Palak Paneer is the ultimate and best-known Indian spinach curry, made with golden pan-fried pieces of cheese (paneer). For a recipe this special, I can’t endorse shortcuts. This version is made entirely from scratch – including the paneer cheese!
And … while we’re at it, welcome to Indian Week here at RecipeTin Eats!!
🌶 Welcome to Indian week!! 🌶
Palak Paneer is a recipe I’ve been busting to nail for years now. I’m thrilled it’s finally ready to share with you. So to celebrate, I’ve decided to declare this week as Indian week!
This week there will be three brand new, iconic Indian recipes to make your very own Indian feast:
Palak Paneer – This recipe, including homemade paneer (the cheese!)
Naan – Finally, finally, finally! FIVE YEARS in the making!
Samosas – Oh yes we did … and it’s AMAZING!!!
Plus a colourful side salad – a Cabbage & Carrot Thoran-style Salad!
Note the extreme and excessive use of exclamation marks here … a small indicator of the level of excitement and work that has gone into these recipes. I hope you enjoy them!
Palak Paneer
While there are many curries across the Indian subcontinent made with spinach, none are probably as well-known across the world as Palak Paneer – a dish of chunks of a fresh cottage cheese, called paneer, swimming in a lush sauce made with fresh spinach. The spinach gives the sauce a naturally thick and creamy consistency, and palak paneer’s signature deep, jungle-green hue.
This is one of the milder Indian curries out there, both in heat and spice intensity. The gentle spicing from fenugreek, cumin and coriander plays well with the delicate spinach flavour, without overwhelming it. Meanwhile, the paneer are like little creamy sponges that suck up all those tasty flavours in the sauce!
Admittedly, I used to think palak paneer was kind of boring – until I realised I’d never really had a great one. This curry is anything but dull when done right. It’s unique among curries with its creamy green sauce. It’s full of nourishing goodness and is packed with layers of flavour. And it’s completely vegetarian to boot.
This is a curry that can honestly please just about everyone. Whether it’s kids or card-carrying carnivores, I challenge you to find someone who’ll turn their nose up to palak paneer when it’s this good!
What you need for Palak Paneer
The two components of Palak Paneer are:
Paneer – The fresh Indian cheese – we’re making it from scratch (it’s easy!); and
Spinach Curry Sauce – Made with fresh spinach. LOTS of it!!!
1. Paneer – Fresh Indian Cheese
These days, you can buy it – but I implore you, don’t! While homemade paneer does take a bit of time to make, it’s simple. It’s just milk and lemon, and you don’t need any special equipment. Most importantly, it is far superior to store-bought paneer.
Store-bought paneer is hard and dry and kind of spongey. It’s more like bad feta in texture than what paneer should be. Homemade Paneer on the other hand is soft and creamy, and true delight to eat!
This is all you need to make homemade Paneer: just milk and lemon juice or vinegar.
I’ve posted the recipe for How to Make Paneer separately for ease of reading.
As well as better results, you will get an enormous sense of satisfaction from making your own cheese!
2. Spinach Curry (Palak)
Here’s what you need for the Spinach Curry:
PLUS, of course, SPINACH!!
You need a LOT of spinach to make Spinach Curry. Like seriously, A LOT. As in five BIG bunches to yield 700g/1.4lb of leaves in total. Yes.
You will need to pick the leaves, wash and dry them, then chop them.
I’m not going to lie – I was over this job by the 5th (6th? 7th?) batch of palak paneer.
And I know, I know. The first thing you’re wondering is easier alternatives. Frozen spinach? Bags of pre washed baby spinach? I tried ’em all. It’s not the same, believe me – more on this below!
Easier spinach options – but why they also fall short
I was never going to publish Palak Paneer without trying out more convenient spinach alternatives! Here’s what I found:
Baby spinach – Handy dandy, wouldn’t it be, if we could just use big bags of pre-washed baby spinach? Regretfully, the result was barely passable. Baby spinach is just too delicate, so you just don’t end up with any texture in the sauce at all. It also has very little spinach flavour. We ended up looking at what appeared like a pot of green smoothie. It was just sad – and barely edible….
Frozen spinach – This works, but you end up with about 1/3 of the final curry quantity! It also has a diluting effect on flavours which you need to account for.
