Recipe Cooked, Photographed and Written by Praveena
PrepTime:5 mins CookTime:15 mins Cuisine:Indian
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Palak Paneer / Spinach Paneer, is a mildly spiced Indian curry where Paneer (Indian cheese cubes) is cooked in Creamy Spinach (Palak) Gravy having Indian Masala flavours. Its one of the must have’s curry dishes in an Indian Restaurant Menu.
I always liked this recipe ONLY when the curry has retained that bright green colour. Not everyone & not all Indian restaurants can make this curry, with that right texture and colour.
Most of the times, it might turn to dark green, which doesn’t make the dish appealing to look at.
I feel so very satisfied, that my recipe gives me the apt green colour to the dish with the proper tips & times that I follow. Hope you would try.
Table of Contents:
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- Possible Alterations for the recipe, ‘Palak Paneer / Indian Paneer in Spinach Gravy’:
- How to retain the bright green colour of Palak Paneer Curry:
- Other recipes from my blog:
- Step wise pics Procedure for ‘Palak Paneer / Paneer in Spinach gravy (Stove Top, Instant Pot)’:
- Prep Work:
- Stove Top Method Palak Paneer:
- Instant Pot Method Palak Paneer:
- Tips & Storage:
- Result:
- Ingredients, Accessories on ‘AMAZON’ to SHOP:
- Recipe Card & Print:
Possible Alterations for the recipe, ‘Palak Paneer / Indian Paneer in Spinach Gravy’:
Ingredients to skip: Both Dhaniya Powder/Ground Coriander and Jeera Powder/Ground Cumin, can be skipped. Anyhow, these are already part of the garam masala powder, which we add.
Vegan Options: The vegan alternative to Paneer is extra firm Tofu. And for fresh cream, milk, butter also you need to use plant based variety easily available in stores.
Stove Top Pressure Cooker Method: Just follow the same method as the Instant Pot recipe, but cook only for 2 whistles.
Using canned / tinned tomatoes: I wouldn’t suggest this, as the preservatives in the can, makes the curry to turn dark in colour because of oxidation. Otherwise, its fine to use.
Using frozen spinach: Yes, you can use frozen palak / spinach.
How to retain the bright green colour of Palak Paneer Curry:
Stove Top Method: After blanching the spinach, immediately dip the spinach in cold water, this will avoid from the spinach to oxidise and change colour.
Adding milk while making the spinach puree, helps to maintain the bright green colour to the curry even after days of storage in fridge. This really works.
Instant Pot Method: After quick release, immediately add the milk to blend. And do not put on sauté for more than 2 mins.
By doing this the curry had that bright green colour just as in the pictures.
Other recipes from my blog:
Before starting to cook, don’t forget to see the Tips mentioned at the end.
Curry recipes collection⇒ Curry / Koora / Stir Fry
Instant Pot recipes collection⇒ Electric Pressure Cooker / Instant Pot Recipes
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Ingredients:
- Palak / Spinach – 250 gm (Indian / Baby Spinach)
- Salt – as per taste
- Hot Boiling Water – as required (stove top method)
- Normal Water – as required
- Mint Leaves – a handful
- Coriander Leaves / Cilantro – a handful
- Green Chillies – 6
- Milk – 1 cup
- Butter – 1 tablespoon (heaped)
- Fresh Cream – [½ cup + 1 tablespoon]
- Paneer Cubes – 2 cups (heaped)
- Sugar – 2 teaspoons
- Kasuri Methi – 1 teaspoon (optional) (for garnish)
To Sauté:
- Cooking Oil – 6 tablespoons
- Onions – 1 cup (finely chopped)
- Ginger Garlic – 2 teaspoons (paste / chopped)
- Tomatoes – ½ cup (finely chopped)
- Turmeric Powder – ½ teaspoon
- Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder – 1 teaspoon
- Garam Masala Powder – 1 tablespoon
- Ground Cumin / Jeera Powder – 1 teaspoon
- Ground Coriander / Dhaniya Powder – 1 teaspoon
Special Ingredients:
- Fresh Cream
- Mint Leaves
Step wise pics Procedure for ‘Palak Paneer / Paneer in Spinach gravy (Stove Top, Instant Pot)’:
Prep Work:
Stove Top Method Palak Paneer:
Instant Pot Method Palak Paneer:
Tips & Storage:
- Adjust the salt & spice as per your taste.
