Palak Paneer, the creamy spinach and cottage cheese curry, is one of my favorite ways to eat palak. And since it’s fairly quick, simple and easy to make from scratch (not to mention – super delicious!), it’s on regular rotation at our place.
The fact that it is also super healthy is a total bonus. And only a small part of the reason that it is made every other week at our place. The big part of the reason this curry is on regular rotation is the taste.
That being said, we are trying to eat more healthy, and we are thrilled that palak paneer is really healthy too. What with spinach being a super nutritious leafy green that is low in carb, and high in fiber, and paneer being rich in calcium, protein, and antioxidants.
What is Palak Paneer?
Palak paneer is an Indian spinach and cottage cheese curry, made by first blanching palak (spinach) and tomatoes, then adding in flavorings, and finally pureeing it all in a blender, before simmering it on the stove, along with the paneer cubes.
A dish that is not only popular all across India, but is known really well internationally too.
Though in some countries / regions / restaurants, palak paneer is also called saag paneer. But that is not correct.
Palak paneer is made only from spinach puree, while saag includes many other leafy greens. Both dishes taste delicious, but they are not the same.
How to Make Palak Paneer
There are many different ways to make palak paneer – with or without blanching the palak / spinach leaves, with or without completely pureeing the palak curry, and with several different kinds of flavorings.
The palak paneer recipe I am sharing today is an easy, healthy, home-style version of palak paneer.
If you want to make it richer, creamier, and even add a smoky flavor to make a more restaurant style palak paneer, then read the notes / tips for modifications to this recipe shared below.
This Palak Paneer Recipe is
- home-style
- simple and easy to make
- with limited ingredients
- nutrient rich and healthy
- and creamy and delicious too
Ingredients You Need
I am listing out the ingredients and method here for making palak paneer for 4-6 people.
You can always adjust the quantity of ingredients, depending on the number of servings you want to make.
Check out the handy scale in the recipe card, that automatically adjusts the quantity of ingredients based on the quantity of servings you choose on the recipe card.
For Palak Tomato Prep
Palak leaves (tender, bright green) – 10 oz
Tomatoes (mid size) – 2
Water (for pressure cooking) – 1 cup
For Palak Paneer Curry
Oil – 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
Chopped ginger – 2 tbsp
Chopped garlic – 2 tbsp
Green chilli (slit) – 1
Chopped onion – 1 cup
Salt – 1 tsp
Paneer
250 – 400 gms of paneer
Homemade paneer is the best. But among the store-bought ones, I love Haldiram paneer. It’s what comes closest to homemade paneer.
Step by Step Recipe
- Pressure cook palak leaves and tomatoes together with 1 cup water for 1 whistle. I always cut a little bit of the stem side portion of the tomatoes before pressure cooking – really helps to peel off the tomato skin easily after pressure cooking.
- You can also blanch the palak and tomato separately instead of pressure cooking them. This will help retain the vibrant green color of the palak leaves much better. But there is no noticeable difference in taste, so I usually just pressure cook palak and tomato together to save time, energy, and extra utensils.
- Once the palak leaves and tomatoes have cooled down a bit, discard the peel of the tomato (which should come off easily at this point), and set the palak and tomato aside, retaining the water in which they were pressure cooked.
- Then, in a pan, heat up a little oil, add in the cumin seeds, and saute for 1-2 minutes, till the cumin seeds start crackling.
- After which, add the chopped ginger, garlic, and the slit green chilli, and saute for 3-5 minutes, till the ginger and garlic start getting lightly roasted, turning light red in color.
- Next add in the chopped onions and salt, and saute till the onions get well roasted and turn light brown. Adding salt along with the onions help the onions roast faster.
- Once done, turn off the gas, and let the roast cool down a bit.
- When the roast has cooled down to about room temperature, grind it in a mixie, along with the boiled palak, tomato, and retained broth set aside earlier (which should also have been cooled down to about room temperature by now), till it forms a smooth paste.
- Pour the paste back in the same pan used earlier, add in the paneer cubes, and cover and cook on medium low flame for 3-5 minutes, or until you see a light boil. Then turn off the heat.
- I always add the paneer cubes as is, especially if I am using homemade paneer or a softer paneer like haldirams. You can also choose to pan fry, deep fry, air fry or oven bake the paneer before adding it into the curry.
- Serve hot with roti / naan.
Pro Tips:
- Try to always choose fresh palak leaves that are tender and bright green, and do not use the stem, as it can make the curry taste bitter and metallic.
- I have never used frozen spinach, but you can use it in a pinch. Though I highly recommend using fresh spinach leaves whenever possible.
- Homemade paneer is the best, it has that melt in mouth quality that is not usually found in store bought paneer. Haldiram paneer comes close though.
