Palak Paneer (Easy, Restaurant-Style)

Palak Paneer in a bowl with naan and rice, ready to be eaten

Palak Paneer (Easy, Restaurant-Style)

Palak Paneer, or Saag Paneer, is a restaurant-famous spinach and paneer curry. This recipe is crowd-pleasing with complex yet balanced, authentic flavor. It's also easy-to-follow, requires one pan if you skip pan-searing the paneer, and takes 50 minutes from start to finish! Tested to perfection!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indo-Chinese, Pakistani

Diet Halal, Vegetarian

Keyword palak paneer, saag paneer

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Total Time 50

Servings servings

Calories 440

Author Izzah Cheema

Equipment

Food Processor
Large pan with lid

Ingredients

1/4 cup neutral oil such as grapeseed or avocado oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
5 garlic cloves finely chopped
1- inch ginger finely chopped
1-2 small Serrano or Thai green chili peppers finely chopped
2 ripe Vine or Roma tomatoes puréed in food processor
1 1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2-3/4 tsp red chili powder or cayenne
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 lb fresh spinach thoroughly washed & stems removed (thin stems are fine) - See Note 1 for substitutions
2 tbsp ghee or butter (salted/unsalted both fine)
1/3-1/2 cup water
8 oz store-bought paneer I use Gopi brand, cut into ~1/2 inch cubes - see Note 2 on how to cut paneer cubes
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream (double cream) See Note 3 for using half & half
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp whole milk
1/2 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves methi
1 tsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp garam masala optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat oil in a large, wide-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds (they’ll immediately sizzle) and the chopped onion and sauté for about 10 minutes, until golden brown. Deglaze with 2 tbsp of water to encourage the onions to brown evenly.
Add garlic, ginger, and green chili and cook for 2 minutes, until aromatic. The onions will have deepened even more in color. If the mixture starts to stick, deglaze with another 2 tbsp water.
Add the tomatoes, ground spices, and salt and continue to sauté for 3-4 minutes, until the oil starts to separate. If needed, deglaze again with 2 tbsp water.
Increase the heat to high and add the spinach, a handful at a time, and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for another 10 minutes (~15 minutes if using frozen spinach), stirring once in between. The spinach will release its own moisture, but if it starts to stick (likely if using frozen), add 1/4 cup water. If your fresh spinach is still moist from washing, you may not need any water. The spinach will turn darker and start sticking to the pan.
Optional - Meanwhile, if you’re pan-searing the paneer, do so now. Heat 1 1/2 tbsp neutral oil in a large nonstick pan over medium heat. Place the paneer cubes in a single layer and cook, turning constantly, until lightly golden on all sides, ~6-8 min in total. If it starts to pop, reduce the heat and keep turning. Transfer the paneer from the pan to a paper towel-lined plate. Cover and set aside.
Uncover the spinach and stir to mix. Turn off the heat and allow it to cool for a couple minutes before transferring it to a food processor. Pulse to chop (~20 times) or blend on low into a rough purée. You don’t want a completely smooth paste.
Place the pan back over medium-high heat and add the ghee or butter. Once it melts, pour in the roughly puréed spinach. Sauté for a minute to fry the mixture. Add the measured (1/3-1/2 cup) water and stir, letting it meld into the curry.
Stir in the paneer, heavy whipping cream, and milk. Reduce the heat to low-medium, cover, and cook for 7-10 minutes, until the paneer has softened and soaked up the masala. All excess water will have evaporated by now and the oil will start to separate on the sides.
Crush the dried fenugreek leaves between the palms of your hands and sprinkle it in. Taste and adjust salt, if needed. Squeeze in the lemon juice and give it a stir. Sprinkle with garam masala, if using. Serve with roti, naan, paratha, or basmati rice.

Video

Notes

Note 1: Spinach Substitutions:

I find fresh, mature/grown spinach to taste the best in this recipe. That said, washing bunches of spinach takes time, so frozen or baby spinach are perfectly fine substitutes and more suitable for weeknights. Here are some tips:

Frozen Spinach (2nd best): Use 10-12 oz in place of 1 lb of fresh. If you can, opt for whole leaf or cut leaf frozen spinach instead of pre-chopped. Once you add the frozen spinach, sauté for 5 minutes as indicated in the recipe. You'll also need the 1/4-1/2 cup water before covering to cook.
Baby Spinach (3rd best): Use the amount indicated in the recipe (16 oz).

Note 2: Prepare the paneer by cutting the block into 1/2” vertical strips, then each strip into 1/2” horizontal strips to make small 1/2”x 3/4” pieces. Exact size will vary depending on your particular block of paneer. (See video)

Note 3: You can use half & half in place of the cream + milk. Use 3/4 cup half & half to replace both the cream and milk.

Quick tip: 50-Minute time does not include ingredient prep time (i.e. washing spinach). I suggest using a food processor to finely chop your onions (use the pulse function), garlic, ginger, tomatoes, etc. You'll be using it anyway to process the spinach, so let's put it to use!

Nutrition