Main Course Recipes

Spinach Palak Paneer

4 servings

My Spinach Palak Paneer is a classic North Indian dish featuring creamy spinach and soft, fresh paneer cheese. This flavorful and comforting vegetarian spinach curry is surprisingly easy to make at home, requiring just 30 minutes of your time. My homemade Palak Paneer recipe delivers authentic Palak Paneer flavor with a simple, step-by-step approach. Whether you're a seasoned cook or new to Indian cuisine, you'll find this Palak Paneer recipe approachable and satisfying. It's the best Palak Paneer recipe, perfect served over rice or with naan for a complete and delicious meal. I'm here to help you learn how to make this perfect, easy Palak Paneer with readily available ingredients. Read More

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Tom the ChefPublished: 3.26.2026

Main Course Recipes

VegetarianGluten-freeLow-carb

30 min.

1/5

779 calories Per Serving (of 4) Read More

Before You Start

Let’s talk about important parts of the recipe before you start…

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My Authentic Spinach Palak Paneer

I’m so glad you’re here to try my Spinach Palak Paneer recipe! This is a classic North Indian dish that I’ve streamlined so you can make it easily at home in about 30 minutes. My recipe focuses on creating a flavorful, comforting vegetarian spinach curry using creamy spinach and soft paneer cheese. The authentic Palak Paneer flavor comes from a simple, step-by-step approach that I’ve perfected. This homemade Palak Paneer is one of my favorites, and it’s perfect for anyone, whether you’re an expert or new to making an Indian spinach recipe. It’s a satisfying, easy Palak Paneer that I love to serve over rice or with fresh garlic naan. Let’s cook this delicious spinach curry together!

Building the Flavor Base for Spinach Palak Paneer

The first step in my Spinach Palak Paneer recipe is crucial for developing a deep, authentic Palak Paneer flavor. I start by preheating a stir fry pan or wok on medium-high heat with 4 TBSP of frying oil. Then, I add one large, finely chopped onion. You’re not looking to deeply caramelize it; the goal is to sauté the onion, stirring occasionally, for about 2-4 minutes. What I’m looking for is for the onion to achieve what I call “glossiness” and a “slight sear.” This quick-cooking at a higher heat releases the onion’s sweetness and creates the first layer of flavor for our Indian spinach recipe. This simple step is the foundation upon which we build the entire spinach curry.

Blooming the Dry Spices

Right after the onions are glossy, I move on to a quick but vital step in this Palak Paneer recipe: blooming the dry spices. I add ½ TSP of ground coriander, ½ TSP of ground cumin, and ¼ TSP of ground cinnamon directly into the hot oil and onions. I also list ½ TSP of ground cardamom as an optional but recommended addition for a more complex aroma. You’ll cook this mixture while stirring constantly for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. This infuses the oil with the spices’ essential oils and toasts them, making their flavor more potent and integrated into the final creamy spinach dish. You’ll know it’s ready when the spices are incredibly fragrant. This is a key technique for my best Palak Paneer recipe.

Creating the ‘Masala’ Paste

Once the spices are fragrant, I immediately add the aromatics and the tomato component to form the ‘masala’ or sauce base of the Spinach Palak Paneer. I stir in 5 cloves of grated garlic, 1 TBSP of minced fresh ginger, and ¾ cup of tomato purée (fresh or canned is fine). This is also where I add the main seasonings: ¾ TSP of salt, 2 TBSP of garam masala, and optionally, up to 1 TBSP of chili powder for heat. I stir this all together thoroughly. Then, I continue cooking and stirring this mixture until its volume is reduced to about half. This reduction step is essential. It cooks out the raw flavor of the garlic and ginger and concentrates the tomato, creating a thick, rich, and flavorful paste that defines this homemade Palak Paneer.

Crafting the Creamy Spinach Sauce

With the flavor base for the Spinach Palak Paneer ready, it’s time to create the “palak” (spinach) part. I add 1 ½ cups of water, 12 OZ of frozen spinach, and 1 cup of heavy cream. A note on the spinach: I use frozen spinach, and you don’t even need to defrost it, which makes this an easy Palak Paneer recipe. I stir everything together thoroughly to break up the frozen spinach and combine it with the masala paste. I then bring this to a simmer (about 190°F), stirring occasionally. Once it’s simmering, I lower the heat to medium and let it continue to simmer until the spinach is fully cooked through, which usually takes about 5-10 minutes. This step melds all the flavors and creates the base of our spinach curry.

The Immersion Blender Technique

This is a key part of my Palak Paneer recipe for achieving that signature creamy spinach texture. Instead of transferring hot liquid to a countertop blender, I use an immersion blender directly in the pan. After the spinach has cooked for 5-10 minutes, and while the sauce is still cooking, I process it with the immersion blender. This is where you have control over the final dish. You can blend it to your desired consistency. I personally like it “semi-smooth,” where it’s creamy but still has some texture. However, if you prefer a “super-smooth” and silky restaurant-style Indian spinach recipe, you can just keep blending until you reach that consistency. It’s a simple, mess-free way to get a perfect result.

