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Palak Paneer Indian Spinach and Cheese Curry

Palak paneer is a delicious Northern Indian vegetarian curry with a spiced pureed spinach sauce or gravy and big chunks of Indian cheese.

This curry needs blending, so it does create a bit of washing up, but it is very easy and can be prepared and cooked in around 30 minutes.

Palak paneer, Indian spinach curry garnished with red onion and cream served with naan bread.

Spinach and Paneer Cheese Curry

I’ve been a curry fiend for as long as I can remember, but I was a much later convert to paneer, which I viewed with scepticism in my younger years.

But I am a convert as the huge number of recipes I have using the fresh Indian “cottage” cheese demonstrates.

I’ve got dishes like matar paneer, shahi paneer, paneer tikka kebabs, paneer salad and paneer tikka masala recipes.

If you want something a little different you must check out my chanar dalna recipe and Malai kofta recipes. Both are curries that star fried potato and paneer meatballs and they are filthy good!

Palak paneer really is the archetypal Indian spinach curry as far as I am concerned.

Creamy mild fresh Indian “cottage” cheese in a generously spiced rich and thick creamy spinach gravy. Unlike some palak paneer recipes, mine contains no cream in the sauce.

Green chillies, a single tomato onion and garlic are joined by curry leaves, fenugreek, garam masala, coriander and turmeric… oh yes and spinach of course. Lots and lots of spinach!

If paneer is not your thing then I have a palak chicken curry too.

Close-up overhead palak paneer, Indian spinach curry garnished with red onion and cream.

Frequently Asked Questions

I can’t find paneer in the shops what can I do?

Paneer is really available in many of the UK’s larger supermarkets and almost ubiquitous in Indian and Pakistani food stores.

But don’t worry if you can’t find paneer in your local shop because it is easy to make at home. Homemade paneer needs two ingredients, milk or cream and vinegar, I make mine in an Instant Pot.

What sort of spinach should I use?

Big mature spinach leaves are best because they have more flavour, but they are tricky to find.

As a result, I usually make this with baby spinach as it is “always” available. You can use frozen spinach but you need a lot of it and the varying water content makes it very difficult for me to give a “guide”.

What is the difference between saag and palak?

Palak explicitly refers to spinach whereas saag means greens, which could mean spinach but not necessarily.

I find some spinach dishes bitter, what am I doing wrong?

Bitterness can be an issue when cooking with spinach. It is a sensation that is caused by oxalic acid and it becomes more pronounced the longer the spinach is cooked.

I have seen people advise adding sugar which is a combination I am not keen on. The most important thing to do is to keep the cooking of the spinach to an absolute minimum in the initial phase.

You should also avoid boiling the sauce in the second phase when you are heating through the panner.

Can I make this sauce in advance?

No, reheating this sauce will dull the beautiful colour of a classic palak paneer and also increase the bitter/metallic flavour in the dish.

Overhead palak paneer, Indian spinach curry garnished with red onion and cream served with naan bread.

Serving Suggestions

That thick and rich palak paneer gravy just cries out for flatbread, my preference is to add my tandoori naan bread, but it works just as well with a chapati or two.

Despite being a palak paneer without cream recipe I do like to add a swirl of cream for presentation. I also like to add thinly sliced red onion, the sweet astringent flavour is a great match.

On occasion, I also like to add kachumber salad on the side!

If you want to make the dish more substantial, palak paneer is awesome with rice whether plainly boiled or pilau rice.

Alternatively, serve this with my roast Bombay potatoes or my aloo methi fry for a more substantial meal. That rich and thick palak paneer sauce is stunning with potatoes!

Close-up palak paneer, Indian spinach curry garnished with red onion and cream.

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

  • Stovetop.
  • 28cm or 11″ saucepan with a lid.
  • Blender.
  • Chopping board.
  • Kitchen knife.
  • Stirring and serving spoons.
  • A combination of weighing scales, measuring jug, cups and spoons.
Palak paneer, Indian spinach and cheese curry garnished with red onion and cream.

Palak Paneer Step-by-Step Photos.