To achieve the same flavour as per written recipe, use 250g/8oz frozen spinach in place of 700g/1.4lb of fresh spinach leaves. Add thawed frozen spinach in place of fresh spinach, including the excess water leeched by the thawed spinach, and only cook for 3 minutes. Proceed with recipe.
Essentially, frozen spinach is 3 times more densely packed than cooked down fresh spinach which is why you end up with so much less. Also, the sauce will be thicker and paler, and the spinach flavour is not quite as pronounced. But it’s still very tasty – you just wind up with a LOT less!!
How to make Palak Paneer
The steps below depict the steps for making the Palak Paneer. See the process steps in the separate Paneer recipe for how to make the homemade cheese.
Paneer (homemade Indian fresh cheese) – Firstly, make the Paneer. We need one batch per the paneer recipe here, which includes process steps and recipe video. It calls for 4 hours of setting in the fridge, so you will need to factor this in. It can be made up to 2 weeks ahead;
Onion and spices – The curry starts by sautéing onion with the spices, to coax the flavours from the spices. A large pot is the best cooking vessel – you’ll thank me when you get to the spinach part! The onion should be cooked until soft but not golden;
Garlic, ginger and tomato – Next we cook off the garlic and ginger. It will already be smelling amazing, now take it to another level!! Next, tomato. This essentially deglazes the pot (ie. loosens the tasty golden flavours stuck to the base of the pot) and adds a little body;
Wilt spinach – Then we add the spinach and cook it until wilted. You’ll need to add the spinach in 3 batches. That is: Add, wilt. Add, wilt. And so on, until all the spinach is in. Continue to cook it for 10 minutes more to soften;
Cream and lemon juice are then added and cooked for 3 minutes. The cream adds a touch of richness, but not too much. Meanwhile the lemon brings a touch of welcome freshness and some backbone tang;
Blitz half – Remove half the spinach mixture, puree using a stick blender and return into the pot. I like to puree just half so as to retain some texture in the sauce. You will find some recipes, and even some restaurants, puree the sauce completely. I personally don’t enjoy that texture – it’s too much like a smoothie! Having some spinach texture in the sauce is so much more pleasant and interesting;
Stir in pureed spinach – The sauce should be quite thick now;
Pan-fry paneer – Pan-fry the paneer in ghee or butter until golden. Colour = flavour, and paneer is no exception to this rule! The added bonus is that the paneer holds together better once pan-fried so you don’t need to handle it as delicately when stirred into the curry;
Add golden paneer into the Spinach Curry; then
Gently stir – and you’re done! Note the sauce is deliberately quite thick, it’s not as loose as other curries like Butter Chicken. But nor should it be so thick that it’s like a paste. If it’s too thick, add a tablespoon of water at a time to loosen it up, taking care not to dilute the flavour.
Serve with Basmati Rice, or add a side of fluffy, bubbly and buttery naan which is coming your way on Wednesday. Though if you’re out of yeast / don’t have rising time, whip up a quick batch of Easy No Yeast Flatbreads, which is my handy backup to real naan!
As a general note, in case you are wondering (because I was!), Palak Paneer is more spinach curry and less paneer. I always had it in my head that there was loads more Paneer in it, but actually, there isn’t heaps. I realise now that it’d be too much of a good thing if there was any more paneer, and this way the sauce really shines as the the other star of the show as much as the paneer.
If you do want more cheese – and I really don’t blame you – just scale up the Paneer recipe. It’s no more effort to make more!
Serve with …
Just to restate, it’s Indian Week here on RecipeTin Eats!! This week I’m sharing a series of brand new Indian recipes so you can make your very own Indian feast.
This Wednesday, I’ll be sending you it’s the most magical naan recipe of your life – fluffy and chewy and bubbly, as it should be plus an incredible Indian Thoran-Style Cabbage Salad I’ve been eating obsessively all week.
And on Friday, we have SAMOSAS!!! I’m so thrilled about this one. These little babies are completely irresistible!
