Palak paneer (spinach paneer)

Cut the paneer into pieces, until you have bite size blocks. Heat 1 ½ tbsp of ghee oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add half of the paneer and fry until golden, for around 3 minutes. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the paneer, then flip them over and fry on the other side until golden again. Transfer to a plate.

Add a further 1 ½ tbsp of ghee oil to the pan and repeat with the rest of the paneer.

Fill a large saucepan with water and bring it to the boil. Add half of the spinach to the water and, once wilting, add the rest of the spinach. Cook for around 1-2 minutes until all wilted. Drain the spinach in a colander.

Place the wilted spinach into a food processor and blend for 20 seconds.

Heat a large pan with 2 tbsp of ghee oil over a medium to high heat. Then add the minced ginger, chopped garlic cloves, serrano pepper and cumin seeds and cook until fragrant, around 30 seconds. Then add the rest of the spices; the garam masala, turmeric and cayenne pepper.

Place the processed spinach into the pan, and then add the double cream and salt. Cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Leave to simmer for around 5 minutes.

Remove the lid and add the paneer to the sauce, until warmed through again. Then turn off the heat. Serve with a side of basmati rice or your choice of naan bread.

Tips & tricks

For the best Palak paneer recipe make sure you use the freshest ingredients, to pack the sauce full of flavour. To build in added textures, ensure you fry the paneer long enough for a slightly crispy addition to the dish.

Make sure you don’t overcook the spinach either. A little blanching is enough to gently wilt the spinach without removing all of the flavour.

Variation of the recipe

Saag paneer has often been confused with Palak paneer, but ‘Palak’ is actually the Hindi word for spinach, whereas ‘Saag’ refers more widely to leafy greens. For the Palak paneer recipe above, the ingredients call only for spinach paneer. But you can vary the recipe for a Saag paneer, and use a wider range of greens.

Try experimenting with your own variations at home, by mixing up some of the spices used. If you’d prefer not to use cream in the recipe, if this is too rich, then yoghurt or even milk can be substituted in for this part. It’s also possible to switch in tofu for the paneer, and coconut milk for the heavy cream, if you’d like to try creating a vegan interpretation of the dish.

Some Palak paneer ingredients lists also include nuts, like cashews, to add a creamy texture and new taste dynamic. Lots of families have different ways of making this recipe, and here are two favourite examples of ours here and here.

Storage

Spinach paneer can be kept in the fridge for up to two days, when stored in an airtight container. It’s possible to reheat the dish when stored correctly, simply warm it up in a pot on the hob over a low heat.