Palak Paneer Recipe | Easy Indian Paneer Recipe

Ingredients

• 15 ml (3 tsp), dividedoil
• ½ medium (about 80 g), choppedonion
• 2, broken into chunksgreen chillies
• 15 g (¼ cup)fresh coriander
• 5 ml (1 tsp)ginger and garlic paste
• 227 g (8 oz)paneer
• 227 g (8 oz)spinach
• 1.18 litres (5 cups), dividedwater
• ½ tspcumin seeds
• ¼ tspground coriander
• ¼ tspground cumin
• 1 tspgaram masala
• 1½ tspsalt
• 30 ml (2 tbsp), optionalcream
• 10 ml (2 tsp)ghee or oil for a vegan version
• 1, slicedgarlic clove
• ¼ tspred chilli powder

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the aromatics

   Heat 1 tsp of the oil in a pan. Add the chopped onion, green chillies and ginger and garlic paste; sauté until the raw smell of the onion, ginger and garlic has gone. Add the coriander and cook until wilted. Turn off the heat and leave the mixture to cool.

2. 2

   Blanch the spinach

   Bring 4½ cups of the water to the boil in a separate pot. Put the spinach in a wide bowl and pour the boiling water over it, ensuring it is submerged. Cover and leave for 4 minutes, then drain immediately and rinse with cold water, or use ice cubes with room-temperature water, to stop the cooking. Drain well. If you like, soak the cubed paneer in hot water now to soften it.

3. 3

   Blend the purée

   Grind the cooled onion mixture and blanched spinach together until smooth.

4. 4

   Toast the spices

   Heat the remaining 2 tsp of oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. Once they splutter, turn the heat to low and stir in the ground coriander, ground cumin and garam masala. Cook for 30 seconds, keeping the heat low so the spices do not burn.

5. 5

   Simmer the spinach

   Add the spinach purée and ½ cup of water. You can rinse out the blender jar with the water to collect the remaining purée. Add the salt and bring to a gentle simmer.

6. 6

   Add the paneer

   Add the paneer cubes and cook until the curry comes to a gentle boil, then turn off the heat. If using cream, stir in 2 tbsp now.

7. 7

   Make the tempering

   For the optional final tempering, heat 2 tsp of ghee or oil in a small pan. Add the sliced garlic and fry for 30 seconds. Add the red chilli powder, mix gently and turn off the heat after 10 seconds. Pour over the palak paneer just before serving.

What is palak paneer?

Palak paneer is an Indian curry pairing palak, or spinach, with paneer, a mild fresh cheese that holds its shape in cooking. It is especially associated with North Indian home cooking and restaurant menus.

Here, blanched spinach is blended with sautéed onion, green chillies and coriander, then simmered with paneer and warming spices. An optional garlic-and-chilli tempering adds a fragrant finish.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 179 calories, 7g protein, 5g carbs, 15g fat.

Paneer and the added oil and ghee provide most of the fat, while paneer also contributes protein; spinach, onion and the small amount of water contribute some carbohydrate. Serve it with roti or rice for a more substantial plate, and add a fresh vegetable side for contrast.

Why blanch the spinach?

Briefly pouring boiling water over the spinach softens it enough to blend while keeping the cooking time short. The immediate cold rinse stops it cooking further.

Drain the leaves thoroughly before blending. Excess water can make the purée thinner than intended and dilute its flavour.

Build the flavour base

Onion, green chillies and ginger and garlic paste are sautéed first, then blended with fresh coriander. Cook until the raw aroma has faded, but avoid browning the mixture heavily.

Cumin seeds are toasted separately before the ground spices go in. Lowering the heat for those 30 seconds helps their aroma develop without scorching them.

Get a smooth, vivid curry

Blend the cooled onion mixture and spinach until smooth for an even, spoonable sauce. If the blender struggles, pause and scrape down the sides rather than adding extra liquid.

The curry should reach only a gentle simmer once the purée is added. A hard boil can make the sauce splatter and may cause the paneer to break up.

Keep the paneer tender

Paneer needs only a short time in the hot sauce: cook it until the curry returns to a gentle boil, then turn off the heat. Overcooking can make the cubes firm or rubbery.

For softer paneer, the recipe suggests soaking the cubes in hot water while preparing the spinach. Drain them before adding them to the curry.

Finish and serve

Cream is optional and can be stirred in after the heat is turned off. The separate garlic tempering is also optional; pour it over the curry just before serving so its aroma stays distinct.

Serve with roti or naan, as suggested, or pair with rice. A crisp or fresh side can add contrast to the soft paneer and smooth spinach sauce.

Recipe notes & tips

• Cool the sautéed onion mixture before blending it with the blanched spinach.
• Drain the spinach well so the curry does not become watery.
• Keep the heat low when adding the ground spices to prevent them from burning.
• Rinse the blender jar with the measured water to use up the spinach purée clinging to its sides.
• Add the paneer near the end and stop cooking once the curry gently boils.
• Pour the optional garlic tempering over the curry just before serving.

Variations

• Vegan version: use oil instead of ghee and leave out the cream, while noting that paneer itself is dairy.
• Milder curry: reduce the green chillies and omit or reduce the red chilli powder.
• Creamier finish: stir in the optional 2 tbsp of cream after turning off the heat.
• Garlic tempering: add the sliced garlic and chilli oil topping just before serving for a more aromatic finish.
• Rice accompaniment: serve with cooked rice instead of roti or naan.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Skipping the cold rinse: spinach keeps cooking after blanching, so cool it promptly to stop the process.
• Leaving spinach wet: excess blanching water thins the purée; drain the leaves well before blending.
• Burning the spices: ground spices scorch quickly, so lower the heat before adding them and cook for just 30 seconds.
• Boiling the curry hard: keep it at a gentle simmer to avoid splashes and help the paneer stay intact.
• Cooking paneer for too long: add it near the end and turn off the heat once the curry gently boils.
• Adding the tempering too early: pour it over just before serving so the garlic aroma remains noticeable.

How to store

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate in a covered container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a pan until piping hot, stirring carefully so the paneer cubes stay intact; add a splash of water if the sauce has thickened.

Frequently asked questions