I hope you enjoy this week’s recipe bounty as much as I have creating, photographing and filming them!! All the washing up involved on the other hand – not so much … 😂 – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Palak Paneer – Indian Spinach Curry with Homemade Fresh Cheese
Ingredients
Homemade Paneer (Note 1):
- 1 batch homemade Paneer (Indian fresh cheese; recipe linked below)
- 30g / 2 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter (for pan frying, Note 2)
Palak Paneer:
- 30g/2 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter (Note 2)
- 1 1/2 onions , finely chopped (brown or yellow)
- 1 tsp fenugreek seeds (whole) (Note 3)
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 3/4 tsp salt , kosher/cooking salt (if using table salt, reduce by 1/4 tsp)
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 garlic cloves , finely chopped
- 2 tsp ginger , finely grated (20g)
- 2 tomatoes , peeled, seeded and diced (Note 4)
- 1 green chilli , finely sliced (cayenne, Note 5)
- 700g/ 1.4lb fresh spinach leaves (English spinach) , thoroughly washed and roughly chopped (~9 cups very tightly packed) (Note 6)
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp cream (pure, heavy or thickened)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Saute onion & spices: Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, fenugreek, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes until onion is softened but not golden.
- Add garlic and ginger, cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the tomato and chilli, cook for 3 minutes on a medium heat.
- Add spinach: Add about 1/3 of the spinach – or as much as you can handle in the pot (!) – and stir until wilted. Then add more spinach along with the water, cook again until wilted. Repeat until all the spinach is wilted.
- Cook 10 minutes: Cook, stirring every now and then, for 10 minutes still on a medium heat.
- Cream & lemon: Add the cream and lemon juice. Cook, stirring gently, for 3 minutes.
- Puree half spinach: Remove half the spinach into a tall container and blend it to a puree using a stick blender. Pour pureed spinach back into the pot, and stir to combine.
- Add Pan Fried Paneer: Gently stir in golden pan-fried paneer (see below). Stir gently to mix through.
- Serve over basmati rice with fluffy, chewy homemade naan on the side!
Golden Pan-Fried Paneer (Note 8):
- Cut paneer into 1.25cm / ½" thick slices. Then cut each slice into 2.5cm x 2 x 1.25cm thick pieces / 1 x ⅘" x ½" pieces – approximately!
- Melt half the ghee or butter in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
- Place half the paneer in the pan and cook for 1 – 1 1/2 minutes until light golden – I tend to make it deep golden because colour = more flavour, but traditional is just a hint of gold Turn, then cook the other side until light golden.
- Remove onto paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with remaining butter and paneer. Use per recipe.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Wishing he was down there instead of up here…. (PS Is it just me or does his rump look rather large?? He’ll blame the camera. I’ll blame the Carrot Cake Cupcakes).
Loved this recipe, I accidently added fennel seeds instead of fenugreek but was still delicious. I used shop bought paneer and didn’t have cream so added coconut cream and it was great! Didnt have enough fresh spinach so did fresh and frozen. Love how versatile your recipes are and how easy it is to sub items and still be confident in the outcome!
Hello!
Looking forward to making this recipe – if I use store bought paneer, how many ounces are needed for this recipe? Thanks!
Hi Nagy,
Firstly thank you!!!
I used your Palak Paneer recipe last night (the only diff was I omitted the lemon juice) & used coles paneer & it was the best palak paneer my family have ever had. Hands down better than any version from a restaurant!!
You are our ‘go to’ for any recipes we are looking for & we use your recipes all the time. They are always so easy to follow & always work out just as they look on your site.
I also want to take a moment to also thank you for the work you did in the early days of the covid pandemic, when you organised donations & coordinated food deliveries to our our Sydney hospitals to feed the hard working teams there & keep restaurants in business! My son was & is one of those doctors who benefited & we will forever be grateful for all your hard work.
Thank you for all that you do !!😘
Oh Suzie – thank you and thank you to your son for his hard work and for being on the frontline – what a rockstar! N x
Hi Nagi
Apologies, I just realises I spelt your name wrong in my previous comment. So sorry.
I followed the recipe almost to the letter. Really delicious thank you.
Really enjoyed this recipe. Mine was not as “green” as in the post – as if I’d added too much cream (which I didn’t)
Bit of work but enjoyed.
I am glad you enjoyed it! N x
Please don’t expel me from your fan list for this, but I have just one word to say….silverbeet.
We produce a ridiculous amount of this every season, and have take to picking, cooking and freezing it in bags. Like 70 bags. So please excuse me for throwing silverbeet at every recipe I find.
