Palak Paneer
Palak paneer features cubes of cheese simmered in a creamy spinach sauce. This homemade version comes together quickly with fantastic flavor.
Posted by Kathryne Taylor on April 9, 2026
Palak paneer is my favorite dish to order at Indian restaurants, and Iโm excited to offer my homemade version to you! Palak paneer features tender cubes of paneer cheese in a well-seasoned, silky, spinach gravy. Palak literally means spinach, and this vibrant green dish is fully loaded. Itโs vegetarian comfort food at its finest.
Palak paneer hails from the Punjab region in Northern India. I hope to visit India someday, but until then, Iโm basing my version on the various Indian restaurants I frequent. I wanted to learn how to make my own palak paneer with organic spinach when I was expecting our son, since spinach is unfortunately higher in pesticide residues by weight than any other type of produce.
I made this dish over and over (no less than six times, to be exact) to ensure that the recipe offers maximum flavor while being streamlined from start to finish. Now you can make palak paneer for dinner any time you crave it. This recipe is ready in about 45 minutes!
3 Reasons to Make This Palak Paneer
This recipe is a little different from traditional preparations. Hereโs why.
- The recipe includes options for using fresh or frozen spinach, so you can choose whichever works best for you. Either way, I recommend buying organic.
- It makes heavy use of the food processor. If youโre going to use it, you might as well take full advantage of it. Weโll first process the spinach, whether itโs fresh or frozen. Then, weโll process the ginger, garlic, chili pepper and onion. Hooray for less chopping!
- Weโll bake the paneer in oil and spices. Paneer cheese is mild and doesnโt offer much flavor on its own. Some recipes call for stirring plain cheese into the greens, whereas others call for pan-frying the cheese until golden, which coaxes out more flavor. To streamline the recipe, weโll bake the cheese while we work on other steps. It becomes super flavorful in the oven, and itโs ready to stir into the greens at just the right time.
Watch How to Make This Recipe
Ingredient Options & Substitutions
Youโll find the full recipe at the end of the post, but here are some options to keep in mind.
Fresh vs. frozen spinach
I prefer the more lively flavor of fresh spinach, but frozen spinach works well, costs less, and is just as nutritious. Be sure your frozen spinach has been stored properly so itโs not icyโfreezer-burned spinach doesnโt taste good.
8 to 12 ounces paneer cheese
Paneer is sold in packages ranging from 8 to 12 ounces, depending on your grocery storeโs selection. For reference, these photos show 10 ounces of paneer. The full 12 ounces yields a very cheesy dish, but you might as well use it all if thatโs what you found at the store.
Oil or ghee
Saag paneer is typically made with gheeโclarified butter with a distinctively nutty, caramel flavor. I donโt always keep ghee on hand, but I can attest that the recipe turns out great with olive oil or avocado oil (you wonโt be able to taste either of them in the finished dish).
Yogurt or cream
Greek yogurt adds a tang that makes the dish taste more lively, which I appreciate. Yogurt needs to be tempered before adding it to the mixture to prevent curdling, and Iโve provided instructions in the recipe (itโs easy).
Heavy cream tastes richer and mellows the other flavors a bit. Since it has a high fat content, tempering the mixture is unnecessary.
Whatโs the difference between palak paneer and saag paneer?
Palak means spinach, specifically, whereas saag paneer means leafy greens, like mustard greens, spinach or kale. You can turn this recipe into saag paneer by substituting another green for the spinach. Frozen kale worked well for me.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy saag paneer with warm naan (Indian flatbread) or cooked basmati rice (hereโs how I cook brown rice, including brown basmati).
For a full spread, add one or more of the following options:
- Quick Chana Masala
- Quick Dal Makhani
- Roasted Cauliflower: Try the Indian-inspired variation within the post.
- Carrot Ginger Salad Dressing: Omit the toasted sesame oil, and improvise a simple green salad using the suggestions within the post.
Please let me know how your recipe turns out in the comments! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Palak Paneer
Palak paneer features paneer cheese simmered in a well-seasoned spinach sauce. This homemade palak paneer comes together quickly and offers fantastic flavor. Recipe yields 4 servings.
Ingredients
- 16 ounces fresh or frozen spinach*
- 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, quartered lengthwise
- 4 cloves garlic, each cut into several segments
- 1 large green serrano chile or 1 medium jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large yellow or white onion, halved and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ยฝ teaspoon ground cumin
- ยฝ teaspoon garam masala
- ยพ teaspoon fine salt, divided, to taste
- 8 to 12 ounces paneer (Indian cheese), depending on how cheesy you want your dish to be, cut into ยพ-inch to 1-inch cubesย
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil, divided
- ยฝ cup whole-milk plain Greek yogurt or heavy cream
- Optional squeeze of fresh lemon juice or finely chopped tomatoes for acidity
- For serving: cooked basmati rice or flatbread (roti or naan), warmed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the paneer from sticking. If youโre using frozen spinach, thaw it in the microwave in a microwave-safe glass dish, about 5 minutes on highโdo not drain off the excess water.ย
- Meanwhile, in a food processor, pulse the garlic and ginger together until theyโre finely chopped, pausing to scrape down the sides if necessary. Add the chili pepper and onion and pulse until they are finely chopped (be sure to stop before they turn to mush). Transfer the mixture to a bowl and return the food processor bowl to the machine (no need to rinse it).ย
- In the food processor, process several handfuls of the fresh spinach until itโs broken into teeny-tiny bits, then repeat as necessary until youโve used up all the spinach and made a mixture close to a puree. (Or process the defrosted spinach mixture until smooth.)ย
- Place the cubed paneer on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle it all over with the coriander, cumin, garam masala, and ยฝ teaspoon of the salt, then drizzle 2 tablespoons oil on top. Stir until the cheese is evenly coated in oil and spices. Evenly distribute the cheese across the pan. Bake for 10 minutes, stir, and then bake 3 to 5 more minutes until the paneer is nicely golden.
