Palak Paneerਪਾਲਕ ਪਨੀਰ

Name: Palak Paneer
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Punjabi
Ingredients: 500 g fresh baby spinach (palak); 250 g paneer (Indian cottage cheese), cubed 1-inch; 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped; 2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped; 5 garlic cloves; 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled; 2 green chili (hari mirch), whole; 3 tbsp ghee (or neutral oil); 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera); 1 tsp coriander powder (dhania); ¼ tsp turmeric (haldi); 1 tsp garam masala; 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi); 2 tbsp heavy cream (malai), optional; to taste salt

⏱ Prep 15m🍳 Cook 30m🍽 Serves 4🌿 Vegetarian

Video: Vismai Food (YouTube)

Palak paneer is Punjab's most-loved everyday saag — bright spinach gravy that clings to pillowy cubes of fresh paneer. Unlike restaurant versions thickened with cream, a home-style palak paneer gets its body from a properly cooked onion-tomato masala and a clean spinach purée. The dish is fast once the spinach is blanched, and the smell of kasuri methi stirred in at the end is the finishing signal that tells you it's done.

📍 Make it in Plano

This recipe is the same everywhere — but where you buy the ingredients and eat the dish is local to you.

Finding Desi spots near Plano…

Ingredients

▪fresh baby spinach (palak)500 g
▪paneer (Indian cottage cheese), cubed 1-inch250 g
▪yellow onion, roughly chopped1 large
▪tomatoes, roughly chopped2 medium
▪garlic cloves5
▪fresh ginger, peeled1-inch piece
▪green chili (hari mirch), whole2
▪ghee (or neutral oil)3 tbsp
For the masala
▪cumin seeds (jeera)1 tsp
▪coriander powder (dhania)1 tsp
▪turmeric (haldi)¼ tsp
▪garam masala1 tsp
▪dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)1 tsp
▪heavy cream (malai), optional2 tbsp
▪saltto taste

🌍 Cooking abroad? Substitutions

Paneer is now stocked at most South Asian grocers and large supermarkets (Whole Foods, Kroger). If unavailable, press firm tofu dry with paper towels, cut into cubes, and pan-fry in a little oil until golden — it absorbs the gravy differently but works well.
Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) is the finishing flavor the dish needs; buy a small bag at any Indian grocery or online. No direct substitute, but adding a pinch of fenugreek seeds with the cumin at step 3 gives a hint of the same bitterness.
Out-of-season or bagged fresh spinach is fine; frozen chopped spinach (thawed and squeezed very dry) also works — skip the blanching step and blend it straight, adding ¼ cup water to help the blender.

Method

1Blanch spinach in a pot of boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Drain immediately and plunge into ice water to fix the green color. Squeeze out excess water, then blend smooth with the whole green chilies. Set the purée aside.
2In the same pot, drop in the tomatoes and simmer 2 minutes to loosen the skins. Drain, then blend with the garlic and ginger into a smooth paste.
3Heat ghee in a heavy kadai or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them crackle for 30 seconds. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring frequently, until deep golden brown, 10–12 minutes.
4Pour in the tomato-garlic-ginger paste. Cook, stirring often, until the masala dries out and ghee begins to separate around the edges, 7–8 minutes. Add coriander powder, turmeric, and ½ tsp salt; cook 2 more minutes.
5Reduce heat to medium. Stir in the spinach purée and cook 5 minutes, letting it absorb the masala. Fold in the paneer cubes gently so they hold their shape.
6Stir in cream if using; simmer 2 minutes. Taste and adjust salt. Rub the kasuri methi between your palms directly over the pan, stir once, and turn off the heat.
7Sprinkle garam masala over the top. Serve hot with butter naan, lachha paratha, or jeera rice.

A Desi.Net original recipe · part of our Indian Cuisine library. Confirm details and adjust to taste.