Palak paneer is one of the most wholesome and comforting dishes that I grew up eating. It’s one of the most popular paneer recipes made with spinach, paneer (Indian cottage cheese) and spices. I love eating my palak paneer with warm soft rotis, but it also pairs great with soft, pillowy garlic naan or jeera rice with a side of boondi raita. This is a simple homemade palak paneer, a version that my mom made often to make us all eat spinach!
Palak means spinach in Hindi and paneer is Indian cottage cheese, together they come together in this lush green curry that we all love. This recipe is very simple, and I would call it home style palak paneer recipe.
Palak Paneer is NOT Saag Paneer
People sometimes confuse the two together, but they are different. Saag refers to mixed greens so in saag paneer, mustard greens, spinach and few other greens are often used whereas palak is spinach (in Hindi) and so palak paneer is made only with spinach.
My version of simple Palak Paneer!
Everyone has their own way of making this dish. I started making it the way my mom used to make but over the years, I adapted it to my own style with more garlic and less spices. I don’t like overpowering my palak paneer with spices, this is a simple homestyle palak paneer that I make using simple ingredients and basic spices.
The curry is made of spinach puree, tomato, onion, ginger and garlic. I use lot of garlic because in my opinion spinach and garlic go well together. However, if you are not a fan, you may cut down on it or skip it altogether.
I often use my homemade paneer for this palak paneer recipe because homemade paneer is the softest paneer and works wonderfully well in this recipe.
Since spinach is little bitter, I also use some cream and sugar to cut the bitterness. Recently, I have started adding a few raw cashews to the spinach puree while grinding it- not many just 3 to 4 and the result in an even creamier palak paneer!
Here are some of my simple tips which make a big impact on the final dish!
- Use ice cold water to retain the bright green spinach color: after the spinach is blenched, transfer it immediately to ice cold water. This helps in retaining the color of the spinach.
- Pinch of baking soda also does the trick! You can also add a pinch of baking soda to the spinach puree while it’s cooking to retain the bright green spinach color.
- If you use store bought paneer to make this recipe, remember to soak it in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes and then use it in the recipe. The store-bought paneer will be soft then.
My husband will lick the plate clean when I make this palak paneer and it’s on repeat in my house throughout the year. Hope you enjoy!
Using frozen spinach
If you are using frozen spinach for this recipe, thaw the spinach according to instructions on the package, then squeeze out the extra water and then use it in the recipe. I would be careful about the amount of water when using frozen spinach. Start with less water than what’s mentioned in the recipe and then add water as and if needed.
Step by step instructions to make Palak Paneer
- Blanch the spinach first
It’s important to transfer the spinach leaves into cold water immediately, this helps in retaining the bright green color of the spinach.
- Then make a bright green spinach puree
Once the spinach leaves are blanched, puree them in a blender along with tomatoes, ginger, garlic and chilies into a green puree. You can also add 3 raw cashews at this point while making the puree (optional). If using cashews, soak them in hot water for 5-10 minutes before using.
- Double down on the garlic
I like using garlic twice in this recipe- first while blending the spinach leaves and then while cooking the gravy. Sauté the garlic and onions until soft and then add the prepared spinach puree into the pan.
- Spices go in next!
I like adding a few powdered spices to my palak paneer, adding sugar is optional but I recommend it. Touch of heavy cream helps in balancing the slightly bitter flavor of spinach.
- Add paneer at the end
Some people do pan fry their paneer, but I just end it at the end and then let the curry simmer for 2-3 minutes. I also squeeze some lemon juice at the end- it gives the palak paneer that bright, fresh flavor also the citrus also helps in absorbing the iron from the spinach when you eat it.
Vegan Palak Paneer
To make, this recipe vegan, use tofu (extra-firm please) in place of paneer and coconut cream or oat milk in place of heavy cream. Here’s a vegan version of palak paneer that I made several years ago from the archives.
Make Ahead Option
You can make this recipe in advance up to 2 days if you want to. Keep it refrigerated. And when it’s time to serve, heat it up well. You may need to add some water or milk to thin out the curry while re-heating since the spinach really thickens as it cools down.
