Palak Paneer is a dish of North Indian origin consisting of palak (spinach) and paneer (cottage cheese) in a thick curry sauce based on pureed spinach, onion, tomatoes and spices

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 10 minutes
  • Total time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Indian, North Indian

Ingredients

  • 10 oz spinach (palak) ((about 284 grams), (around 8-10 cups))
  • 200 grams paneer (cottage cheese) ((about 1.5 cups), cut into cubes)
  • 2 tablespoons oil (or ghee)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin (jeera) seeds
  • 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
  • 1/2 inch ginger (minced)
  • 3 garlic cloves (minced)
  • 2 green chillies (finely chopped)
  • 1 large tomato (finely chopped (about 1 cup))
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • salt (to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)
  • 1/2 cup water (or as needed)
  • 1 tablespoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) ((optional))
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cream (or cashew cream (optional))

Method

Instant Pot Method:

  1. Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Add oil to the POT. Add cumin seeds once the oil is hot, and let the cumin splutter.
  2. Next, add roughly chopped onions, minced ginger, garlic, green chili, and saute until onions turn light brown.
  3. Add diced tomato, and spices like red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, salt and sugar. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
  4. Add 1/2 cup of water and deglaze the pot. Next, add in the fresh spinach.
  5. Close the lid on the pot, and turn pressure valve to SEALING position. Furthermore, Set the pot to MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (High Pressure) and timer to 2 Minutes. If using frozen spinach then set the timer to 1 Minute.
  6. Once the pot beeps, Do a QUICK RELEASE (QR). Blend the ingredients in the pot to a creamy texture using an immersion blender. If you don't have an immersion blender, then take the mixture out, cool it, and then blend in a regular blender and add the mixture back to the instant pot.
  7. Lastly, add garam masala, kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), and paneer cubes and mix well. You can also add some fresh cream or cashew cream at this stage. No need to boil/saute again after adding paneer. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
  8. Delicious palak paneer is ready. Serve it with your favorite Indian bread variety (roti / naan / kulcha / paratha) or even plain rice.

Stovetop Pot Method:

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the spinach and blanch for 1-2 minutes until wilted.
  2. Drain the spinach and put it in a bowl of ice cold water. This helps the spinach leaves to retain their green color.
  3. To a blender, add the blanched spinach, 1/2 cup of water and puree until smooth. Keep it aside.
  4. Heat oil in a kadai. Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, and let them splutter.
  5. Then add onions, and saute until the onions turn light brown.
  6. Add minced ginger, garlic, green chili, and saute until the raw smell of ginger and garlic disappears.
  7. Next, add diced tomato (or tomato puree), and saute till the tomatoes are soft and mushy.
  8. Then add spices like red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, salt, and sugar. Cook for 1-2 minutes till the masalas are cooked well.
  9. Add the spinach puree and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Do not cook for longer at this stage as the spinach can loose its color. If the gravy is thick you can add some water.
  10. Lastly, add kasuri methi, garam masala, and paneer cubes. Give a quick stir and turn off the stove. Optionally use can add 2 tablespoons of fresh cream or cashew cream at this stage.
  11. Delicious palak paneer is ready.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.