Palak Paneer Recipe | Spinach Paneer Curry Restaurant Style with detailed photo and video recipe. A healthy green-colored paneer recipe prepared mainly from the thick paste of spinach puree. Basically, the easy palak paneer recipe hails from the popular north Indian cuisine or Punjabi cuisine and is typically served with tandoor roti & naan. There are many ways to prepare it, but this is a restaurant-style spinach cottage cheese curry.
I have always been a huge fan of paneer recipes especially the North Indian paneer curries for roti or chapati. But I have a special attachment to the palak paneer recipe and hence it is the most frequently prepared paneer recipe in my house. Perhaps it could be the colour and texture compared to the other curries which are either red or orange in colour. The creamy dark green color with soft and tender fried paneer cubes makes this dish lip-smacking gravy-based curry. Generally, this curry is mainly served with roti or naan, but I even enjoy it with rice and poori‘s too. Particularly, jeera rice and palak gravy are my personal favorites. I ensure to make this combo each time I end up preparing this palak curry. I would heavily endorse trying this combination and share your feedback in the comment section.
Furthermore, I would like to mention a few tips, suggestions, and variations for the palak paneer recipe restaurant style. Firstly, I have used homemade paneer in this recipe, which I have fried before adding it to the curry. Also, if you prefer soft and moist paneer, ensure to soak the paneer in hot water before frying it. Secondly, I have prepared the gravy sauce with tomatoes and onions & other dry spices. As a matter of fact, I got this tip from a chef to add tomatoes for sourness, but if you do not prefer you can skip it. Lastly, for the vegan version of palak paneer, use soya-based tofu cubes as an alternative to paneer cubes. Also, for vegan you may have to skip the cream as well. Alternatively, you can make cashew cream or almond cream and add it to the final gravy.
Finally, I request you to check my other Top Paneer Curries Recipes Collection with this post of Palak Paneer Recipe. It includes recipes like kadai paneer, matar paneer, chilli paneer, paneer butter masala, khoya paneer, paneer jalfrezi, paneer kolhapuri and paneer kofta curry. In addition, I request you to check my other similar recipe collections like,
About Palak Paneer
It is a popular premium North Indian curry recipe made with a combination of spinach puree, a blend of dry spices, herbs, and the main ingredient paneer. In other words, Palak Paneer is a creamy, tasty green-colored curry known for its bright dark-colored creamy texture. It is a popular choice of curry, particularly for any celebration feast or having lunch or dinner in a restaurant and dhaba.
There are many different types of Palak Paneer or Spinach Paneer recipes with the variation mainly on how the spinach leaves are used in the curry. The most popular way is to blanch the palak leaves and then blend them into a smooth paste with herbs and spices. This spinach puree is later cooked with tomato and onion base to form a creamy curry. The other popular way is to use the finely chopped palak leaves with paneer cubes. This does not have gravy but the curry turns out to be semi-dry curry.
Chef Tips for Palak Paneer
Like any other paneer or curry recipe, the palak paneer follows the same principle without any rocket science. Yet some mandatory pro tips for a perfect gravy –
- Fresh Ingredients – For a balanced and flavored curry, the freshness of the ingredients is critical. Use fresh and tender spinach leaves with moist and fresh paneer for a creamy and tasty curry.
- Cleaning – Generally, the palak leaves are served in a bunch and they carry a lot of dust and soil particles with them. Also, the leaves may carry pesticides, and hence cleaning them thoroughly is mandatory and essential.
- Blanching – While there are many variations to the palak-based curry recipes. However, for creamy, flavored, and dark green color, blanching of spinach leaves is mandatory. Also, ensure to cook the spinach puree in ghee or oil thoroughly so that all the raw taste is gone.
- Consistency – Once the spinach leaves are blanched till dark green, blend it to a smooth paste without any lumps. Blend it with a blender without adding any extra water so that it forms a smooth silky puree.
- Seasoning & Toppings – Once the spinach gravy is cooked, add crushed kasuri methi and garam masala as additional seasonings. In addition, add full cream cooking cream as toppings to make it creamy and lower the spice heat.
Why Does This Recipe Work
There are many reasons why this spinach curry is widely appreciated across India, if not globally. Some of the main reasons for its popularity are –
- Spinach & Paneer – The combination of the spinach creamy gravy with moist paneer cubes makes it a unique and special North Indian Paneer curry. This combination makes it very special when served with a choice of Indian flat or deep-fried breads.
- Color – Most of the Indian gravy-based curries are either red or orange in color. This is mainly due to the set of ingredients used with tomato and onion base. However, due to the spinach leaves, the curry turns dark green in color making it unique special with visually appealing.
