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Home » Side Dishes » Curry , Poriyal and Subzi

Published: Nov 27, 2017 · Modified: Feb 24, 2021 by Sandhya Ramakrishnan · This post may contain affiliate links

Palak Paneer | Palak Tofu | Tofu Or Paneer In Spinach Gravy

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Palak Paneer / Palak Tofu made with fresh spinach leaves and simple masala
is a great side dish with some Phulkas / rotis and rice.

Palak paneer subzi with paneer cubes

This is the third recipe that I am updating my pictures. It is always such a pleasure to go back and see the posts from almost 6 years back. We had a huge vegetable patch in our backyard and I had cooked this particular post from the freshly harvested spinach from our backyard.

This time when I redid the recipe, I did not have the privilege to use home grown spinach. Last week we had been to the Vietnamese stores in Oklahoma City and I could not resist the fresh bunches of spinach in the store. I bought couple of bunches and made Palak Paneer for dinner.

I use either paneer or tofu when making Palak paneer. My boys like both paneer and tofu and hence I use whatever I have in the refrigerator. This time, I had paneer in hand and hence used it to make the subzi.

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I treat both the paneer and tofu the same way and briefly pan fry them to give a little color. If using tofu, make sure to weigh it down for sometime and remove the excess moisture before pan frying.

I am still leaving the fresh spinach picture from my last post as I don't want to miss on that memory. The rest of the pictures are updated as I did not have any step by step cooking pictures.

fresh spinach leaves from garden

Ingredients to make Palak Paneer / Palak Tofu - (serves 6-8)

  • Palak (spinach) – 6 cups
  • Paneer (tofu) – 200 Gms
  • Onion – 2 medium (chopped)
  • Tomatoes – 2 (chopped)
  • Dhania powder – 1 tsp
  • Jeera powder – ½ tsp
  • Red chilli powder – 1 ½ tsp
  • Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
  • Cashew nuts – 10
  • Poppy seeds – 2 teaspoon (optional)
  • Curd (Yogurt) – ½ cup whipped
  • Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
  • Sugar – 1tsp
  • Salt to taste
  • Butter – 1 tblsp
  • Oil – as needed
Palak paneer subzi in white bowl with roti

Procedure to make Palak Paneer

  • Wash the palak and chop it coarsely. Heat some butter and fry the palak until it shrinks. Allow it cool and then grind it into a smooth paste.
pureeing spinach
  • Soak cashews and poppy seeds for 10 mins and grind it into a smooth paste.
making cashew paste
  • Cut paneer (Tofu) into small cubes and shallow fry it in little oil / butter until its light brown and transfer it to a bowl with warm water. The water keeps the paneer soft.
Paneer cubes in water
  • Heat the rest of the butter/oil in the same pan and fry the onions until golden brown. Now add the dhania powder, jeera powder, chilli powder and the garam masala powder.
  • Stir for couple of minute and then add the whipped curd. Cook in reduced flame until the oil floats on top.
  • Now add the tomatoes and mix well. Cook until the tomatoes are soft.
Process shot to make palak paneer
  • Add salt, sugar, ground palak leaves, turmeric powder and cook for few minutes.
  • Now add the cashew paste and add just enough water to bring the gravy to the required consistency. Cook in medium heat until the gravy is thick. Now add the fried paneer (tofu) and let it come to a boil once.
boiling spinach gravy with paneer
  • Sprinkle the rest of the garam masala powder and serve hot with parathas or rotis.
Paneer cubes in spinach gravy

Expert Tips

  • Fresh spinach leaves as well as frozen spinach leaves can be used to make this spinach curry.
  • Paneer or tofu works great for this and I use both very often.
  • I prefer lightly frying the paneer or tofu pieces before adding it to the spinach gravy.
  • Air fryer works great for frying the tofu or paneer cubes and I use it these days to fry instead of pan frying.

Similar Recipes

  • Hara Cholia Paneer Subzi | Fresh Garbanzo Beans Paneer Subzi
  • Matar Paneer | Mutter Paneer – Paneer and Peas in Smooth Gravy
  • Dahi Paneer – Dahi Wala Paneer – Paneer Subzi in Yogurt Gravy
  • Hyderabadi Paneer | Hyderabadi Style Spicy Paneer Subzi

 If you made this recipe and liked it, give a star rating on the recipe card or let me know in the comments below. You could also share it with me on Instagram using #MyCookingJourney and tagging me @sandhya.ramakrishnan. You could follow me and my recipes on Facebook |Instagram | Pinterest | twitter

palak paneer subzi

Palak Paneer / Palak Tofu

Palak Paneer / Palak Tofu made with fresh spinach leaves and simple masalais a great side dish with some Phulkas / rotis and rice.
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Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Vegetarian
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 223kcal
Author: Sandhya Ramakrishnan