Cooking the Paneer Cheese

The final step is to assemble the Spinach Palak Paneer. I stir in 1 LB of diced paneer cheese (I cut mine into ¾ to 1” dices) directly into the blended, simmering spinach sauce. I then continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, which takes about 5 to 10 minutes. This step is important for two reasons: it allows the sauce to thicken to its final, rich consistency, and it cooks the paneer cheese. I make an important note to cook it for at least 5 minutes. This is to “bring the paneer to its best,” meaning it softens the paneer cheese and allows it to absorb all the wonderful flavors from the spinach curry. If the sauce thickens too quickly during this process, I just stir in a little water to keep it semi-runny, ensuring the paneer cheese cooks perfectly.

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Spinach Palak Paneer

4 servingsTom the ChefPublished: 3.26.2026 ☆☆☆☆☆0x(write a review)👁280x

30 min.

1/5

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Ingredients:

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4 TBSP of frying oil (any kind) (adjust if needed)

1 PC of onion - peeled and finely chopped (large)

½ TSP of ground coriander

½ TSP of ground cumin

¼ TSP of ground cinnamon

Optionally: ½ TSP of ground cardamom

5 cloves of garlic - peeled and grated (or pressed)

1 TBSP of ginger root - peeled and minced ((or 1 TSP of ground ginger))

¾ cup of tomato purée - fresh (or crushed, fresh or canned)

Optionally: 1 TBSP of chili powder (seasoning) (adjust if needed)

¾ TSP of salt

2 TBSP of garam masala (seasoning) (store-bought or recipe here)

1 ½ cups of water

12 OZ of spinach - fresh or frozen – no defrosting necessary before cooking (frozen (if not purchased in the brick shape, no defrosting necessary))

1 cup of heavy cream

1 LB of paneer cheese - diced (diced to dices about ¾ to 1”)

Tools:

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1x Measuring Cups (and spoons)

1x Measuring Spoons

1x Cutting Board

1x Chef’s knife

1x Stir Fry Pan (wok) (Wok or Large Saucepan or Medium Pot (about 6 QT))

1x Wooden Spoon or High-Temperature Silicone Spatula

1x Small Hand Grater or Garlic Press (for garlic)

1x Immersion Blender

Nutrition per 1 Serving:(recipe split into 4 servings)

Estimated

Calories 779 Protein 29.7 g Fat 68.3 g Saturated fat 36.1 g Carbohydrate 15.6 g Sugars 5.8 g Fiber 3.4 g Sodium 1761 mg Cholesterol 153 mg

VegetarianGluten-freeLow-carb

Estimated. Worked out from the ingredients above using the United States Department of Agriculture’s FoodData Central reference data. An estimate, not a measurement — brands, sizes and how much of a marinade actually ends up on the plate all move it.

Directions:

Spinach Palak Paneer all ingredients — My easy Spinach Palak Paneer recipe shows you how to make authentic, creamy spinach curry with paneer cheese at home in just 30 minutes.

1.Sauce Base:

Let’s begin the preparation of the Spinach Palak Paneer with the sauce base.

1.1.

Preheat a stir fry pan on medium-high heat with 4 TBSP of frying oil and add:

1 large onion – finely chopped

Sauté, stirring occasionally, until glossiness and slight sear are achieved (about 2-4 minutes).

1.2.

Add:

½ TSP of ground coriander

½ TSP of ground cumin

¼ TSP of ground cinnamon

Optional: ½ TSP of ground cardamom

Cook while stirring for about 30 seconds to 1 minute.

1.3.

Then add:

5 cloves of garlic – grated

1 TBSP of fresh ginger – minced

¾ cup of tomato – pureed or crushed (fresh or canned)

Optionally: Up to 1 TBSP of chili powder (spicy)

¾ TSP of salt

2 TBSP of garam masala

Thoroughly stir.

1.4.

Cook while stirring until the volume is reduced to about half its original amount.

2.Sauce:

2.1.

Add:

1 ½ cups of water

12 OZ of frozen spinach

1 cup of heavy cream

Thoroughly stir.

2.2.

Bring to a simmer (about 190°F) with occasional stirring.

2.3.

Lower the heat to medium and simmer until the spinach is cooked (usually about 5-10 minutes).

Note:

If the sauce evaporates too much during any part of this process, slightly dilute it with water. Keep in mind that in a later step, we will add paneer, which needs to cook for about 5-10 minutes in a sauce that is at least semi-runny.

2.4.

Then, while cooking, process with an immersion blender to your desired consistency, either semi-smooth or super-smooth.