Palak Paneer Recipe (From Scratch)
Ingredients
- 350 grams spinach
- 1 medium tomato
- 5 large garlic cloves, divided, 3 whole and 2 finely chopped
- 1 inch ginger
- 1 green chili, or more to taste
- 3 whole cashews, optional, raw, unsalted, soaked for 5 minutes in hot water
- 1 & ½ tablespoon oil, I used avocado oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- ½ cup water, or as needed
- ¾-1 teaspoon garam masala
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder, or to taste
- ¾ teaspoon salt, adjust to taste
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy cream, or adjust to taste
- 225 grams paneer, cut into cubes
- ½ tablespoon kasuri methi, crushed, dried fenugreek leaves
- lemon juice, to taste
Instructions
- To a pot of boiling water, add a little salt and then add 350 grams spinach leaves to it. Blanch the spinach leaves for 2 to 3 minutes until wilted. Take them out using a slotted spatula and put them in ice cold water. This helps the leaves in retaining their green color.
- Now, to a blender, add the blanched spinach (drain them before adding) along with 1 medium tomato, 3 garlic cloves, 1-inch ginger and 1 green chili. Puree to a smooth paste and set aside. Optional: you may add 3 raw cashews (unsalted) to this puree as well. Soak the cashews in hot water for 5 minutes before using in the recipe. This results in a creamier palak paneer.
- Heat a wide heavy bottom pan on medium heat. Once hot, add 1& ½ tablespoon oil and then add the remaining 2 garlic cloves (chopped). Sauté for a few minutes until it starts changing color.
- Then add 1 large onion (chopped). Cook the onion for 2 to 3 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Stir in the prepared spinach puree next and mix well. Also add around ½ cup water at this point. TIP: add a pinch of baking soda at this stage to retain the green spinach color in the curry. Cover the pan and let the gravy for 10 minutes on medium heat. The spinach will bubble a lot. Stir at regular intervals to avoid sticking at the bottom.
- Once the spinach is cooked, add ¾ teaspoon garam masala, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon red chilli powder and ¾ teaspoon salt (or to taste). Mix and cook for 1 minute. You may also add ½ teaspoon of sugar at this point, optional but recommended.
- Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream and mix. Stir in 225 grams paneer (cut into cubes) and mix. Let the curry simmer for 3 minutes on medium-low heat.
- Turn off the flame, and add ½ tablespoon kasuri methi and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice (you can add mor or less depending on taste).
Video
Notes
- If you like, you can pan-fry the paneer cubes (until golden brown) before adding them to the curry. Fry them in 1-2 teaspoons of oil until light golden brown in color and then use in the recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I’ve made this so many times this recipe is committed to memory. I figured now would be a good time to say thank you. 😊
welcome! 🙂
Will the bright green color be maintained if it is stored in the refrigerator for one day and served the next day? Or will it turn a bit darker?
it will turn darker
I see a lot of recipes for palak paneer call for cumin seed, have you used this spice before in this recipe? Some incorporated it with the base (onion, garlic, ginger, green chile).
you can absolutely use it, cumin seeds is one of the most commonly used spice in Indian recipes!
Hi Manalo, I’ve pinned quite a few of your recipes! I LOVE Indian food. I’m Filipino, but my lovely stepmother is from India. Growing up with her I ate homemade Indian food regularly. She has tried to teach me but I’m always forgetting the recipes. I’m so glad to have you because all your recipes are awesome. I’ll make sure to go back and rate the ones I’ve already made. I made this tonight with tofu instead and it was perfect. Better than restaurant food! So fresh and not skimping on any flavor. Thank you thank you!
Welcome Lexi, so glad to hear that!
Very happy I tried this recipe! Turned out great and certainly better than our local Indian restaurant. I cheated a bit to save time by using canned spinach puree. The finished dish was a bit heavy with onion and garlic so will use less next time. Didn’t bother with the cream or lemon juice but did add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of kasuri methi and a generous grating of black pepper. Will definitely make again. Served with gosht bhuna, dal makhani & naan bread.
