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Bowl of Palak Paneer Indian spinach curry with fresh herbs and spices

Palak Paneer

A delightful Indian dish that blends fresh spinach with creamy paneer, creating a flavorful and nourishing meal.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Calories: 400
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Paneer
  • 1 batch homemade Paneer (Indian fresh cheese) Recipe linked below
For Cooking
  • 60 g ghee or unsalted butter for pan frying
  • 1.5 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 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp ginger, finely grated (20g)
  • 2 tomatoes peeled, seeded, and diced Note 4
  • 1 green chilli finely sliced (cayenne) Note 5
  • 700 g fresh spinach leaves (English spinach) thoroughly washed and roughly chopped (~9 cups very tightly packed) (Note 6)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1/3 cup cream (pure, heavy or thickened)
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Melt the ghee or unsalted butter in a large pot over medium heat.
  2. Add the finely chopped onions, fenugreek seeds, ground cumin, ground coriander, salt, and black pepper, and sauté for about 3 minutes until the onions soften but do not turn golden.
  3. Add the finely chopped garlic and freshly grated ginger, cooking for an additional 2 minutes.
  4. Add the peeled, seeded, and diced tomatoes along with the finely sliced green chili. Allow this mixture to cook for 3 more minutes over medium heat.
Cooking Spinach
  1. Add about a third of the spinach to the pot. Stir and allow it to wilt down, continuing until all the spinach is wilted.
  2. Keep the pot on medium heat and allow it to cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Adding Cream & Blending
  1. Pour in the cream and lemon juice, stirring gently, and let it cook for about 3 minutes.
  2. Remove half the spinach mixture into a tall container and blend it into a smooth purée using a stick blender.
  3. Pour the pureed spinach back into the pot and stir to combine it with the remaining spinach.
Preparing Paneer
  1. Cut the homemade paneer into 1.25 cm thick slices and then into approximately 2.5 cm x 2 cm x 1.25 cm pieces.
  2. In a non-stick pan, melt half the ghee or butter over medium-high heat and cook half the paneer for about 1 to 1.5 minutes until it’s lightly golden. Repeat with the remaining paneer.
Final Assembly
  1. Gently stir the golden pan-fried paneer into the rich spinach mixture.

Notes

For a deeper flavor, add a pinch of garam masala while cooking the cream. You can swap out the cream for yogurt for a lighter version. Adjust the heat by modifying the amount of green chili. Ensure your spinach is well washed.