- To defrost the frozen paneer, put the whole paneer slab in the microwave. Then it can be cut easily into cubes.
- For better taste, when you finish making the curry, leave it for 10 mins, so that the paneer can absorb the gravy well.
- Storage: Make the curry until the last step, do not add the paneer cubes, store this spinach gravy in an air tight container in fridge. Stays good up to 15 days.
- Even if you add the paneer cubes, the curry stays good up to 7 days when put in fridge.
- Just reheat before serving.
Result:
- The spice level of this curry is mild. Even kids can happily savour this dish.
- Tangy taste from the spinach gravy and the succulent paneer pieces in every bite.
- Best thing is its just the gravy and the soft paneer pieces, no hassle sabzi to eat.
- The taste is simply exemplary. On the whole the curry has turned out to be, WOW!! 🙂
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Recipe Card & Print:
Palak Paneer / Spinach Paneer Curry (Instant Pot and Stove Top)
Equipment
- Food processor / Blender / Mixie.
- Frying pan (for stove-top method)
- Instant Pot or Electric Pressure Cooker (for IP method)
Ingredients
- 4 cups Palak / Spinach (250 gms) (Indian / Baby Spinach) (heaped cups)
- as per taste Salt
- as required Hot Boiling Water to blanch (for stove top method)
- as required Normal Water (for cooking)
- 1 handful Mint Leaves
- 1 handful Coriander Leaves / Cilantro
- 6 count Green Chillies
- 1 cup Milk
- 1 tablespoon Butter (heaped)
- ½ cup Fresh Cream [+1 tablespoon]
- 2 teaspoons Sugar
- 2 cups Paneer Cubes (heaped)
- 1 teaspoon Kasuri Methi (optional) (for garnish)
To Saute:
- 6 tablespoons Cooking Oil
- 1 cup Onions (finely chopped)
- 2 teaspoons Ginger Garlic (paste / chopped)
- ½ cup Tomatoes (finely chopped)
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chilli Powder
- 1 tablespoon Garam Masala Powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin / Jeera Powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground Coriander / Dhaniya Powder
Instructions
Prep Work:
- Gather all the ingredients at one place in the kitchen.
Stove Top Method Palak Paneer Curry:
- Blanch the fresh spinach by soaking in hot boiling water for 3-4 mins. Take the spinach out into a separate bowl. Immediately pour cold water onto the spinach, until it sinks well.
- Take the spinach leaves into the food processor/blender. Add all these too>> slit green chillies, salt, mint leaves, coriander/cilantro leaves and milk. Blend everything into fine puree.
- Put a wide frying pan on stove top under high flame. Add oil and heat. Now, add chopped onions, ginger, garlic. Fry until onions become translucent.
- Immediately add all these>> salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder, dhaniya/coriander powder, jeera/cumin powder, chopped tomatoes.
- Later, add all these>> spinach puree mix, sugar and fresh cream. Mix everything and let the content thicken, takes 5 mins.
- At last, add all the paneer cubes and butter. Gently mix up everything. Let it cook for 2 more mins, until it forms bubbles. Garnish with Kasuri methi and fresh cream (1 tablespoon). Switch the flame off. Done!!
Instant Pot Method Palak Paneer Curry:
- Switch the gadget ON, set the mode to SAUTE, time to 7 MINS. Add oil and chopped onions. Fry the onions.
- When the onions shrink, Add all these>> salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, slit green chillies, chopped tomatoes, chopped ginger-garlic, garam masala powder, dhaniya/coriander powder, jeera/cumin powder.
- Stir Fry everything, until the oil separates. Press CANCEL.
- Add all these>> spinach leaves, mint leaves, coriander/cilantro leaves. Add ½ cup of water. Deglaze the bottom. Close the lid. Set mode to PRESSURE COOK, pressure level to HIGH, time to ZERO MINS, valve to SEALING.
- When the IP beeps, release the pressure immediately (Quick Pressure Release). Open the lid, add milk, lemon juice. Blend everything into fine puree, using a hand blender.
- Set to SAUTE mode for 2 mins, add the fresh cream, butter and paneer cubes. Gently mix everything. Let it thicken a bit.
- Soon, transfer the curry into a serving dish. Garnish with Kasuri methi and fresh cream (1 tablespoon). Done!
Notes
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