Easy Palak Paneer Recipe

5 from 5 votes

Easy Palak Paneer Recipe

Creamy restaurant-style Palak Paneer recipe with the TASTIEST sauce. Try this easy authentic spinach curry and find out why everyone loves it!

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Indian

Keyword: Palak Paneer, Paneer Recipes

Servings:

Author: Jennifer Pallian BSc, RD

Ingredients

For Paneer

12 oz paneer cut in 1/2 inch cubes
1 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp kosher salt divided use

For the Spinach Curry

4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
2 cups chopped onion
1 tbsp finely grated ginger
2 tbsp minced garlic
2 tsp cumin seeds or 1 tsp ground cumin powder
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp curry powder or fenugreek
¼ tsp cayenne pepper or kashmiri chilli powder
¼ tsp turmeric
½ cup diced tomato
¾ cup water
1 lb spinach fresh or frozen
Drizzle of heavy cream optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prepare the paneer:

Place paneer in a bowl and stir in lemon juice and ½ tsp of the salt. Let stand at room temperature while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

Prepare the sauce:

Heat oil in a large pot on medium. Add onion and ½ tsp of the salt. Cook it until it's soft and golden.
Add ginger and garlic. You want them fragrant, which takes about a minute.
Now, add the cumin, garam masala, curry powder, cayenne and turmeric powder. Cook this mixtture for another minute, until fragrant.
Add tomato and cook for another minute. Add water and remaining 1 tsp of salt; bring to a simmer.
Add spinach in batches, letting one handful wilt before adding another. (If using frozen spinach, just put a lid on the pan and wait for it to thaw.)
Carefully transfer this mixture to the blender (or use an immersion blender). Puree until smooth.

Finish the curry

Transfer the sauce back to the pan and bring it to a simmer.
Add the paneer and stir gently to combine. Simmer until paneer is heated through. Add a drizzle of cream, if desired.

**For blanched spinach variation (see notes)

Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with ice and cold water.
Place the spinach in a large, heat-proof bowl. Pour boiling water over the spinach and let it stand until the wilted.
Pour into a colander to drain, then immediately scrape into the ice bath.
Once cooled, drain the spinach again, pressing out any excess moisture using a spatula, and discarding ice cubes. Add the drained spinach to the blender with the tomato-spice mixture.

Video

Notes

**Blanched Spinach Variation

If you want your Palak Paneer to have a bright green color (as pictured) and/or less bitterness, you can blanch it and shock it in ice water after wilting it.

Nutrition