Palak Paneer — Indian Spinach & Paneer Curry

About This Recipe

Palak Paneer (पालक पनीर) is the jewel of North Indian vegetarian cuisine — a vibrant green curry of pureed spinach enriched with cream and aromatic spices, with pan-fried cubes of paneer nestled throughout. Despite its sophisticated appearance, it is surprisingly straightforward to make, and the result is nutritionally dense, satisfying and deeply flavourful. The key is not to over-cook the spinach (which turns it an unappetising khaki), and to fry the paneer before adding it so it holds its shape and takes on a golden crust that contrasts with the silky sauce.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 500 gfresh spinach(or 300g frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry)
• 250 gpaneer(cut into 2 cm cubes)
• 2 tbspneutral oil or ghee(divided)
• 1 largeonion(finely chopped)
• 4 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 2 cmfresh ginger(grated)
• 1green chilli(finely chopped, deseeded for less heat)
• 2tomatoes(roughly chopped)
• 1 tspcumin seeds
• 1 tspgaram masala
• 1 tspground coriander
• 1/2 tspground turmeric
• 1/2 tspKashmiri chilli powder or paprika
• 3 tbspdouble cream or cashew cream
• 1 tspdried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
• 1 tspsalt(or to taste)

Instructions

1. 1

   Blanch the spinach

   Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add spinach and blanch for exactly 2 minutes until wilted and vibrant green. Immediately drain and plunge into a bowl of ice-cold water to stop cooking and preserve the green colour. Drain well, then blend to a smooth puree. Set aside.

   The ice bath is essential to keep the spinach bright green. Cooking without it produces a dull, khaki sauce.

2. 2

   Fry the paneer

   Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add paneer cubes and fry for 2–3 minutes per side until golden and slightly crispy. Remove and set aside. The crispy exterior prevents the paneer from disintegrating in the sauce.

3. 3

   Build the masala

   In the same pan, heat remaining oil over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 30 seconds. Add onion and fry for 8–10 minutes until deeply golden. Add garlic, ginger and chilli, fry for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes until soft and jammy.

4. 4

   Add spices

   Add garam masala, ground coriander, turmeric and chilli powder to the onion-tomato masala. Stir and cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant. The spices should be fried in the oil, not just warmed through.

   Cooking the spices in oil (called 'blooming') releases their fat-soluble flavour compounds and eliminates raw spice taste.

5. 5

   Add spinach and paneer

   Pour the spinach puree into the masala. Stir well to combine. Simmer for 3–4 minutes. Add cream and kasuri methi (crush between your palms before adding to release aroma). Adjust salt. Gently fold in the fried paneer cubes and simmer 2 more minutes.

6. 6

   Serve

   Serve with hot naan, roti or basmati rice. A swirl of cream and a pinch of garam masala on top makes for a restaurant-style presentation.

Variations

• •

  Saag Paneer vs Palak Paneer: saag uses a mix of greens (mustard leaves, spinach) while palak uses pure spinach. Saag is earthier and more intensely flavoured.

• •

  Palak Chicken: replace paneer with diced chicken thighs, cooking them through in the masala before adding spinach.

• •

  Palak Kofta: roll paneer and potato into balls, deep-fry, and serve in the spinach sauce.

Storage

Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freezes well for up to 2 months (the paneer texture changes slightly but remains pleasant). Reheat gently with a splash of water, adding cream at the end.

Frequently Asked Questions