- If you are using store bought paneer, which is usually more harder (Haldiram being the only exception I tried), especially after refrigeration, you can soak it in hot water for 5 minutes to soften it. Though remember to remove it after 5 minutes, else it can disintegrate.
Tips to Make Restaurant Style Palak Paneer
- Add roasted cashew paste in the curry for a rich, nutty, creamy flavor.
- Alternatively, you can add heavy cream at the end, after you turn off the gas, for that rich creamy flavor.
- You can also choose to use the dhungar method to infuse a smoky flavor in your palak paneer.
Make Ahead Option
If you are looking to make palak paneer for a party, you can make this ahead of time, and store it in air-tight containers in the refrigerator.
Just add the cream and the paneer on the day of the party.
You might also need to thin out the curry a little when you heat it up.
Repurposing Leftover Palak Paneer
You can repurpose this palak paneer curry in many ways. Here are some ways to try –
- Add leftover palak paneer curry to dough for making rotis for a cheesy palak paneer paratha.
- Using the same concept, for a different cuisine, you can make palak paneer quesadillas, adding the stuffing of your choice.
Serving Suggestion
Serve hot with roti or naan.
Vegan Palak Paneer
You can easily make palak paneer vegan friendly / dairy free, by replacing paneer with tofu, and heavy cream with coconut cream or cashew cream, keeping the rest of the recipe the same.
Find more Indian Curry Recipes:
Easy Punjabi Rajma Masala
Manglorean Prawns Curry
Konkani Style Dal Recipe
As always, I hope you found this recipe useful. If you did, please let me know your rating ⭐️ and feedback 📲 in the comments below, or simply rate the recipe right on the recipe card. I’d really appreciate it. ❤️
Healthy Palak Paneer Recipe
Ingredients
For Palak Tomato Prep
- 10 oz palak leaves
- 2 tomatoes mid size
- 1 cup water for pressure cooking
For Palak Paneer Curry
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp chopped ginger
- 2 tbsp chopped garlic
- 1 green chilli slit
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 tsp salt
- 250 gms paneer cubed
Instructions
Preparation
- Pressure cook palak leaves and tomatoes (with a little bit of the stem side portion of the tomatoes chopped off) with 1 cup water for 1 whistle. Let it cool.
- Once cooled down, discard the peel of the tomato (which should come off easily at this point), and set the boiled palak & tomato, along with the water, aside.
Making Palak Paneer
- In a pan, heat up a little oil, add in the cumin seeds, and saute for 1-2 minutes, till the cumin seeds start crackling.
- Then add the chopped ginger, garlic, and the slit green chilli, and saute for 3-5 minutes, till the ginger and garlic start getting lightly roasted, turning light red in color.
- Next add in the chopped onions and salt, and saute till the onions get well roasted and turn light brown.
- Then turn off the gas, and let the roast cool down a bit.
- Once the roast has cooled down to about room temperature, grind it in a mixie, along with the boiled palak, tomato, and retained broth set aside earlier (which should also have cooled down to about room temperature by now), till it forms a smooth paste.
- Pour the paste back in the same pan used earlier, add in the paneer cubes, and cover and cook on medium low flame for 3-5 minutes, or until you see a light boil. Then turn off the heat.
- Serve hot with roti / naan.
Notes
- Try to always choose fresh palak leaves that are tender and bright green, and do not use the stem, as it can make the curry taste bitter and metallic.
- You can blanch the palak and tomato separately instead of pressure cooking them. This will help retain the vibrant green color of the palak leaves much better. But there is no noticeable difference in taste, so I usually just pressure cook palak and tomato together to save time, energy, and extra utensils.
- I have never used frozen spinach, but you can use it in a pinch. Though I highly recommend using fresh spinach leaves whenever possible.
- You can use ginger garlic paste instead of chopped ginger and garlic.
- Homemade paneer is the best. But if you are using store bought paneer, which is usually more harder, especially after refrigeration (Haldiram being the only exception I tried) – you can soak it in hot water for 5 minutes to soften it. Though remember to remove it after 5 minutes, else it can disintegrate.
- Based on your preference – you can pan fry / deep fry / roast paneer cubes in the oven, or simply put the paneer as is in the palak curry.
Please note: The nutrition values are best estimates provided as a courtesy. The exact values can vary depending on the exact ingredients or brands used. If you rely on them for your specific diet and/or health issues, please consult a registered dietician or nutritionist.
Nutrition
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these photos are lipsmacking!
Thank you so much, Damyanti.
This is simple and yet a very tasty and healthy recipe… one of my favourite versions of paneer
Same here. It’s one of the few healthy dishes I am addicted too.