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Broccoli Palak Paneer

This broccoli palak paneer is a healthier twist on the classic Indian spinach curry. By adding broccoli to the traditional palak paneer, you get extra fiber, vitamins, and a beautiful bright green color. The milk soaked paneer stays soft and creamy, never rubbery, making every bite melt in your mouth.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4 servings (320g)
Calories 352 kcal
Protein24 g
Fiber8 g
Fat22 g
Carbohydrates21 g

Equipment

  • 1 Large pot for blanching
  • 1 Bowl with ice water fill with cold water and ice cubes for shocking vegetables
  • 1 Blender or food processor
  • 2 Skillets one for paneer, one for gravy

Ingredients
 

For Spinach Broccoli Puree:

  • 4 cups (960 ml) water - for blanching
  • 2 teaspoon (12 g) salt - for blanching
  • 1 lb (454 g) fresh spinach leaves - use pre-washed bagged spinach
  • 1 lb (454 g) broccoli - florets and stems
  • 8 (14 g) green chilies - Thai chilies, adjust to taste
  • ½ cup (120 ml) water - optional, for blending if needed

For Paneer:

  • 2 teaspoon (14 g) peanut oil - for frying paneer
  • 8 oz (227 g) paneer - cut into strips then cubed
  • 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk - for soaking paneer

For Tomato Passata:

  • 2 tablespoon (30 g) water
  • 2 tablespoon (40 g) tomato paste - or use fresh tomato puree

For Gravy:

  • 2 tablespoon (28 g) peanut oil
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 cloves
  • 1 inch cinnamon stick
  • 1 medium (110 g) onion - finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon (9 g) salt - adjust to taste
  • 1 tablespoon (20 g) ginger garlic paste
  • ¼ teaspoon (0.5 g) turmeric powder
  • 1 tablespoon (5 g) coriander powder
  • ¼ teaspoon (2 g) cumin powder
  • ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) garam masala
  • 1 tablespoon (2.5 g) kasuri methi - dried fenugreek leaves

Instructions
 

  • Bring 4 cups water with 2 teaspoon salt to a boil in a large pot.
    Salted water beginning to boil in a stainless steel pot on gas stovetop
  • While the water comes to a boil, cut the 8 oz paneer into 4 long strips. Finely chop the 1 medium onion. Mix 2 tablespoon tomato paste with 2 tablespoon water to make the tomato passata.
    Paneer block, chopped onions in bowl, and tomato passata on wooden cutting board

Blanch Vegetables:

  • Add 1 lb broccoli to the boiling water. Broccoli needs more time than spinach.
    Bright green broccoli florets blanching in boiling water in stainless steel pot
  • After 2 minutes, add 1 lb fresh spinach leaves and 8 green chilies to the pot. Blanch for another 2 minutes until spinach is wilted and bright green.
    Fresh spinach and broccoli blanching together in pot with wooden spoon stirring
  • Drain the vegetables and immediately transfer to a bowl of ice water. This stops the cooking and preserves the bright green color. Let sit for 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Drain the vegetables and give them a gentle squeeze. Do not squeeze too hard or you will remove too much moisture. Add to blender with ½ cup water and blend into a smooth puree. Add more water if needed to help the blender run smoothly. Set aside.
    Vibrant bright green spinach and broccoli puree in blender jar after blending

Prepare Paneer:

  • Heat 2 teaspoon peanut oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the paneer strips and fry for 2 minutes per side until golden brown on all sides.
    Four golden brown paneer strips frying in cast iron skillet with spatula flipping
  • Remove paneer to a cutting board. Add 1 cup whole milk to the hot pan and warm it. Cut the paneer strips into small cubes (as small as you like). Add the cubed paneer to the warm milk and turn off heat. Let it soak while you make the gravy. This brings back the soft texture and prevents rubbery paneer.
    Cubed fried paneer pieces soaking in warm milk in cast iron skillet with wooden spoon

Make the Gravy:

  • Heat 2 tablespoon peanut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 bay leaf, 3 cloves, and 1 inch cinnamon stick. Fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
    Bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and cloves being added to hot oil in stainless steel pan
  • Add the chopped onion and 1 teaspoon salt. Fry until golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the cloves and cinnamon stick (leave bay leaf to remove later at the table).
    Chopped onions frying until golden brown with bay leaf in stainless steel pan
  • Add 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste and fry for 2 to 3 minutes until the raw smell is gone.
    Ginger garlic paste added to golden onions in pan with wooden spoon stirring
  • Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 tablespoon coriander powder, ¼ teaspoon cumin powder, and ½ teaspoon garam masala. Fry for 30 seconds. Add the tomato passata mixture and cook for 1 minute until the oil starts to separate.
    Tomato passata and spice powders cooking with onions in stainless steel pan
  • Add the pureed spinach and broccoli. Cook for 3 minutes until you see bubbles and the gravy thickens slightly.
    Bright green spinach broccoli puree added to spiced onion tomato base in pan
  • Add the milk soaked paneer along with the milk. Stir gently and cook for 5 minutes until heated through and the flavors meld together.
    Golden paneer cubes added to bright green palak gravy in pan with wooden spoon
  • Crush 1 tablespoon kasuri methi between your palms and sprinkle over the curry. Stir and turn off heat. Serve hot with naan, roti, or rice.
    Hands crushing dried kasuri methi between palms over the finished palak paneer

Video

Notes

Multitask to Save Time: You can do several steps at the same time. Fry the paneer while the vegetables are blanching. Start the gravy while the paneer soaks in warm milk. This cuts down the total cooking time significantly.
Portioning Tips: This recipe makes about 1280g total (4 servings at 320g each). Your total weight may vary depending on how much water you squeezed out and added back during blending. Weigh your skillet before you start so you can calculate the total weight of the finished dish and divide by 4. You can also divide the paneer cubes equally among servings to get consistent portions.
Milk Soaking Technique: Soaking fried paneer in warm milk is the secret to soft, creamy paneer that never turns rubbery. The milk rehydrates the paneer and adds richness to the gravy.
Ice Bath Importance: Shocking the blanched vegetables in ice water immediately stops the cooking process and locks in the bright green color. Skipping this step will result in dull, olive colored gravy.
Do Not Over Squeeze: When draining the blanched vegetables, give them only a gentle squeeze. Squeezing too hard removes too much moisture and makes it difficult to blend into a smooth puree. You can always add more water to the blender if needed.
Adjust Heat Level: 8 Thai chilies makes this quite spicy. For medium heat, use 4 to 5 chilies. For mild, use 2 to 3 and remove the seeds. You can also add chili powder at the end if it is not spicy enough for you.
Whole Spices: Remove the cloves and cinnamon before serving as biting into them can be unpleasant. Leave the bay leaf as a visual reminder to remove it.
Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The color may darken slightly but the flavor remains delicious. Reheat gently on the stovetop.

NUTRITION

Nutrition Facts
Broccoli Palak Paneer
Serving Size
 
1 serving (320g)
Amount per Serving
Calories
352
% Daily Value*
Protein
 
24
g
48
%
Carbohydrates
 
21
g
7
%
Fiber
 
8
g
33
%
Sugar
 
7
g
8
%
Fat
 
22
g
34
%
Potassium
 
1193
mg
34
%
Sodium
 
787
mg
34
%
Vitamin D
 
1
µg
7
%
Calcium
 
579
mg
58
%
Iron
 
5
mg
28
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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