PALAK PANEER | HOW TO MAKE PALAK PANEER

Palak Paneer is a rich and popular Indian delicacy where the paneer or Indian cottage cheese is cooked in the spicy and aromatic, onion tomato spinach gravy.

This irresistible dish is one of the best option for vegetarian gluten free meal-  lunch or dinner. Palak Paneer is also a classic accompaniment for breads like naan, roti, chapatis and ghee rice or brown butter rice

What is paneer? How to make paneer at home ?

Paneer is a non melting, non aged, soft Indian cottage cheese that can be prepared at home or is also available in any Indian store.

Paneer is prepared by curdling cows milk with acid such as lemon juice or vinegar. its acid set before pressing is called chhena or chhana.

You can checkout my recipe on homemade paneer . 

Some of my favorite and easy paneer recipes include :

• kalakand 
• paneer tikka masala
• spicy basil tofu or paneer
• tofu bhurji or paneer bhurji
• honey chilli paneer or honey sriracha tofu

How to serve palak paneer or what can we eat with palak paneer?

I have served with wheat roti today. Some of my other favorite accompaniments include naan, roti, kulcha, chapati or steamed hot rice.

• ghee rice or brown butter rice
• garlic naan recipe
• Pita Bread –popular on blog
• Thai roti bread – popular on blog
• Rumali Roti
• Tava Naan
• 12 Vegan flatbread recipes
• Amritsari kulcha
• Corn Flour Bread or Makki ki roti
• Oats Chapati
• Garlic Cheese Naan

Check out some of the best and simple side dishes that you can serve with naan bread. 

How to make palak paneer healthy? is palak paneer good for weight loss?

To make palak paneer healthier and low in fat, simply use less oil and less cream or milk in the recipe which I always do. Since paneer is high in protein, it is one of the best vegetarian option for weight loss. also palak or spinach is high in iron and fibre.

I always add all the whole garam masalas or Indian spices available in my pantry. I would recommend adding at least few of them to make this dish flavorful. You can also marinate and pan fry the paneer or tofu before adding it to the gravy for additional flavor and if you have time in the kitchen. This is totally optional.

I am posting this dish today upon requests from many of my readers. Do try and let me know how it turned out 🙂

How to make vegan palak paneer?

Making this dish vegan is super easy. Simply substitute

• paneer with tofu or aloo (potatoes)
• cream or milk with coconut milk or any dairy free milk or simply skip cream for healthier version
• butter with vegetable oil or coconut oil

Why is my palak paneer bitter?

Based on the spinach or palak used in the dish, your gravy may turn bitter. this is because you are going to blend the spinach to puree. So to avoid making your dish bitter, always use fresh tender spinach or palak leaves. If using larger spinach, simply discard the stalks. If using baby or salad spinach leaves that are tender keep the stalks. feel free to use frozen spinach in the recipe.

In case you end up getting bitter gravy, add lemon juice and little sugar or simply use tomato sauce or ketchup.

What is difference between palak paneer vs saag paneer?

Palak paneer is the dish made using only one green vegetable that is palak or spinach.

Saag means combination of green leafy vegetables. Saag paneer is made with combination of any of these leaves like mustard greens, dill, fenugreek, amaranth or palak along with paneer (cottage cheese)

Detailed recipe for healthy palak paneer | Tofu in spinach gravy (vegan palak paneer)| Restaurant style or Dhaba style palak paneer

Recipe card

If you like this palak paneer recipe,

Don't miss to check out other delicious bread and flatbread, Indian curry and gravy recipes

Pita Bread	Garlic Naan Bread
Ghee rice or brown butter rice	Chole / Chickpeas masala / Chana Masala
Vegan Rumali Roti Bread	Mushroom Butter Masala

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Preparation time : 30 minutes
Serves : 4

Ingredients for Healthy Palak Paneer

Palak / Spinach - 1 medium bunch
Cashews - 10
Paneer / Tofu - 1 block (14 oz)
Vegetable oil or Butter - 2 tbsp
Onion chopped - 1
Garlic cloves - 7 to 8
Green chilies -  2
Ginger grated - 1 inch
Tomato chopped - 1
Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
Red chile powder / Cayenne powder - ½ teaspoon (or as per taste)
Garam masala powder - ½ to ¾ tsp
Coriander powder - ½ tsp
Tomato ketchup - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Milk or cream - ¼ cup (coconut milk for vegan version)
Dried Kasuri methi - ½ teaspoon (optional)
Ginger julienne - 1 inch
Coriander leaves / Cilantro - 5 strands

Whole spices used (I use those available in my pantry. Use any combination or all of them given below or simply skip it)

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Clove - 2
Cardamom seeds - 3
Bay leaf -1
Star anise - 1
Marati moggu - 1

Steps to prepare Best Palak Paneer recipe

Step I

• Nicely Wash and cook the spinach in boiling water for 2 minutes and transfer to a bowl with cold water to stop the cooking process.
• After about a minute, remove the spinach from cold water, drain any excess water and transfer to a blender or grinder along with cashews and blend it to form a smooth paste.
• You may add little water while blending if required.

Step II

• Heat vegetable oil in pan. Add cumin seeds, clove, cardamom seeds, bay leaf, star anise, marati moggu and saute for few seconds.
• Now add onion along with some salt and sauté until it turns translucent.
• Next, add garlic cloves, ginger, green chilies and continue sautéing till onion becomes light golden in color or until you get that nice smell out of these.
• Add tomatoes and cook until they are softened and become mushy.

Step III

• Add turmeric powder, red chile powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder and saute for 2 minutes.
• Add tomato ketchup, blended spinach paste, and milk and simmer it uncovered on medium-high flame  for about 5 minutes.
• Finally add cubes of paneer (or tofu) and continue simmering on medium flame for another 3 to 5 minutes.
• You may garnish the dish with crushed kasuri methi, ginger julienne, coriander leaves and a dollop of butter if desired.
• Palak Paneer is now ready. Serve hot with wheat naan or your favorite bread and enjoy.

Tips to make the best palak paneer:

• To retain the green color of spinach, make sure spinach is cooked uncovered and do not overcook the dish. Plus the brand and quantity  of red chile powder and garam masala  will also change the color of the dish.
• Do not add too much water to this dish. It should be thick.
• Marinate and pan fry the paneer or tofu cubes or simply shallow fry and add the paneer cubes to the gravy if desired. The taste may vary accordingly. I like the soft cubes and thus not fried them.
• I generally use either cashews or cream. The creaminess from cashews is sufficient in the dish. You can simply skip adding milk or cream mentioned in the recipe.
• I use only those whole spices readily available in my pantry. You can add few of them for flavor or completely skip them.
• Use fresh tender spinach or palak leaves in the recipe. If using the larger leaves, discard the stalks to avoid from making your dish bitter.
• You can even substitute paneer with aloo (potatoes) or koftas.
• If prpearing for kids, simply skip chile powder and green chillies.