- Healthy – Leafy vegetables are always known for their health and nutrient offerings. Particularly spinach leaves are loaded with fibre, iron, and calcium. Thus the combination with Paneer makes it super healthy and loaded with proteins.
- Variations – The recipe can be easily experimented with and prepared with other types of hero ingredients. Mushrooms, tofu, potatoes, mixed vegetables, soybeans, and even a choice of cooked meat can be paneer alternatives.
- Simplicity – The color and consistency may deceive you into thinking that the recipe is complicated. However, compared to other curry recipes, it is one of the simplest and easiest curries to make within minutes.
Video recipe:
Recipe Card for Palak Paneer:
Palak Paneer Recipe | Spinach Paneer Curry Restaurant Style
Ingredients
for palak puree:
- 1 bunch palak / spinach
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 inch ginger
- 3 chilli
for curry:
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 dried red chilli
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp salt
- few capsicum, sliced
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp cream
- 1 tbsp paneer, crumbled
- 250 grams paneer, cubes
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp kasuri methi, crushed
Instructions
- Firstly, in large vessel get the water to a rolling boil. Once the water comes to a boil, add 1 bunch palak.
- Turn off the flame and dip the palak into boiling water completely.
- Rest the palak in hot water for 2 minutes or until the leaves are blanched well.
- Immediately, drop the palak leaves into ice-cold water. This helps to retain bright green colour.
- Now transfer the blanched palak into the mixer jar.
- Add 2 cloves garlic, 1 inch ginger, and 3 chilli.
- Blend to smooth puree without adding any water. keep aside.
- In a large kadai heat 2 tbsp oil, 1 tsp butter, 1 dried red chilli, 1 tsp cumin and 1 bay leaf. saute on low flame until the spices turn aromatic.
- Now add 1 onion, 1 tsp ginger garlic paste and saute until onions turn golden brown.
- Further keeping the flame on low, add ¼ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp chilli powder, ½ tsp coriander powder and 1 tsp salt.
- Saute until the spices turn aromatic.
- Now add few capsicum and saute until the capsicum shrinks slightly.
- Further, add 1 tomato and cook until the tomato turns soft and mushy.
- Now add in prepared palak puree and cook well.
- Also, add 1 cup water and adjust the consistency as required.
- Now add 1 tbsp cream and 1 tbsp paneer. Mix well making sure the consistency is attained as required.
- Add 250 grams paneer and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Also, add ½ tsp garam masala and 1 tsp kasuri methi. mix well.
- Finally, enjoy Palak Paneer Recipe with roti or rice.
Nutrition
How to Make Palak Paneer with step-by-step photos:
- Firstly, in a large vessel get the water to a rolling boil. Once the water comes to a boil, add 1 bunch palak.
- Turn off the flame and dip the palak into boiling water completely.
- Rest the palak in hot water for 2 minutes or until the leaves are blanched well.
- Immediately, drop the palak leaves into ice-cold water. This helps to retain the bright green color.
- Now transfer the blanched palak into the mixer jar.
- Add 2 cloves garlic, 1 inch ginger, and 3 chilli.
- Blend to smooth puree without adding any water. keep aside.
- In a large kadai heat 2 tbsp oil, 1 tsp butter, 1 dried red chilli, 1 tsp cumin, and 1 bay leaf. saute on low flame until the spices turn aromatic.
- Now add 1 onion, 1 tsp ginger garlic paste and saute until onions turn golden brown.
- Further keeping the flame on low, add ¼ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp chilli powder, ½ tsp coriander powder, and 1 tsp salt.
- Saute until the spices turn aromatic.
- Now add a few capsicum and saute until the capsicum shrinks slightly.
- Further, add 1 tomato and cook until the tomato turns soft and mushy.
- Now add in prepared palak puree and cook well.
- Also, add 1 cup of water and adjust the consistency as required.
- Now add 1 tbsp cream and 1 tbsp paneer. Mix well making sure the consistency is attained as required.
- Add 250 grams paneer and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Also, add ½ tsp garam masala and 1 tsp kasuri methi. mix well.
- Finally, enjoy Palak Paneer Recipe with roti or rice.
Notes:
- Firstly, make sure to clean the palak well before boiling. as there will be a lot of dirt in the leaves.
- Also, do not overcook the palak, as it will lose its nutritional properties.
- Additionally, do not cover the curry while cooking, as the green color will be lost.
- Finally, adding cream to Palak Paneer Recipe will enhance the flavor of palak curry.