Palak Paneer (spinach curry made in just 40 minutes!)

Here’s a delicious palak paneer recipe that’s easy to make at home. Fresh paneer is pan-seared to golden perfection, then folded into a creamy spinach curry. Serve it with rice or naan for a flavorful meal that’s ready in just 40 minutes!

Palak paneer is one of our favorite Indian takeout dishes, so the first time we made it, we felt a bit intimidated to give it a go at home. We’ve been perfecting this spinach curry recipe for years, making it our go-to easy comfort food dinner. We love that it’s delicious and easy to make with only fresh ingredients and tons of spinach.

Fresh spinach, tomatoes, aromatics, herbs, and spices make up the base of this delicious Indian dish. We use whipping cream to add creaminess to the gravy and top it with pan-seared paneer.

If this is your first time cooking with paneer, you’ll find it’s surprisingly easy to work with. Browning it in the pan gives it great texture and makes it more flavorful.

Serve this easy stove-top dinner with naan and basmati rice for an irresistible, authentic-tasting meal!

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Palak Paneer (spinach curry made in just 40 minutes!)

Prep: 5 minutes mins

Cook: 35 minutes mins

Total: 40 minutes mins

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Here's a delicious palak paneer recipe that's easy to make at home. Fresh paneer is pan-seared to golden perfection, then folded into a creamy spinach gravy. Serve it with rice or naan for a flavorful meal that's ready in just 40 minutes!

4

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 tablespoons cooking oil (divided)
• ▢ 1 large onion (chopped)
• ▢ ¼ cup minced ginger
• ▢ 6 cloves garlic (peeled and smashed with the side of your knife)
• ▢ 2 medium tomatoes (chopped)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garam masala
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
• ▢ ½ teaspoon turmeric
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sea salt (more to taste)
• ▢ 10 ounces spinach
• ▢ ½ cup whipping cream (see notes)
• ▢ 1 lb paneer (cut into 1-inch cubes)

Instructions 

• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until it starts to brown, about 6-7 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium heat and add the ginger and garlic and cook for another 3 minutes. If the pan starts to look dry, add a little more oil. Add the tomatoes to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, mashing them a little as they cook.
  1 large onion, ¼ cup minced ginger, 6 cloves garlic, 2 medium tomatoes
  
• Add the garam masala, cumin, turmeric, and salt to the pan and stir for about 1 minute. Add the spinach, working in 2 batches, if needed. Let the first batch wilt a little and then add more.
  1 teaspoon garam masala, 1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds, ½ teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 10 ounces spinach
  
• Once the spinach has wilted, transfer the spinach mixture to your blender, add the cream, and blend on high until mostly smooth.
  ½ cup whipping cream
  
• Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add the cubes of paneer and cook until they're brown on both sides, about 5 minutes.
  1 lb paneer
  
• Pour the spinach puree from the blender back into the skillet, mix in the paneer, and gently reheat it.
  

Notes

To make this recipe dairy-free, use cashew cream instead of whipping cream. To make cashew cream, blend ⅓ cup of raw cashews with 1 cup of water in a high-powered blender. You will have more than you need for this recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 serving = ¼ of the recipe, Calories: 510kcal (26%), Carbohydrates: 13g (4%), Protein: 19g (38%), Fat: 44g (68%), Saturated Fat: 20g (125%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 90mg (30%), Sodium: 669mg (29%), Potassium: 543mg (16%), Fiber: 3g (13%), Sugar: 3g (3%), Vitamin A: 6409IU (128%), Vitamin C: 27mg (33%), Calcium: 639mg (64%), Iron: 2mg (11%)

© Author Kristen Stevens

We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.