  1. Heat oil in a large saucepan once hot add onion, garlic, ginger, chillies and curry leaves cook for 5-7 minutes stirring occasionally. 
    Palak Paneer process shots 1 of 17Palak Paneer process shots 2 of 17
  2. Reduce the heat to medium-low add the tomato, garam masala, ground coriander, and turmeric, give it a stir and cook for 1 minute.
    Palak Paneer process shots 3 of 17Palak Paneer process shots 4 of 17
  3. Pour the water and the salt to the saucepan and cook for 5 minutes.
    Palak Paneer process shots 5 of 17Palak Paneer process shots 6 of 17
  4. Add the spinach add a lid and wilt the spinach for about 2-3 minutes.
    Palak Paneer process shots 7 of 17Palak Paneer process shots 8 of 17Palak Paneer process shots 9 of 17
  5. Add the spinach mix to a blender and blend to a smooth sauce.
    Palak Paneer process shots 10 of 17Palak Paneer process shots 11 of 17
  6. Return the spinach sauce to a saucepan, add the cubed paneer cook on low for 3-5 minutes.
    Palak Paneer process shots 12 of 17Palak Paneer process shots 13 of 17Palak Paneer process shots 14 of 17
  7. Crumble in the fenugreek add lemon juice to taste stir, warm through and serve.
    Palak Paneer process shots 15 of 17Palak Paneer process shots 16 of 17Palak Paneer process shots 17 of 17
Palak paneer, Indian spinach and cheese curry garnished with red onion and cream.
Yield: 2 Servings

Indian Palak Paneer Recipe

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

A palak paneer is a classic mild vegetarian curry from Northern India that features spinach and young fresh cheese, it's both easy and quick to make too!

Ingredients

  • 200g (7oz) Paneer
  • 350g (9-10 Packed Cups) Spinach
  • 75g (½ Cup) Onion
  • 4 Garlic Cloves
  • 35g (Thumb Sized Piece) Ginger
  • 1 Medium Tomato
  • 6 Curry Leaves
  • 2 Green Chilli Peppers
  • 1 Tsp Ground Coriander
  • 1 Tsp Garam Masala
  • ½ Tsp Turmeric
  • ½ Tsp Salt (Add more if you want)
  • 250ml (1 Cup) Water
  • ½ Tbsp Dried Fenugreek
  • 1 Tbsp Cooking Oil
  • Lemon Juice to taste

Instructions

  1. Peel the onion, garlic and ginger and roughly chop them.
  2. Remove the stem from the green chilli and give it a rough chop.
  3. Heat the oil in a large (28cm or 11") saucepan over a medium heat.
  4. Add the onion, garlic and ginger along with the chillies and curry leaves and fry for 5-7 minutes or until the onions soften and start to colour stirring occasionally.
  5. Cut the tomato into a 1cm (½") dice.
  6. Chop the paneer into a 2-2.5cm (¾-1") dice.
  7. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the tomato, garam masala, ground coriander, and turmeric and stir for 1 minute.
  8. Pour in the water and salt, then cook for 5 minutes.
  9. Pack in the spinach add a lid and cook until the spinach has completely wilted (2-3 minutes).
  10. Transfer the spinach to a blender and blend to form a smooth gravy adding more water if required.
  11. Return the spinach gravy to a pan (you can use the same pan if you wish, I prefer to move to a smaller pan) and have a taste adding more salt if required.
  12. Drop in the diced paneer and reheat gently for 3-4 minutes.
  13. Crush the dried fenugreek into the curry and lemon juice to taste, stir and serve.

If you like visual guides when you are cooking, I have step-by-step process photos just above this recipe and a video just below the recipe.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 595Total Fat: 41gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 1681mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 8gSugar: 10gProtein: 32g

Calorific details are provided by a third-party application and are to be used as indicative figures only.

Did you make this recipe?

If you made this recipe, I'd love to see what you did and what I can do better, share a picture with me on Instagram and tag me @krumplibrian and tell me how it went!

Chris Mc.

Wednesday 4th of August 2021

Hi there, great recipe. You forgot to mention how much curry leaves to add. Would you be able to let me know? I'm itching to make it again!

Chris Mc.

Thursday 5th of August 2021

@Brian Jones, Thank you very much! Delicious recipe and planning on making it again within a day or two. Thank you!

Brian Jones

Thursday 5th of August 2021

Hi Chris... Sorry about the delay in the response, you caught me mid international move, I have updated the recipe bt the answer is 6 :)

Brian

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