Palak Paneer Delicious Vegetarian Curry

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Thermomix Palak Paneer, is a very popular vegetarian curry. The easiest way to make this delicious vegetarian curry is with your Thermomix.

Thermomix Palak Paneer curry in and Indian bowl served with naan bread.

This is a super healthy vegetarian recipe that is truly authentic. Many of you may know that I visited India and stayed in family homes, attended cooking classes, and visited temples where they cooked and served free meals for thousands of poor people each day. The aim of this trip was to collect recipes for my first Thermomix Cookbook.

One of the classes I attended was called Gourmet Desire and was located in a family home in Delhi. Prior to the class, I emailed a menu of recipes that I wanted to learn how to make. One of the dishes on my wish list was Palak Paneer. Have you tried Palak Paneer before? It's a spinach curry served with cubes of fried paneer. Happily, when we arrived for the class the teacher was ready to show me the secrets to making a delicious Palak Paneer.

I had been intending on converting the authentic Indian Palak Paneer into a Thermomix Palak Paneer recipe with all the same ingredients, but a much simpler cooking technique.

BUT, the Thermomix Palak Paneer didn't make the recipe list. I hadn't perfected the recipe by the time it was ready to publish the book. Also, there were so many other delicious recipes already in the book, that deserved a place, I couldn't find one to remove! So, Palak Paneer didn't make it into the cookbook.

An Indian ThermoKitchen Cookbook

This book was a product of my trip to India. I went in search of recipes for all my favourite dishes. You will notice that my travel is always been dictated by my belly! To get a taste of what is really served at mealtimes in India I stayed in all styles of accommodation. I even stayed in a homestay where I learned to cook with the mother of the house. The result of this trip was a collection of 28 recipes. The book is available as a hardcopy or eBook.

Learn More

When my Cookbook was first released I held some workshops demonstrating my favourite recipes. During one of these classes, I was asked if I had a recipe for Palak Paneer. I had to admit, I hadn't yet converted the recipe for use in the Thermomix so I got busy, and as a result, this is now one of the free recipes on my website.

How to make Thermomix Palak Paneer Vegan

Would you like to make this dish Vegan?

The recipe has three ingredients that require substitution;

Paneer - Swap paneer for tofu, pan fry as per the first step
Cream - Substitute for coconut cream, the flavour will change but it will still be delicious
Ghee - Substitue for the oil of your choice, choose a very low flavoured oil

Vegetarian Indian Curry in a metal bowl, wooden table

Indian Curry Spices

Most of the spices in this recipe are fairly common. If any of the spices are unfamiliar to you take a look at this spices page. I have explained all the spices I use in my Indian Cookbook and for curries on this website. I have also provided links on where you can get the spices online if you can't find them in your area. Where there are substitute ingredients available I've provided product information.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I substitute fresh spinach for frozen spinach?

Yes, you can use fresh spinach.
1. Chopped the spinach up and place in a saucepan.
2. Boil the spinach for a minute or two until wilted.
3. Remove the spinach from the saucepan and refresh in cold water. This stops the spinach from cooking further and losing its vibrant green colour.
4. Drain the spinach but don't squeeze all the water out.

Are the baby spinach packs from the supermarket suitable?

Yes, you can, just follow the procedure above.

Where do I buy frozen fried paneer cubes?

These are usually available in the freezer section of an Indian or Asian grocery store.

What can I substitute for frozen fried paneer cubes?

Paneer is also sold in a block at the supermarket. Cut the block into cubes and gently fry each side.

Can I make my own paneer?

Yes, you can! Paneer is not difficult to make. The recipe is in my Indian Cookbook. An Indian ThermoKitchen.

What can I substitute if the paneer is completely unavailable?

You can swap the paneer for tofu. Purchase firm tofu and cut it into cubes. Fry the cubes in ghee or oil.

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I share loads of great recipes on the page. Our community group page is a fabulous place to ask questions and share images of recipes you have made! It helps inspire others to cook new and interesting dishes.

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Thermomix Palak Paneer - Vegetarian Curry

Julie Carlyle

A simple vegetarian curry which can be made in the Thermomix.

