
• 1 TSP kosher or sea salt 
• 1 TSP instant yeast
• 1 1/4 cups warm water 
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt and yeast together.

Make a well and add the warm water and olive oil. Mix with a wooden spoon until combined but “shaggy.”

Lightly flour a flat surface and knead the dough for about 6-8 minutes.  It should be pliable and smooth when done.

In a lightly oiled bowl, set the dough inside and cover with plastic wrap. Set in a warm place until it doubles in size. It took about 2 hours or so for me.

Heat up your grill pan. 

Divide dough up into 4 large pieces. Stretch each piece out into a circle or oval shape with your hands and lightly brush with oil. Place on the hot grill.

Cook both sides for a few minutes until you see char marks and the dough is browned. It takes a few minutes for each side.

You can sprinkle with more salt or other flavors afterwards if desired.

---