Hello Manali- I tried this recipe (from another site). Want to try your recipe next, I love saag paneer. Had a problem with the paneer last time, it was dry and tasteless, was Gopi brand from Whole Foods. Are no Indian groceries anywhere near me. All I can think of is to make a journey to a distant store. Any other ideas you might have? Thank you so much.
did you try soaking the paneer in hot water for 20 minutes before using in the recipe? Try that, it will make it soft. Paneer doesn’t really have a taste of it’s own but it’s beauty is that it takes the taste of whatever it’s added to. That’s why it’s like a blank canvas and used in so many types of sauces and Indian recipes! You can try making your own at home if you want.
Hi, it really is very easy to make your own paneer…..it is worth it.
Great recipe
I have made it several times.
WOW! I just tried this recipe and it is unbelievably good!(although I forgot the tomato). I’m never buying this at a restaurant again -it is so easy to make and so much more delicious. Much lighter and fresher than a restaurant version too. Instant favourite!
so glad to hear that Melissa! Thanks for trying and the lovely feedback!
Great recipe. I had an abundance of silverbeet so used that instead of spinach and it worked well. Thanks!
Hi Manali , prepared this recipe today and my husband loved it. It was a hit. I dint add cream instead substituted with store bought coconut milk . Many Thanks to you.
Welcome Jay, glad to know!
So yum! Added mushrooms instead of paneer and worked perfectly!
I really enjoyed this recipe. I didn’t have the fenugreek either so I skipped that. It was very yummy. I can add this recipe to my own favorite menus.
I tossed a handful of cilantro leaf in the blender, added a great freshness.
Can you make this without boiling the spinach first?
yes but blanching helps in retaining the color and flavor of the spinach
Hi Manali !
Great reiepe, I tried cooking palak paneer for the first time tonight and it is great ! Thanks for sharing this
happy to hear!
Can i the paneer palak dish out overnight …without putting in the fridge..?
I am not sure what you mean? You mean you want to leave it on counter overnight? I would not recommend.
Is this a dish you can let sit on the stove to simmer for a few hours or is it best served right away?
it’s best served right away. But is fine later too
Can I leave out/substitute the kasuri methi? not a staple in our house and I try to avoid buying spices for single recipes 🙂
yes skip!
This is my favourite recipe. My daughter too. It is the best!!
glad to know!
If I sub yogurt or milk do I use an equal amount as if I were using cream?
yes
My spinach stays bright green through blanching/blender but turns dark green when I sauté at the end. Am I losing nutrients this way? Is the sauté step necessary?
I love this recipe and make it every month!
use ice cold water after blanching the spinach, that should help. You can also add a pinch of baking soda while cooking the spinach in the pan and that can help with color. Also if you skip the tomatoes, it will be more green, up to you if you want to do that!
Thanks!
What do you mean by one inch of ginger? Like a one inch cube?
1-inch in length, around 11-12 grams, hope that helps!
I used frozen spinach, very convenient, eh? An excellent recipe. Will make again.
It’s delicious, thanks for the recipe. I’ve never tried making it before (never even put spinach in a blender before!) I used Kashmiri chilli powder instead as I’m into that at the moment 🙂
Great recipe. I left out the spicy stuff for the first time but I think it would have been better with a little kick. Easy to follow recipe and turned out amazing. Thanks!
Perfect, no need to go to expensive restaurants any longer. Thanks for this
You’re right, everyone has it’s own way to make Palak Paneer. I don’t blanch the spinach to make this recipe.
Thanks for such a detailed recipe, which is easy for everyone to make it.
Thank you! I am definitely going to try this, but I want to use thawed, frozen spinach to avoid the extra step of blanching the spinach. I hope that’s not a sacrilege!
it should be fine
Thanks
This is a perfect recipe, thank you. I used serrano peppers, not sure what is best, but they worked well.
Got rare reviews from all .
DELICIOUS I’ve been searching for a good palak paneer recipe, fantastic on first try.
Just wondering what cheese I could use instead of paneer. Not sure where I can buy paneer? Can you buy it in an Australian supermarket?
queso fresco maybe? make sure it’s the firm kind. In US, we do find paneer at American supermarkets as well and of course all Indian grocery stores have them.
Yes. You get paneer in indian supermarkets. You can check for lemnos brand paneer in Woolworths. But I like Sharma brand paneer (Indian stores in Australia should have it). It is best. You could also try with tofu (may be medium or hard)
You can buy it at Coles and Woolworths
Love it and so easy.