It works well in saag, as it retains a little acidity even after freezing, and it’s not bland. The fenugreek loves silverbeet too.
I add the silverbeet after the tomato has cooked off, then continue as instructed. Without deviating, I swear!
This is such an underrated comment! I’m definitely going to try now that my garden is also bursting with silverbeet! Can’t wait. Love your recipes, Nagi.
I think that sounds great! Texture would be slightly different though…I will have to try it! N x
This was a lot simpler than other recipes I’ve tried but it was so yummy. I will try making the paneer next time. This would be so nice with lamb too. Thank you for your step by step recipes and great tips. I can’t wait to purchase your cook book when it’s ready!
Love this recipe and it’s way simpler than some other’s that I’ve tried. Just wondering, will Greek yoghurt work in place of the cream?
It would change the flavour quite a lot and might be too sour or curdled…I haven’t tested it but I would stick with cream. N x
You’re awesome for making even the paneer from scratch (you’re a better Indian than I will ever be! ha ha).
Love this idea of a one-pot palak paneer. So much quicker than the traditional method of having to blanch the leaves in hot water, then dunk them in icy cold water and then puree them…it takes FOREVERRR and then the bloody washing up! Will defs give this a go.
I wouldn’t put fenugreek seeds in mine, but toasted dried fenugreek leaves (‘kasuri methi’ aka game changer!) available at Indian grocery stores.
This was SO GOOD. I looove spinach curries and this did not disappoint. Took me 30 min to prep the cheese and another 1.5 hours to prep, cook and clean up the rest (also made naan) but it was worth it! Next time I make this I could probably streamline the process to cut down time. Used ultra-pasteurized organic whole milk and 6 tbsp of lemon juice to make the cheese and it came out perfect. Never made cheese before so this was a fun learning experience. Used one Serrano pepper with the seeds removed and it provided just a teeny bit of spice, which was perfect for me since I can’t handle spicy food.
Decent recipe! Just a little tip for the best flavourful spinach from my dad (indian chef) – blanche the spinach leaves in hot water with a bit of bi-carb soda. Then strain and puree and add to the onion and spice mix. 🙂
Hi Nagi
Thank you for your amazing recipes! Will silverbeet work in lieu of English spinach? Thank you 🙂
Can I sub ground fenugreek for the seeds or does it not work well?
Hi SA, you can although the flavour is slightly different. I would use 1/4 tsp of ground fenugreek powder in its place. N x
Loved this recipe! I had a little trouble finding enough English spinach and tried three supermarkets! I was able to buy fenugreek seeds at Coles in the Indian section. Saag lamb is my favourite Indian curry so I made this with slow cooked lamb, and tossed through sauce at the end. Was sooooo delicious!!
Sounds divine Kath!!! N x
Can you 7se silverbeet instead of spinach?
This was sensational Nagi! I used chicken thighs instead of paneer, and it was Soooo Good! Thank you for always posting awesome delicious recipes!
Oooh, made a chicken saag curry, sounds lovely!
Hi Nagi – big fan of your recipes and was so excited when I saw you had a recipe for palak paneer as it is my absolute fav curry. One problem when I made this though – it was very bitter. Any ideas how to salvage this dish?
Hi Patricia, sounds like the spinach you had may of been bitter. Try using fresh young spinach, the longer it’s left and the older it is, the more bitter it becomes. N x
Delicious and easy recipe. My 6 year old son and I love Indian food (and are of Indian descent). He said this was better than the saag paneer we order from our favorite restaurant. I didn’t have the patience to make paneer so just cubed and golden fried some extra firm tofu instead. It was a great sub and the dish came out fantastic.
This recipe was so delicious. I used purchased paneer but I still got a great flavour and it was well worth the time it took too pick all the spinach leaves. I can’t wait to make it again but it’s probably best saved for weekend cooking if you’re short on time through the week. DELICIOUS!!
This was lovely. I originally wanted to make the paneer but due to time I bought the paneer but next time will make it from scratch. I didn’t purée the spinach as I liked the rustic look. Husband asked where the meat was but after eating it asked for more and said he loved it and couldn’t wait to have it again.
You’ve converted him now Natalie!!! I love this! N x