49 Reviews of Palak Paneer (Indian Fresh Spinach with Paneer Cheese)

From: eatrealfood

On May 18, 2005

as is, this recipe is pretty good. i made it once, and then subsequently tweaked it to suit our tastes more. i omitted the paprika and added an equivalent amount of cayenne powder. i also used 3/4tsp each of cumin seeds and mustard seeds and sauteed it along with the onion. i then added the spinach directly to the onion, tomato and spices (i didn't see the need to cook the spinach separately). i also pureed all the spinach and added 4tbsp of half and half at the end of cooking, instead of the yoghurt, this way it turned out super-creamy. it was perfect this way, and i will be making it with these modifications in future.

From: Heather U.

On Jan 9, 2007

I wonder when I'll try one of your recipes and NOT like it, Sue...this is yet another winner. Perfect balance of spices, and worked well with fat free half and half instead of cream. I chose not to blend any of the mixture simply because I like a bit of texture (not altogether authentic but there you have it). I didn't find paneer at our grocery store, so I used ricotta instead. It blended in rather than showing as chunks, and I rather liked that. Fresh naan was a perfect complement to sop up the delicious sauce this produced. Posted Sept 18, 2004. UPDATE: Prepared this again for the umpteenth time. Discovered that chunks of feta cheese work well as a substitute for paneer. Delicious!

From: BetteDavisLies

On Jan 16, 2008

I've tried several Palak Paneer recipes, but this is by far the most authentic tasting, and it is the easiest. I made it exactly as listed, but I used canned tomatoes for added salt (homemade Indian food always needs more salt to me) and I used FF half/half instead of heavy cream. I make this with Naan by pattikay, cucumber raita also by Sue L, and serve it over instant basmati rice. It is mine and my husband's favorite meal of all time. Because we can't get premade paneer in our small town, we make it. Kusum Gupta's Paneer is the easiest on this site. Good luck, happy eats, and have fun! Thanks Sue!

From: spatchcock

On Sep 20, 2003

Fantastic recipe. I like this much better than our local Indian restaurant's palak paneer. I think I added a little more cream because I had to warm it longer at the end (I could only find frozen paneer.) I used normal spinach leaves, and it made it stringy so next time I'll be sure to find the baby spinach. I feel about twenty pounds overweight from dinner, but fiance and I really loved this. Thanks!!

From: Meyer Lemon

On Mar 26, 2006

We loved it! The recipe was easy to follow, and I never thought that I could cook serious Indian dish at home. Thank you for posting, and all the other reviews helped as well. We like spices, so I added cumin and cayenne, grounded coriander, and topped with cilantro. I confess to using frozen chopped spinach (thawed), and stuck to 1/2 to be pureed since we like having a bit stewy. I didn't have paneer handy, so I came up with firm tofu cut into cubes and added it right after cream (used half & half) to let the tofu cubes soak up the flavor. It came out lovely, and the tofu had similar to paneer (but milder, of course). If anyone wants to attempt that, I recommend to drain tofu thoroughly first, and wrap with paper towel(s) with a bit of weight on top, while sauce is being prepared. Served it with basmati rice, naan, and raita to make a full meal. Yummy!

From: stormylee

On Mar 6, 2005

Just comments this time as the recipe works beautifully but was just not quite what I was looking for! The palak paneer I fell in love with was medium hot and featured fresh cilantro, so I followed the recipe but added red pepper flakes and cilantro. That didn't quite do the trick, I think I need to up all the other spices too next time! Still, this recipe will make a wonderful base for me in trying to recreate the hotter version, thanks for sharing!

From: SpicyGirl

On Dec 19, 2006

WOW!!! I want to give this recipe a zillion stars..this was my first attempt at Palak Paneer and it was a hit with my hubby (a man who is in love with Punjabi food). I tweeked the recipe by adding the cinnamon stick (instead of powder), added whole cardamom pieces and used half & half instead of cream..otherwise everything stayed the same..thanks again for a yummy recipe. Note: make this 1 day before you intend on serving it..the flavors come together beautifully the next day!!

From: Jesscooking

On Jan 21, 2007

Yum! I veganized this by using coconut milk and a tablespoon of tofutti fake sour cream in place of the yogurt and cream, and tofu marinated in soy sauce and fried (not sure how necessary the frying was, will try it without next time) in place of the paneer. It's wonderful, and I'm dissapointed there won't be leftovers!

From: NoraCarol

On Dec 5, 2007

It is fabulous! I always add a little extra salt at the end and it just sets the flavor off perfectly!I also use nonfat cream yogurt to make it a little healthier and is still tastes fab. My family now always requests this to be among the dishes when I am cooking an indian dinner!

From: Aunt Cookie

On Jun 23, 2006

This was great! I used frozen spinach and pureed all of it, but otherwise followed the recipe. A fast and uncomplicated recipe.