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Punjabi · Indian

Palak paneer

Vegetarian

पालक पनीर · palak paneer

Cubes of soft paneer in a smooth, bright green spinach sauce spiced with ginger, garlic and garam masala and finished with a little cream.

Palak paneer is a Punjabi curry from India, ready in about 40 minutes and made with spinach and paneer. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Top view of traditional Indian Palak Paneer garnished with cream and vegetables.
Photo: Kiran More / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
15 min
Cook
25 min
Total
40 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
344

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Blanch the spinach (opens in a new tab) in a large pan of boiling water for 1–2 minutes until wilted, then drain and plunge into cold water to keep it green. Squeeze lightly and blend to a smooth purée with a splash of water.

  2. Step 2

    Heat the ghee (opens in a new tab) in a frying pan over medium heat, add the cumin (opens in a new tab) and let it sizzle, then fry the onion (opens in a new tab) until soft and light golden.

    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Add the garlic (opens in a new tab), ginger and green chilli (opens in a new tab) for a minute, then the tomato (opens in a new tab), ground coriander (opens in a new tab), garam masala (opens in a new tab) and salt. Cook until the tomato breaks down.

    • 5 min
    • medium heat

  4. Step 4

    Stir in the spinach (opens in a new tab) purée and simmer gently for 3–4 minutes. Add the paneer (opens in a new tab) and kasuri methi (opens in a new tab) and warm through without boiling hard.

    • 5 min
    • medium-low heat

  5. Step 5

    Stir in the cream, taste for salt and serve hot.

    • 1 min
    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
North India, India · Commonly attributedAlso popular in PakistanMore food from India
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Curries · Main courses
Cooking method
Blanched, Blended, Simmered
Taste
savoury, creamy, earthy, spicy (chilli heat)
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Keto-style · Low-carb
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Keto-style · Low-carb · Calorie-conscious
With the listed swaps: Vegan, Plant-based, Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday
Cook more with
Spinach · Paneer · Ghee · Cumin · Onion · Garlic
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering · Blanching · Wet grinding · Emulsification

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom ghee, paneer, heavy cream

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

344 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 276 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 18%
  • Carbohydrate 15%
  • Fat 67%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy344 kcal125 kcal
Protein16.4 g5.9 g
Carbohydrate13.5 g4.9 g
Net carbohydrate9.2 g3.3 g
Sugars4.5 g1.6 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre4.3 g1.6 g
Fat26.5 g9.6 g
Saturated fat14.9 g5.4 g
Trans fat0.7 g0.2 g
Cholesterol73 mg26 mg
Sodium1014 mg367 mg
Salt equivalent2.5 g0.9 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
964 mg
Calcium
514 mg
Iron
4.3 mg
Magnesium
129 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
843 µg
Vitamin C
50 mg
Vitamin D
1.9 µg
Vitamin B12
1.1 µg
Folate (DFE)
259 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: dried fenugreek leaves.
  • Garam masala: Curry powder (FDC 170924) used as a stand-in; both are ground blends of similar dried spices used in teaspoon amounts.
  • Paneer: Queso fresco (FDC 172223) used as a stand-in: both are fresh, acid-set, unaged cheeses with similar fat and protein.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Soak the paneer cubes in hot salted water for 10 minutes to make them extra soft.
  • Do not over-cook after adding the spinach purée or it will turn olive green.

Common mistakes

  • Blanching spinach too long, which dulls the colour and flavour.

Serve with

  • Serve with roti, naan or jeera rice.

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days refrigerated. Freezing makes the paneer slightly crumbly.

Reheating

  • Reheat gently with a splash of water or milk.

Variations

  • Sarson ka saag (India): A Punjabi winter dish of slow-cooked mustard greens and spinach, eaten with maize-flour roti.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

  • Spinach, washed, thick stems removed500 g
  • Ghee2 tbsp · 27 g
  • Tomato, finely chopped1 piece · 120 g
  • Paneer, cut into 2 cm cubes250 g
Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4

Masalas in this recipe

Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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