Palak Paneer
Indian cottage cheese cubes in a spinach gravy as bright green as a forest floor — when made right. The trick is shocking the spinach in ice water after blanching so the chlorophyll stays vivid. Earthy, mildly spiced, and weirdly comforting.
Prep Time
27 min
Cook Time
36 min
Servings
4
Calories
509 cal
🛠 Interactive Recipe Tools — Use them right here on this page
Smart Servings Scaler
- Spinach2 cups
- Paneer250 g
- Cumin1 tsp
- Coriander Powder1
- Turmeric½ tsp
- Onion1 medium
- Tomato2 medium
- Ginger1 tsp
- Garlic3 cloves
All quantities scaled automatically from 4 servings.
Ingredients
Makes 4 servings · Use the Servings Scaler above to adjust
- Spinach2 cups
- Paneer250 g
- Cumin1 tsp
- Coriander Powder1
- Turmeric0.5 tsp
- Onion1 medium
- Tomato2 medium
- Ginger1 tsp
- Garlic3 cloves
Instructions
- 1
Blanch 500g spinach in boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Immediately transfer to ice water — this preserves the color. Drain after 2 minutes.
- 2
Blend the blanched spinach to a smooth puree with a few cubes of ice. The ice keeps the temperature down so the color stays bright.
- 3
Cut paneer into 1-inch cubes. Lightly pan-fry until golden on the edges (or skip frying and add raw for softer paneer). Set aside.
- 4
In a heavy pot, heat oil. Add cumin seeds, then chopped onion. Cook until golden. Add ginger-garlic paste and chopped green chili. Cook 1 minute.
- 5
Add chopped tomato, garam masala, coriander powder, salt. Cook 5-7 minutes until tomatoes break down and oil separates.
- 6
Add the spinach puree. Simmer 3 minutes — DON'T cook longer or the color will dull. Stir in cream, then gently fold in paneer. Cook 2 more minutes. Serve hot with roti or naan.
Watch how to make Palak Paneer
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💡 Expert Tips
- 1.Shock the spinach in ice water — non-negotiable for bright green color. Without it, palak paneer turns olive-drab.
- 2.Don't over-cook the puree. Once it's added to the gravy, 3 minutes max. Heat breaks down chlorophyll into pheophytin, which is brown.
- 3.If your paneer is dry, soak it in warm salted water for 10 minutes before frying — restores moisture.
- 4.A pinch of sugar balances spinach's natural bitterness. Just ¼ teaspoon makes a noticeable difference.
🔬 Why It Works
Chlorophyll is fragile. It's stable at slightly alkaline pH and cold temperatures; it degrades quickly at heat and acid. Blanching briefly + shocking in ice water locks in the green by stopping the enzymes that would otherwise dull it. Adding the puree late (just before serving) avoids prolonged exposure to heat and acid (from the tomato). Cream and the paneer's protein also slow oxidation. The result: palak paneer that looks like a Sicilian garden, not a swamp.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my palak paneer turn dark/brown?▾
Can I use frozen spinach?▾
What's the difference between palak paneer and saag paneer?▾
Can I make this vegan?▾
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Nutrition Facts
Per serving (recipe makes 4 servings)
* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are estimates.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (recipe makes 4 servings)
* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are estimates.
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