Hi! Question.. after blanching the spinach, should you ring out the water before blending it?
yes remove water then blend
Hello! How many cups of spinach would equal 350 grams please?
maybe 12-13 cups? I am just guessing
It was my first attempt with this dish, together with yummy Jeera Rice, from the same page. My guests were impressed, said it tastes like in a restaurant 🥰. I followed the receipt thoroughly (make sure to soak that paneer 😉 except I didn’t use chili and lemon. And I only had fenugreek in powder form, so added it together with the Garam Masala. For cream I used coconut milk. One of the best recipes ever. Mouth-watering! I think for this recipe the ingredients are very important. Ideally, fresh from the market. Thank you Manali!!!
so glad!
I see the recipe calls for a green chili. Is that a jalapeno? Can’t wait to try this!
you can use jalapeno
This is fantastic! I substituted tofu for the paneer and coconut milk for the cream to make it vegan, and my son and I agree: we have a new favorite recipe. Thanks, Manali!
Hello! Should I still soak the paneer in hot water if I plan on pan frying it? And do you soak it whole or in pieces? Excited to try this recipe tonight!! 🙂
yes you should, store bought paneer should be soaked for 20 minutes or so for better texture. Soak, then drain the water, pat dry the paneer and then pan fry
Thank you, thank you! Will let you know how it goes!
This is my go to recipe for palak paneer. Mouthwatering, delicious taste with every bite.
I paired it with homemade butter garlic naans and OMG..
Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Welcome Siann!
Tried this recipe now. Very tasty! 🙂
Can you share your naan recipe?
https://www.cookwithmanali.com/restaurant-style-garlic-naan/
Does blanching the spinach impact the flavor? What if we skipped that step and puréed raw spinach?
yes it does impact the flavor, also helps in keeping the spinach green.
One of our favourite recipes at home, thank you for the easy to follow method and recipe Manali!
welcome!
Very new to Indian cooking. This was so easy and so delicious. Will be making again! Spinach was a little bitter for me so opted for the sugar addition.
This recipe is absolutely delicious. I followed the instructions exactly and wouldn’t change a thing. The paneer I used I made myself. A gallon of milk makes over a pound of paneer and is very easy to do. Thank you Manali.
I’m vegan, so I made the vegan version, however my daughter can’t have onion or garlic, so I used the green part of the spring onion (she can’t have the white part) and some garlic oil. It was delicious. Thank you.
Can u please share the recipe of warra pao i have no idea how to make it
you mean vada pav? here it is: https://www.cookwithmanali.com/vada-pav/
I’m curious to know how your daughter can tolerate garlic oil if she can’t eat garlic? And what’s the difference between the green and white parts of spring onions, aside from the intensity of flavour of course.
Hi Manali, do you think it will be good if I omit the onion and garlic and use hing instead?
you may, I love the garlic & onion though
I always use this recipe when I want Palak Paneer. Not much of a cook myself but I am able to make this delicious recipe when my wife is tried from work. Thanks for a sample yet delicious paneer recipe.
Thanks for the feedback 🙂
I have tried this recipe many times and it tastes delicious every time. Super easy to make, with just a few ingredients, this Palak paneer can be served at home at dinner time or for a gathering as well. Thanks Manali.
Hi! I’m planning on making this but I cannot find fenugreek. I may be able to get fenugreek seed. Will that work? Or can I omit or substitute for something else?
Thanks!!
skip don’t replace the fenugreek leaves with seeds, very different things!
Love your recipes and the description of why you use and how.
Hi Manali…… thank you for sharing this recipe. I tried it and came out well, everyone in my family liked it. Keep sharing your delicious recipe and God Bless you. Cheers, Susan
I am glad to hear that Susan, thanks for trying and your lovely feedback 🙂
Hello Manali,
Wonderful recipe . Just a question. What can I substitute for heavy cream as I do not always have that in my house . Thanks
substitute with yogurt or whole milk. Or at times you can also cook few cashews along with the spinach (around 5-6) and grind it along with the spinach. that will make it creamy.
I use canned coconut milk when we don’t have cream and it works well!