5 from 4 votes

Print Recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Total Time 35

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Servings people

Calories 407 kcal

Equipment

1 Thermomix

Ingredients

750 gm Frozen spinach defrost prior to cooking - warm in microwave
400 gm frozen paneer cubes *see the FAQ section for information about this product and substitute products.
10 g ghee or oil
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
10 gm cassia or cinnamon bark
5 green cardamon
1 bay leaf
40 gm ghee or oil recipe for homemade ghee in my Indian Cookbook
250 gm onion
15 gm garlic
10 gm ginger
1 green chilli *optional
1 teaspoon Kashmiri Chili Powder
500 g liquid vegetable stock or 1 TBS vegetable stock paste and 500g water
½ teaspoon salt or more to taste
½ teaspoon jaggery sugar coconut blossom or rapadura
100 g fresh cream
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 TBS fenugreek leaves

Instructions

Place spinach in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave until defrosted and slightly warmed. Don't drain. reserve for later.
750 gm Frozen spinach
In a frying pan, use low heat to gently fry the paneer cubes in ghee or oil until golden. Meanwhile, start the curry base.
400 gm frozen paneer cubes, 10 g ghee
Add the cassia, cumin, bay leaf and cardamon to the TM bowl. Roast 4 min/Varoma/Speed 2 (MC OUT)
1 teaspoon cumin seed, 10 gm cassia or cinnamon bark, 5 green cardamon, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
Mill the spices. 30 sec/Speed 9. Scrape down the bowl.
Add the onion, garlic, ginger and green chilli (if using) to the TM bowl.
250 gm onion, 15 gm garlic, 10 gm ginger, 1 green chilli
Chop 7 sec/speed 9. Scrape down the bowl.
Add the ghee to the TM. Cook 8 min/Varoma/Speed 2 (MC OUT).
40 gm ghee or oil
Add the vegetable stock, Kashmiri chili, salt, and sugar. Blend 30 sec/Speed 9.
1 teaspoon Kashmiri Chili Powder, 500 g liquid vegetable stock, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon jaggery sugar
Cook 10min/Varoma/Speed 2.
Add the reserved spinach, cream, garam masala, and fenegreek leaves
100 g fresh cream, 1 teaspoon garam masala, 1 TBS fenugreek leaves
Blend 40 seconds/Speed 9.
Cook 4min/100 degrees/Speed 3.
Distribute the fried paneer equally into 4 serving bowls.
Pour the Palak curry sauce over the paneer and serve.
Optionally garnish with extra cream.

Notes

This Spinach and Paneer Curry can be made using fresh spinach or even baby spinach. Please see the substitution information in the story for details on how to use fresh spinach in the curry.

Nutrition

Calories: 407kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 18gFat: 31gSaturated Fat: 18gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 810mgPotassium: 674mgFiber: 7gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 18222IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 624mgIron: 4mg

Keyword healthy, Indian Curry, Spinach, vegetable, Vegetarain

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Palak Paneer recipe on a striped table cloth

I hope you have enjoyed this story. Feel free to leave a comment or start a discussion. If you have made a dish from this site I would love to know what you thought!

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Thank you for stopping by,

Happy Cooking

j xx

Julie Carlyle says

August 16, 2022 at 6:33 am

Good morning Ritu
Thank you for your question. I know guided cooking with Cookidoo would make using my recipes and those of other independent recipes developers much easier. Unfortunately this isn’t possible because once a recipe is added to Cookidoo, Thermomix then owns the rights to that recipe.
All recipes on my website are copyright protected, meaning they can’t be added to a recipe platform such as Cookidoo. When you add a recipe to Cookidoo you are stating that you developed, tested and photographed the recipe yourself, and as the owner of the asset “recipe” you are transferring the rights to the recipe to Vorwerk world wide. They are then entitled to use the recipe on Books they sell or by reproducing my recipe and adding it to their subscription.
I offer all the recipes on my website for free, no subscription required. This doesn’t mean they are free for me to produce. This particular recipe required a trip to India and staying with an Indian family. Most of my recipes from that trip went into a cookbook but I shared some free recipes on my website.
When I got home from a Indian I worked on all the recipes I had been shown and substituted ingredients that were unavailable here for local ingredients. I worked out how to make each recipe using the Thermomix. Sometimes it took me 6 or more goes to get a recipe correct. So whilst my recipes are free for you to use in my site, they are not available for a company like Thermomix to offer to all of their subscribers. By adding the recipe to your personal created recipes you are agreeing to that.
The way I maintain the costs of running my website and providing free recipes is through the advertising on my site. Once my recipe is copied and reproduced elsewhere I have no way to support my websites and I will have to stop offering these recipes to the public. I’m sorry for such a long answer, I’m sure you, and everyone else in the community who asks this question doesn’t realise that adding recipes from an independent recipe developer will put them out of business. At this stage Thermomix has a monopoly on Cookidoo recipes. They charge a subscription to users and if users upload independent developers recipes they also get the rights to those.
Please don’t add your favourite bloggers recipes to a Cookidoo or we won’t survive.
I hope you have a lovely day. I know this answer is much more than you were expecting from, what seemed like a simple question.
Please continue to enjoy recipes from all the lovely independent thermomix recipe developer. We each have our own style of cooking which means there is a much greater diversity of recipes available for the Thermomix when small business like mine are in the recipe mix.
Happy cooking
Julie

Comments

Ritu says

August 15, 2022 at 11:49 pm

How do you add the recipe into the cookiedo? or do you have to manually run the machine?

