I have been a fan of Palak Paneer since I was in my teens and would go to the Indian Buffet over lunch time with my father. We would enjoy a variety of foods, but the vegetarian green curry with the white chunks was always a favorite.
Fast-forward a decade, and I learned that the white chunks were called ‘paneer’, a homemade Indian cheese. No wonder the meal was so delicious! Firm and rich, with a texture unlike other cheeses in America, paneer is a sumptuous, flavorful treat. The spinach and aromatic sauce is a perfect accompaniment.
These past years, I have not created a Palak Paneer recipe, for a few reasons. It seemed difficult to find good paneer in the stores, and paneer was not a FODMAP tested product. Furthermore, the amount of onion and garlic in a classic recipe seemed challenging to reproduce in a tummy-friendly manner.
Fortunately, recently Monash tested and reported FODMAP data for paneer, and Whole Foods sells a version with excellent flavor. So, I decided to give this creation a try. I use infused oils, ginger, and an array of spices to provide amazing flavor. While I didn’t make my paneer from scratch, I followed authentic Indian recipes to prepare other aspects of this dish.
Dr. Rachel’s Notes:
- Saag Paneer is a dish similar to Palak Paneer. Saag refers to a variety of greens including mustard greens, spinach, fenugreek, amaranth and a few others. Saag Paneer uses a combination of these, while Palak Paneer is made only with spinach. Therefore Palak Paneer is more reliable for FODMAP elimination phase and food testing data. If you have tested your tolerances to those greens, then feel free to substitute in this recipe.
- FODMAP fact: Paneer is a cheese, but is higher in lactose than many hard cheeses. A low-FODMAP portion size is 40-50g. If you tolerate higher amounts of lactose, then feel free to increase your serving size.
You may also love:
- Low-FODMAP Chicken Tikka Masala
- Low-FODMAP Curry Chicken and Potatoes
- Low-FODMAP Creamy Chickpea Masala-Curry
- Low-FODMAP Curry Chicken Salad
- Low-FODMAP Masala Chai Spice Blend
- Dr. Rachel’s Best Low-FODMAP Chicken Recipes
- Dr. Rachel’s Favorite Low-FODMAP Asian Recipes
Or over 500 more low-FODMAP recipes on the blog! IBS and gut friendly.
Be healthy and happy,
Rachel Pauls MD
Low-FODMAP & Gluten-free Palak Paneer (Indian Spinach with Cheese)
Low-FODMAP Palak Paneer is a creamy, rich, and delicious Northern Indian vegetarian recipe. Try it tonight and your family will love it!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Indian
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 350 grams fresh spinach, stems removed*
- 1 medium tomato (140g), chopped*
- 1-inch fresh ginger, minced*
- 1 tablespoon garlic infused oil*
- 1 tablespoon onion or shallot infused oil*
- 1/4 –1/2 cup low-FODMAP vegetable broth, or water
- 1 teaspoon garam masala*
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder *
- 1/4 teaspoon ancho chili powder*
- 1/4 teaspoon coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt, plus to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar (adjust to taste)
- 2–3 tablespoons lactose-free heavy cream, or canned coconut cream (for vegetarian)
- 1 tablespoon almond meal (optional)
- 160 grams paneer, cut into cubes*
- 1/2 tablespoon crushed kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)*
- 1–2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
Instructions
- Put a large pot on medium-high heat to boil. Set up an ice water bath while this is prepping
- Lightly salt the water, then immerse the spinach leaves and boil for 2-3 minutes until wilted
- Drain spinach in a colander, then plunge the colander into the ice bath to stop the cooking process and preserve the green color of the spinach
- Once cooled, place spinach, tomato, and ginger in a blender and puree until smooth
- If you are planning to sear the paneer, do so now (see notes below)
- Heat a large cast iron, or enamel lined pan on medium heat. Once hot, add both infused oils, then the spinach puree
- Stir in 1/4-1/2 cup of your LF vegetable broth or water
- Cover the pan and let it cook for 10 minutes on medium or medium-low, stirring often
- Once the spinach is cooked, add the garam masala, turmeric, chili powder, coriander powder, salt, and sugar
- Add the heavy cream or canned coconut cream and mix again
- Taste, and adjust seasonings (if your spinach is bitter, you may want more sugar). Stir in almond meal if desired
- Stir in the paneer, allow to simmer for a couple minutes
- Mix in the fenugreek leaves*, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Taste, and adjust seasonings as needed
- Serve dish hot over Basmati or Jasmine rice
Notes
- Although this recipe has not been lab-tested, a single serving should be low-FODMAP based on the ingredients (using available FODMAP data at time of blog posting)
- For common tomato, 65g is one low-FODMAP serving due to fructose
- One low-FODMAP serving for spinach is 75g per Monash; maximum size per FODMAP Friendly is 777g
- Paneer is low-FODMAP in 40g servings. If your paneer is crumbly, then sear on a skillet for 1-2 minutes before incorporating (see notes to follow). I used Sach Organic Paneer
- Check all spice blends to ensure no added onion or garlic
- Dried fenugreek leaves are low-FODMAP in 1 cup (16g) servings. I purchased mine on Amazon
- Infused oils do not contain FODMAPs! See more in my Tips and Tricks for the Low-FODMAP Diet
Potential substitutions; these will give a slightly different flavor, but will still be delicious:
- You may also substitute yellow curry powder for the turmeric
- You may try 1-2 teaspoons cumin in place of the fenugreek leaves (but I really think the fenugreek adds to the flavor)
To prepare paneer:
- Cut your block into 1/2” vertical strips, then each strip into 1/2” horizontal strips to make small 1/2”x 3/4” pieces
- If you wish to sear your paneer (helps the texture if the paneer is soft) then heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil in your skillet over medium or medium-low heat. Place the paneer cubes in a single layer and cook, turning constantly, until lightly golden on all sides (about 5-7 minutes). The paneer may pop and spatter (watch out for hot oil)! Transfer the paneer from the pan to a paper towel-lined plate for later incorporating
- i browned my paneer
