Palak Paneer
This Indian vegetarian builds spinach, paneer and tomato into an easy meal you can have ready in about 65 minutes. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 6 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for frying pan / skillet and pan. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (8)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Blanch the spinach in boiling water for about 1 minute, then plunge it into iced water to keep it green, drain and blend to a smooth puree with the green chilli.
- Cut the paneer into 2cm cubes and, if you like, lightly pan-fry them in a little ghee until just golden, then set aside.
- Heat the ghee in a pan, add the cumin seeds and let them crackle, then fry the finely chopped onion until soft and golden, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Stir in the minced garlic and ginger for a minute, then add the chopped tomatoes, ground coriander and a pinch of salt and cook down to a thick paste.
- Pour in the spinach puree with a splash of water and simmer gently for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring so it does not catch, then season with garam masala and salt.
- Fold in the paneer cubes and simmer for a further 3 to 4 minutes to warm through, then swirl in the cream and serve hot with naan or rice.
You'll use: Frying pan / skillet · Pan · Saucepan · Blender
Ingredient substitutions
- Heavy Cream
- evaporated milk · ½ cup milk + ¼ cup melted butter · full-fat coconut milk
What to serve with Palak Paneer
- Aloo Gobi Vegan
- Butter Chicken Chicken
- Chana Masala Vegan
- Gulab Jamun Dessert
Tips & common questions
How long does Palak Paneer take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 13 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of heavy cream?
Try evaporated milk. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Palak Paneer vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Palak Paneer is an original Indian recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Palak Paneer (Cottage cheese in spinach gravy).jpg by DreamyFlutura11, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.