- Julie Carlyle says
  
  August 16, 2022 at 6:33 am
  
  Good morning Ritu
  Thank you for your question. I know guided cooking with Cookidoo would make using my recipes and those of other independent recipes developers much easier. Unfortunately this isn’t possible because once a recipe is added to Cookidoo, Thermomix then owns the rights to that recipe.
  All recipes on my website are copyright protected, meaning they can’t be added to a recipe platform such as Cookidoo. When you add a recipe to Cookidoo you are stating that you developed, tested and photographed the recipe yourself, and as the owner of the asset “recipe” you are transferring the rights to the recipe to Vorwerk world wide. They are then entitled to use the recipe on Books they sell or by reproducing my recipe and adding it to their subscription.
  I offer all the recipes on my website for free, no subscription required. This doesn’t mean they are free for me to produce. This particular recipe required a trip to India and staying with an Indian family. Most of my recipes from that trip went into a cookbook but I shared some free recipes on my website.
  When I got home from a Indian I worked on all the recipes I had been shown and substituted ingredients that were unavailable here for local ingredients. I worked out how to make each recipe using the Thermomix. Sometimes it took me 6 or more goes to get a recipe correct. So whilst my recipes are free for you to use in my site, they are not available for a company like Thermomix to offer to all of their subscribers. By adding the recipe to your personal created recipes you are agreeing to that.
  The way I maintain the costs of running my website and providing free recipes is through the advertising on my site. Once my recipe is copied and reproduced elsewhere I have no way to support my websites and I will have to stop offering these recipes to the public. I’m sorry for such a long answer, I’m sure you, and everyone else in the community who asks this question doesn’t realise that adding recipes from an independent recipe developer will put them out of business. At this stage Thermomix has a monopoly on Cookidoo recipes. They charge a subscription to users and if users upload independent developers recipes they also get the rights to those.
  Please don’t add your favourite bloggers recipes to a Cookidoo or we won’t survive.
  I hope you have a lovely day. I know this answer is much more than you were expecting from, what seemed like a simple question.
  Please continue to enjoy recipes from all the lovely independent thermomix recipe developer. We each have our own style of cooking which means there is a much greater diversity of recipes available for the Thermomix when small business like mine are in the recipe mix.
  Happy cooking
  Julie
  
  - Sharolyn Newington says
    
    August 03, 2023 at 5:10 pm
    
    Hi Julie, really appreciate this response and it makes so much sense. I have an older model thermomix (TM31) and don’t have access to Cookido. I am grateful for people like you who share their recipes. My dinner is currently cooking away so I will be sure to check back when it’s ready. Thanks
    
    - Julie Carlyle says
      
      August 08, 2023 at 12:27 pm
      
      Hi Sharolyn
      The TM31 certainly are a work horse, I do believe they will go forever. Thank you for appreciating my recipes, it means a lot to me to know that people are enjoying them.
      Happy Cooking
      Julie
      
Kayt says

October 02, 2020 at 7:16 pm

I must admit I was having doubts because of the amount of cassia but I was sooooo wrong. This was absolutely delicious and I’ll definitely be making it again.

Derek says

April 11, 2019 at 5:06 pm

Best palak paneer recipe I've had.

- Julie Carlyle says
  
  April 12, 2019 at 5:27 pm
  
  Hi Derek, thank you so much for your kind words! I’m so pleased you enjoyed the recipe.
  Happy cooking
  J
  
Alexis says

July 29, 2018 at 8:13 pm

Thank you so much for this! Made it in the Bellini intelli and we devoured it. If I wanted to make it saucier, how would I go about it?

Helen Stewart says

July 22, 2017 at 8:08 pm

So very good! Quite a few stages but once you have done a few times it's easier. A beautiful dinner a real hit

- Julie Carlyle says
  
  July 23, 2017 at 10:18 am
  
  I'm so pleased you enjoyed it Helen 🙂 Thanks for coming back and sharing xx
  
Teresa says

March 08, 2017 at 1:55 pm

Oh Wow, I love Palak Paneer, I 've played around with it a little in my thermie but haven't been able to get it right - thank you for sharing this 🙂

- Julie says
  
  March 08, 2017 at 1:57 pm
  
  My pleasure 🙂
  
Kerry says

January 26, 2017 at 3:43 pm

Palak Paneer is my favourite Indian restaurant dish. I made your dish and it was perfect! Thank so much, I will never go out for Indian again!!