Palak Paneer
Palak paneer is the Indian classic of soft paneer cubes folded through a bright green spinach gravy, scented with cumin, ginger and garam masala and finished with 3 tbsp of cream. The colour comes from a fast blanch and a cold-water plunge, and the paneer stays tender because it goes in late and simmers gently rather than boiling. With 15 minutes of prep and 25 minutes of cooking, it makes 4 servings, enough to anchor a meal with naan or rice.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
What you’ll need — tap to tick off as you go
- 500 g
- 250 g
- 2 tbsp
- 1 tsp
- 4 cloves
- 1 tbsp
- ½ tsp
- 1 tsp
- 1 tsp
- 1 tsp
- 3 tbsp
- 100 ml
Process
Timers built in · swap anything · ask as you cook
Bring a large pot of water to a full boil at 100°C, add the 500 g spinach and blanch for 2 minutes, just until the leaves go limp and bright green. Drain at once, plunge the spinach into ice water to stop the cooking, then squeeze it dry in a clean towel and blend to a smooth puree. The ice bath keeps the green bright; spinach left hot keeps cooking and dulls to olive.
Heat the 2 tbsp ghee in a large skillet over medium heat and add the 1 tsp cumin seeds. Let them sizzle for 30 seconds, until they darken a shade and smell toasted; this blooming step is what carries their aroma through the whole gravy.
Add the finely chopped onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring, until it is golden brown and soft. That colour is the gravy's sweetness; pale onions leave the sauce tasting sharp and unfinished.
Stir in the 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 tbsp grated ginger and the chopped green chili, if using. Cook for 1 minute, until the raw smell is gone and the garlic has taken on no colour; garlic browned here turns bitter and cannot be undone.
Add the 2 finely chopped tomatoes and cook for about 4 minutes, until they collapse into a thick, jammy pulp and the fat starts to sheen at the edges of the pan. Cooking them down now is what removes the raw, sour edge from the gravy.
Stir in the 0.5 tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp ground coriander and 1 tsp salt and cook for 1 minute, stirring, until the spices smell toasted rather than dusty. One hot minute in the fat is what turns raw powders into a proper masala.
Add the spinach puree and the 100 ml water, the measured amount that loosens the gravy, since the blanch itself used a separate pot of water. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gravy is thick enough to coat a spoon; if it is still loose, give it another 2 to 3 minutes uncovered.
Fold in the 250 g paneer cubes and the 1 tsp garam masala and simmer gently for 5 minutes, with small, lazy bubbles only and never a rolling boil. Paneer is a fresh cheese: hard boiling squeezes the moisture out of it and leaves it squeaky and tough.
Take the pan off the heat and stir in the 3 tbsp heavy cream, then let the dish rest for 2 minutes before serving. Cream added over direct heat can split, and those 2 minutes let the sauce thicken and the colour settle to a creamy green.
Why this recipe works
Blanching for 2 minutes sets the spinach's colour: the brief boil cooks out the raw edge, and the ice bath stops the cooking before the green dulls to olive. Squeezing the spinach dry separates a thick, clinging gravy from a soupy one. In the pan, cumin seeds bloom in hot ghee and the onion is cooked to gold before the ginger and garlic go in, so the base tastes sweet and roasted rather than raw. Turmeric and coriander need the same minute in hot fat to lose their dusty edge. Paneer is a fresh cheese that turns rubbery if boiled, so it enters last and simmers gently, and the cream is stirred in off the heat, keeping the sauce smooth.
Equipment
- Large pot for blanching
- Large bowl of ice water
- Blender or food processor
- Clean kitchen towel for squeezing the spinach
- Large skillet or saute pan
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Measuring spoons
- Chef's knife and cutting board
Kitchen notes
Kitchen notes
- Squeeze the spinach in a clean towel, a handful at a time. The drier it goes into the blender, the thicker the gravy, and any water left in the towel is water you would otherwise have to simmer off.
- Soak the paneer cubes in warm salted water for 10 minutes and drain them before they go in. They come out noticeably softer and hold their shape through the final simmer.
- Fry the paneer cubes in a little ghee until golden before folding them in, restaurant-style. The crust holds up to the sauce and adds a nutty note; skip it if you want the softest possible cubes.
- Taste the sauce before the cream goes in. Salt levels vary between paneer brands, and it is easier to adjust a bright, unsoftened gravy than one already mellowed with cream.
- Keep the heat low once the greens are in. Every extra minute of hard cooking costs colour and aroma; a gentle simmer is all the spinach needs to marry with the masala.
Common mistakes
- Dull, olive-brown spinach: it cooked too long or never hit the ice bath. Blanch for exactly 2 minutes, plunge it into ice water straight away, and keep the puree's simmer to the 5 minutes the recipe calls for; prolonged heat is what fades the colour.
- Rubbery, squeaky paneer: it went in too early or the sauce boiled. Add the cubes only at the end, keep the pan at a gentle simmer for those last 5 minutes, and never let it roll.