Equipment

  • Blender
  • hand blender

Ingredients

  • 6 cups Palak / spinach fresh
  • 200 gms Paneer / tofu
  • 2 medium Onion chopped
  • 2 Tomatoes chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Dhania powder / coriander powder
  • ½ teaspoon Jeera powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoon Red chilli powder can be adjusted based on spice level
  • ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
  • 10 Cashew nuts
  • 2 teaspoon Poppy seeds optional
  • ½ cup Curd / yogurt Whipped
  • 1 teaspoon Garam masala powder
  • 1 teaspoon Sugar
  • to taste Salt
  • 1 tablespoon Butter
  • 2 tablespoon Oil

Instructions

  • Wash the palak and chop it coarsely. Heat some butter and fry the palak until it shrinks. Allow it cool and then grind it into a smooth paste.
  • Soak cashews and poppy seeds for 10 mins and grind it into a smooth paste.
  • Cut paneer (Tofu) into small cubes and shallow fry it in little oil/butter until its light brown and transfer it to a bowl with warm water. The water keeps the paneer soft.
  • Heat the rest of the butter / oil in the same pan and fry the onions until golden brown. Now add the dhania powder, jeera powder, chilli powder and the garam masala powder.
  • Stir for couple of minute and then add the whipped curd. Cook in reduced flame until the oil floats on top.
  • Now add the tomatoes and mix well. Cook until the tomatoes are soft.
  • Add salt, sugar, ground palak leaves, turmeric powder and cook for few minutes.
  • Now add the cashew poppy paste and add just enough water to bring the gravy to the required consistency. Cook in medium heat until the gravy is thick. Now add the fried paneer (tofu) and let it come to a boil once.
  • Sprinkle the rest of the garam masala powder and serve hot with parathas or rotis.

Notes

Expert Tips
  • Fresh spinach leaves as well as frozen spinach leaves can be used to make this spinach curry.
  • Paneer or tofu works great for this and I use both very often.
  • I prefer lightly frying the paneer or tofu pieces before adding it to the spinach gravy.
  • Air fryer works great for frying the tofu or paneer cubes and I use it these days to fry instead of pan frying.

Nutrition

Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 71mg | Potassium: 400mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 3387IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 251mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @Sandhya.Ramakrishnan or tag #MyCookingJourney!
« Chilli Parotta | Kothu Parotta | Mixed Parotta
Dali Thoy | Konkani Style Dal | Vegan Spiced Lentil »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Varada says

    March 02, 2018 at 6:16 pm

    I love the vibrant creamy color of the spinach. Addition of tofu is a nice variation from paneer.

    Reply
  2. Jayashree says

    December 06, 2017 at 7:10 pm

    This is one of those mild, yet flavorful dishes that I love.

    Reply
  3. Priya Srinivasan says

    December 05, 2017 at 12:25 pm

    Looks delicious sandhya! would love to have a bowl as such! Warm and comforting!

    Reply
  4. Sarvesh Ramakrishnan says

    December 03, 2017 at 12:11 pm

    Looks Amazing and Tastes good

    Reply
  5. Chef Mireille says

    December 03, 2017 at 11:31 am

    one of my fave Indian veg recipes but not tofu version - love paneer but HATE tofu

    Reply
  6. Priya Suresh says

    December 02, 2017 at 12:53 pm

    I can have this ultimate palak paneer/tofu with some rotis without any fuss, my all time favourite dish.

    Reply
  7. Sowmya says

    December 01, 2017 at 10:57 pm

    Nice twist to Palak paneer...looks delicious!

    Reply
  8. Sapana Behl says

    December 01, 2017 at 4:26 pm

    I too love making this with paneer and tofu, the new pics looks great.

    Reply
  9. harini says

    November 30, 2017 at 8:33 am

    I agree with pavani that this is one of few recipes where tofu and paneer can interchangeably used.

    Reply
  10. Pavani says

    November 29, 2017 at 3:59 pm

    This is one of those tofu dishes that tastes just as good as the one with paneer. Healthy and delicious.

    Reply
  11. Sushma Pinjala says

    November 29, 2017 at 1:32 pm

    One of my favorite dish......

    Reply

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I am Sandhya Ramakrishnan, author, recipe developer and photographer in this journey! 'My Cooking Journey' is all about family friendly Vegetarian and Vegan recipes from around the World with focus on Indian cuisine.

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