Punjabi Palak Paneer Recipe is the famous Punjabi Recipe made with blanched Palak (Spinach) and soft Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese), both palak and paneer are full of iron and hence a healthy recipe to eat. Paneer can be be deep fried and then added in spinach gravy, but I prefer to add as it is. Basically here soft paneer or cottage cheese cubes are cooked in rich, creamy and smooth spinach curry.
This restaurant style spicy Punjabi palak paneer recipe can be prepared in aromatic ghee too, and for bringing the rich and creamy texture, I added Yogurt (dahi) and Fresh Milk Cream.
Punjabi Palak Paneer Recipe is one of the most popular North Indian Paneer Recipe along with Paneer Butter Masala (Restaurant Style), Kadai Paneer, Paneer Tikka Masala, Paneer Chana Masala, Methi Paneer, Paneer Bhurji, Shahi Paneer Korma, Paneer Makhanwala, Shahi Paneer.
This recipe is my mom’s version of making palak paneer, and now it has become a favorite of my hubby too, especially since he does not like palak much. Palak paneer goes well with rotis, naan, parathas and even jeera rice or biryani rice. Vegans can substitute paneer with tofu in this palak paneer recipe. I have cooked palak tofu many times and even with tofu, the palak gravy tastes good.
This palak paneer recipe was requested by many readers and was in drafts for a long time. I had kept in the drafts since the final images were not so good. Yesterday I cooked this dish and clicked nice photographs, so thought of publishing the post.
Serve this spinach paneer curry with equally delicious paneer paratha for scrumptious meal. Let’s start making our Punjabi Palak Paneer Recipe with all the steps and images. For complete list of ingredients and step by step instructions, please refer to recipe snippet below.
Punjabi Palak Paneer Recipe Step by Step
Following ingredients are required for making Punjabi Palak Paneer Recipe at home. (Palak, Paneer, Onion, Tomato, Ginger, Garlic, Green Chili, Whole Spices, Yogurt and Fresh Cream).
Clean the Palak Leaves in running water.
Chop the Palak Leaves coarsely and boil in some water.
Strain the boiled Palak.
Mix the Palak Leaves, Ginger, Garlic, Tomato and Green Chili in a grinding jar.
Grind into a smooth puree and keep aside.
In a heating oil add Whole Spices and saute for a few seconds. Add finely chopped onion and saute continue. Then add pureed mixture of palak and cook for a few seconds on a low flame, then add curd and mix well.
Now add Red Chili Powder, Turmeric Powder, Hing and Garam Masala Powder and mix well. Add some fresh Lemon Juice and Fresh Cream. Cook continue for few minutes with lid off.
Finally mix in cubes of Paneer and stir very slowly, so that paneer cubes should not break.
Cook for a couple of minutes, till the paneer cubes become soft and succulent.
Spread some fresh Cream over Palak Paneer just before serving. Serve it hot with roti’s, poori, naan or jeera rice. 
How to make Punjabi Palak Paneer Recipe :
Punjabi Palak Paneer Recipe is one of the famous Punjabi dish made with Palak (Spinach) and Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese). Here Paneer Cubes are cooked in a rich, creamy and smooth Palak (Spinach) gravy.
Ingredients
- 200 to 250 grams or about 7 to 9 oz fresh spinach/palak
- 200 to 250 gm paneer or tofu, about 7 to 9 oz cottage cheese
- 2 green chilies
- 1 medium onion
- 1 medium tomato
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder/haldi
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder (optional)
- 1/4 tsp asafoetida/hing (optional)
- 1/2 tsp garam masala powder (add more if required)
- 5-6 cloves of garlic
- 1 inch ginger
- 3 cups water for blanching spinach
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp yogurt (curd/dahi)
- 1 tbsp amul fresh cream
- 1 tbsp cooking oil/ghee/ butter
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Chop the palak coarsely and then boil in hot water, after boiling for about 5 minutes, immediately add the palak or spinach leaves in a pan or bowl containing ice cold water, doing this will help in preserving the green color of the spinach.Cool down the palak in colander and then grind it with 5 cloves of garlic, about 1 inch piece of ginger and 2 green chilies. Make a fine pure out of it, no need to add water and keep the spinach puree aside.
- Heat about 1 tbsp of oil or ghee or butter in a pan and saute 1/2 tsp cumin seeds. Add 1 finely chopped onion and cook on low flame for a few seconds, till the onion becomes golden.
- Add 1 chopped tomato along with pureed palak and stir well. After about 2 minutes of cooking on low flame, add 1 tbsp fresh yogurt and mix well.
- Keep cooking on low flame and now mix 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp red chili powder, 1/4 tsp asafoetida and 1/2 tsp garam masala powder. Mix well and stir in 1/2 tsp of lemon juice.
- Add about 1/2 cup water or as required and stir again. Simmer for 6-7 minutes or more till the palak or spinach is cooked and season with salt, palak will start thicken by now. Add 1 tbsp fresh cream and stir again so that the cream gets incorporated in the palak paneer gravy uniformly.
- Now add cubes of paneer/cottage cheese and stir gently on a low flame till the paneer cubes become soft and succulent, for about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Switch off the flame and serve palak paneer hot with roti’s, poori, naan or jeera rice.
Notes
Paneer or tofu can be fried and added in palak paneer. You can top the palak paneer with some butter or cream while serving.
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