- A thin, watery gravy: the spinach was not squeezed dry, or the tomatoes were too juicy. Squeeze the cooled spinach in a towel until it holds together, and simmer the sauce uncovered for 2 to 3 extra minutes before the paneer goes in.
- Grainy, split sauce: the cream was stirred into a boiling pan. Add it off the heat and rest the dish for 2 minutes; if the sauce already looks grainy, keep it away from high heat rather than trying to boil it back together.
- Raw, dusty spice taste: the powders went in after the spinach, or were stirred for seconds only. Turmeric and coriander need their 1 minute in the hot fat and tomatoes before the greens join the pan.
Serving suggestions
- Serve hot with naan, roti or steamed basmati rice; the recipe's 4 servings are generous enough to anchor the meal with one bread or rice dish alongside.
- A simple side of sliced onion, cucumber and lemon keeps the plate fresh against the rich gravy.
- Portion it into 4 shallow bowls and drizzle a little extra cream or a scatter of toasted cumin over the top at the table.
- A cooling drink works well with the spices: a yogurt-based lassi-style drink, iced water with lemon, or a cup of cardamom tea.
Variations
- Kasuri methi finish: crush 1 tsp of dried fenugreek leaves between your palms and add them with the garam masala. It is the classic restaurant-style note, herbal and faintly bitter in the best way.
- Palak tofu, a different dish: swap the paneer for pressed firm tofu, the same 250 g, and simmer it the same way. Lighter and softer, and fully plant-based with oil in place of the ghee and cashew paste in place of the cream.
- Creamless version, a different balance: skip the cream and finish with 3 tbsp of smooth cashew paste instead. The gravy is nuttier and a touch thicker, with the same colour.
Refrigerator
- RefrigeratorCool it within 2 hours, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; the flavour deepens overnight. The paneer soaks up sauce as it sits, so expect it to be a little firmer on day two.
- ReheatingReheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, adding 1 to 2 tbsp water to loosen, until the sauce is steaming and the centre reads 74°C, the USDA FSIS guidance for leftovers, stirring often. Do not boil hard, or the paneer toughens and the sauce can split.
- FreezingUp to 2 months, portioned into freezer-safe containers, but the paneer turns slightly spongy and the cream may separate; freeze the gravy before adding the cream if you can, and stir the cream in after reheating.
- Make aheadMake the spinach gravy up to 2 days ahead, cool it and refrigerate, then reheat gently and add fresh paneer and the cream just before serving. That keeps both the colour and the paneer's texture intact.
Updated:
How this recipe was developed
- U.S. Dairy, easy palak paneer (blanch the spinach briefly, plunge it into an ice bath, blend it smooth with the green chile, stir the cream in off the heat)
- Bon Appetit, palak paneer (crisp the paneer cubes in ghee first so they keep a soft interior in the cooked spinach; stir the cream in off the heat)
- Aditya Raghavan, palak paneer cooking-class notes (blanch in salted boiling water with the ice bath ready, drain and squeeze the spinach, add the cream off the heat)
- USDA FSIS leftovers and food safety guidance (refrigerate within 2 hours; 3 to 4 days in the fridge; reheat leftovers to 74°C)
Editorial references are kept internally for verification. This page makes no claim of external certification or professional testing.
Gallery
FAQ
The questions we get asked most
Why did my palak paneer turn brown or dull instead of bright green?
The spinach was overcooked or cooled too slowly. Blanch for exactly 2 minutes, get it straight into ice water, squeeze it dry, and keep the puree's simmer to the 5 minutes in the recipe; long heat is what dulls the colour.
Can I use frozen spinach instead of fresh?
Yes: thaw 600 g of frozen spinach, squeeze out as much water as you can, and blend it to a puree with no blanching. It is slightly less vibrant, and the gravy may need 1 to 2 extra minutes of simmering to thicken.
How do I stop the paneer from turning rubbery?
Add it only for the final 5 minutes and keep the pan at a gentle simmer, never a boil. For extra softness, soak the cubes in warm salted water for 10 minutes and drain before they go in; reheated leftovers will always firm up a little, which is normal.
Can I make palak paneer ahead of time?
Yes, and it is a good dish for it: make the gravy up to 2 days ahead, cool and refrigerate it, then reheat gently and add the paneer and cream just before serving. That keeps both the colour and the paneer's texture intact.
Why is my gravy watery or thin?
The spinach was not squeezed dry enough, or the tomatoes brought too much liquid. Squeeze the puree in a clean cloth until it holds together, and simmer the sauce uncovered for 3 to 4 extra minutes before the paneer goes in; a tablespoon of cashew paste also thickens it naturally.
How do I know when the dish is done?
The gravy should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and the paneer heated through and soft, about 5 minutes of gentle simmering after it goes in. The cumin should smell toasted, the raw tomato tang should be gone, and the cream goes in off the heat with a 2-minute rest before serving.
Ask KitchenMind about this recipe
Tell it what’s different tonight — it works within the actual recipe.
