Palak Paneer (homemade Indian cheese with spinach curry)

A bowl of green curry with tofu, similar to a palak paneer recipe.

5 from 13 votes

Palak Paneer (homemade Indian cheese with spinach curry)

Palak Paneer is a vegetarian Indian dish that combines fresh farmer's-type cheese with a spicy spinach curry sauce. The sauce is usually enriched with cream, but here I've used coconut milk instead, which I think adds a nice extra layer of flavor, but you could certainly replace it with cream if you like. In a traditional recipe, the onions and garlic would likely be sauteed in butter or ghee, but I used coconut oil here instead. You could also use any type of vegetable oil like grapeseed or sunflower seed oil. If you want less of a kick, remove and discard the seeds and ribs from the jalapeno before adding it.

Course Main Dish Recipes

Cuisine Indian

Keyword indian food, indian recipe, palak, palak paneer, palak paneer recipe, paneer

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Additional Time 15

Total Time 40

Servings Servings

Calories 227kcal

Author Robin Donovan

Ingredients

For the spinach puree

1 10-ounce bag fresh baby spinach
1 jalapeno or Serrano chile stemmed, seeds removed if desired
2 cloves garlic
1- inch piece fresh ginger peeled

For the curry

2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 medium onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon garam masala
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ cup canned diced tomatoes or 1 large fresh tomato, diced
1 12-ounce package paneer (see note) or 1 recipe homemade paneer, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 to 4 tablespoons coconut milk

Instructions

Fill a medium mixing bowl with water and ice to make an ice bath for the spinach.
Bring a medium saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the spinach leaves and remove from the heat. Let sit for about 1 to 2 minutes, until the leaves are wilted but are still bright green. Drain in a colander and transfer to the ice water bath. Let sit until the spinach is completely cooled. Drain.
While the spinach is cooling, chop the chile, garlic, and ginger in a food processor. Once the spinach is cool, drain it and then squeeze it gently with your hands to remove any excess liquid. Add the spinach to the food processor and process to a smooth puree.
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Add the cumin, garam masala, salt, and turmeric and stir for 15 to 30 seconds.
Stir in the tomatoes along with the spinach puree and about ½ cup of water. Bring to a simmer and then reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for about 5 minutes, until it has thickened.
Stir in the coconut milk and the paneer and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until the paneer is heated through and softened. Serve hot, with rice or naan.

Notes

If you're using store-bought paneer, before starting the recipe, begin by placing the cubed paneer in a heat-proof bowl and covering with hot water. Let stand for about 15 minutes and then drain.

Nutrition