- In a medium stainless steel skillet over medium heat, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the onion mixture (reserve the bowl for later) and ยผ teaspoon of the of the salt. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onion is translucent and developing some golden color, stirring more and more frequently as time goes on to prevent burning.
- Add the spinach and stir well. Add the cooked paneer, ยฝ cup water and ยผ teaspoon salt, stir, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until the mixture is warmed throughout and the flavors have melded.ย
- Turn off the heat and remove the skillet from the hot burner. Transfer a couple of heaping spoonfuls of the spinach to the reserved bowl and stir in the yogurt (this tempers the yogurt so it doesnโt curdleโif youโre using cream, you can stir it directly into the skillet). Then add half of the yogurt mixture to the spinach, stir to combine, followed by the remaining yogurt mixture. Season to taste with additional salt (I usually add โ teaspoon). Serve with an optional squeeze of lemon juice or chopped tomatoes on top to brighten the flavors, with warm rice or flatbread, if desired.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Aarti Sequeira, with the roasted paneer concept inspired by Anita Jaisinghani.
*Options for greens: Palak paneer means spinach and cheese, but you can make a variation called saag paneer with a variety of greens, like mustard greens or kale.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโs advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Love your recipes! Just a heads up about a minor typo. โ ยฝ whole-milk plain Greek yogurt or heavy creamโ should be โยฝ cup whole-milk plain Greek yogurt or heavy cream.โ
Looking forward to trying this recipie!
Hi Allen, thank you for pointing that out, I have updated it. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Hi, Kate. Iโve added this to my list of โthings to make soonโ.
Do I presume correctly that โยฝ whole-milk plain Greek yogurt or heavy creamโ in the ingredient list should read โยฝ CUP whole-milk plain Greek yogurt or heavy creamโ?
Thanks,
Joe
Hi Joe, yes it is 1/2 cup! Iโve fixed it now.
Iโm wondering if any other mild cheeses might work as paneer is sometimes hard to find. Thanks!
Hi Judy, itโs not quite the same, but halloumi holds its shape when cooked and is salty and tasty. Queso panela is another option that holds its shape well.
Hi! I am so excited to make this! What is the yogurt measurement? It says โ1/2 whole milk yogurtโฆโ I am guessing 1/2 cup? Thanks for your amazing recipes! I have been making them for years! <3
Hi Susan, yes it is 1/2 cup! I have fixed it now.
Oh my goodness!!!! Iโm so grateful you created this post/recipeโฆ cannot wait to try. This is one of my favourites that I was a little intimidated to try to recreate at home.. thank you ps. I miss your app
Thank you as always for your beautiful recipes. And thank you for explaining about Saag paneer versus palak. Iโm looking forward to trying this with some hopeful modifications? I have a mechanical mitral valve so I canโt have too much alteration in my daily vitamin k ingestion because of my need for being on Coumadin (basically Iโd have to eat an insane amount of vitamin k each and every day and then adjust my medication to accommodate one meal of this dish, If that makes sense). Itโs my 12-year-oldโs favorite dish but I usually only have a bite of it. I have taken to using arugula in things like pesto (thanks to you!) because it has a much lower vitamin k load. Whenever I use paneer for Indian dishes, I learned somewhere along the way to soak the cubes in hot water first. Do you need to do this? Iโm excited to try roasting it in the oven! I just rely on the Curry itself to lend flavor. Thank you in advance! I have referred many people to your recipes :-)
Hi Amy, I havenโt tried soaking them in hot water, and I think this recipe comes out perfectly without that step.
It seems a bit weird leaving an ingredient out thatโs in the title, but I think tofu would also be great in this! Great to have the option of frozen spinach, as in my country itโs half the price of fresh.
Assume the yogurt is 1/2 cup? Metric not in the recipe. Thanks!
Hi Carol,
yes it is 1/2 cup, and I have corrected it now!
how can i make this dairy free?
Hi Sea, you could substitute your favorite dairy free yogurt (such as coconut) and use my baked tofu recipe in place of the cheese, though that changes the recipe significantly.
What a fantastic vegetarian recipe! The mix of fresh spinach and paneer is both nutritious and fulfilling. I also love that it can be prepared in around 45 minutes, making it ideal for a homemade dinner. Well done!
Disappointed to have missed the instructions to remove the onion mixture from the food processor, I think it wouldโve made a tremendous difference in the flavor โ mine came out a bit sharp. Overall, a good dish despite.
My preference is fresh spinach, do you recommend against that?
Hi Zoe, I actually prefer fresh spinach as well, and include instructions for it (see step 3).