This simple, quick and healthy vegetarian kale curry recipe is perfect for busy weeknights! Kale tastes amazing in place of spinach for a palak paneer style dish full of sweet, aromatic spices and creamy coconut milk.
This recipe was originally published in 2018 and has been updated in 2022 with new photos, a video + couple of small tweaks to the recipe. Please scroll below the recipe card for more details.
2018 Christine says:
“So here’s something new that I’ve tried this summer: using kale instead of spinach in homemade curries! I’ve always been a fan of spinach based curries, whether the spinach is left whole or pureed, such as palak paneer or sag aloo. But in an effort to mix up our greens, I started swapping in kale from time to time and you know what? I love love love it.”
On Using Kale in Curry : How it Differs From Spinach
Using kale instead of spinach does yield a very different texture. I like to puree it down to small specks, but not completely liquify it, so there’s some thickness and body to it.
Now, I love palak paneer with a super silky pureed sauce, but this kale paneer has an extra layer to it which I am thoroughly enjoying.
The sweet coconut milk in this dish helps to offset the bitterness of kale but it does still taste like kale. So it’s not for the haters.
Which type of kale to use?
I’ve tried and loved this recipe with curly kale and cavolo nero (aka lacinato kale, dinosaur kale, tuscan kale, black kale). While the original version of this recipe was developed and published with curly kale as the star, I later developed a preference for cavolo nero and that’s why the 2022 photos and video now use it.
Cavolo nero is a little heartier so it’s got even more of a presence in the curry than curly kale. It doesn’t puree down as much. Curly kale purees a little smoother… still less smooth than spinach, but it’s the middle ground between the three.
By the way… if cooking with cavolo nero / lacinato kale is new to you, I have a whole guide full of recipes and tips right here!
This is a mild, kid friendly curry
This is very mild, with the emphasis on fragrant spices and not heat. While I won’t suggest that all kids would like this, it is completely child friendly as there’s not much salt or hot chili, and my toddlers have enjoyed it. This kale curry and my palak paneer for babies are the best ways I found to get a substantial amount of greens down them (before they turned against the color green for green’s sake).
How to Make the Kale Curry Sauce
The best part in all this? It’s so easy.
See your friendly cast of easy to find ingredients? They’re going to come together for you in about 30 minutes.
First you’re going to cook up some onions, garlic and ginger, before adding the tomato paste and kale. You’ll saute until all the kale is cooked before adding the coconut milk.
You’ll then puree it. If you use a deeper pan, you could use an immersion blender to puree it in the same pot for maximum ease, otherwise, into the blender we go.
(You can probably skip the pureeing if you prefer to have whole kale leaves. I’ve never tried it that way, but I am sure it’s just fine!)
Then you’ll add the paneer, and away you go.
Serving Suggestions, Ingredient Swaps and Tips from Readers
- I mentioned before how this is a very mild, fragrant but not hot, kinda curry. Please feel free to increase the spices and add chili for something with more of a kick. I have tried it with extra spice and chili added, and loved it.
- The amount of tomato paste has been debated in the comments. A couple of readers preferred it with less (2 tablespoons rather than the 4 in the recipe). The lower amount of tomato paste, when used with curly kale, was felt to replicate palak paneer more closely whereas the higher amount in the recipe makes the curry creamier and sort of makes it a hybrid between a palak paneer and a makhani sauce curry. I have personally tried it with 2 tablespoons and while I liked it, I still lean towards the original amount.
- I’ve had a few readers feed back that they used the base kale curry sauce with other ingredients – this is a great idea! Try mixed vegetables, potatoes, tofu, beans or anything else that floats your boat.
- If these options feel sad to you, and you have your heart set on cheese but can’t find paneer, try halloumi!
- If you love the taste of cilantro / fresh coriander, please feel free to throw a handful of it (stems and all) into the blender when you puree the sauce. It’s very tasty!
You’ll also love…
Paneer lovers, take note of these:
Kale lovers, I got you covered too:
Kale Paneer Curry
Ingredients
- ½ medium onion, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp grated fresh ginger, or 1/2 tsp dried
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp tumeric
- 1 Tbsp garam masala
- 4 Tbsp tomato paste, you can reduce to 2 Tbsp for a less tomatoey result
- 30 g (2 Tbsp) salted butter
- 200 g (7 oz) kale, chopped. Curly kale or lacinato kale / cavolo nero both work well.
- 1 can (1 can) full fat coconut milk
- 4 Tbsp plain unsweetened yogurt
- 450 g (16 oz) paneer cheese, sliced into cubes or strips
- 1 lemon, juiced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional Additions
- 1 chopped green chili or 1 tsp of chili powder
- 1 handful fresh chopped coriander, to add to blender and/or for topping
Instructions
- In a skillet or wide saucepan, heat a little vegetable oil and lightly saute the onion until softened. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for another few minutes until everything is cooked and fragrant.
- Add the butter to the pan, followed by all of the spices, and cook until the butter is melted.
- Add the tomato paste.
- Now add about a third of the kale. Sauté until the kale is wilted, and continue adding kale in batches. The pan may get dry as you do this, so scoop in some of the coconut milk as you go to add moisture and help the kale to wilt.
- Once the kale is all cooked, add the coconut milk. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Now add the entire mixture to a blender or food processor and pulse until the kale is almost pureed but still has some texture. If you are using a deep saucepan an immersion blender may work if your model is powerful enough.
- Return to the pan.
- Now pan fry the paneer. Heat oil to a medium-high heat, then place the paneer in the pan. Fry on each side for 1-2 minutes until golden brown.
- Add the paneer to the kale curry.
- Squeeze the lemon juice into the curry, add the yogurt, mix through until just combined, and remove from the heat.
- Done! Serve with rice and/or naan bread.
Notes
2018 –> 2022 Version
As you can see, we made some changes.
- The photos now use cavolo nero instead of kale. This does change how the photos look because the cavolo nero is a little less pureed.
- I added lemon juice as an ingredient at the end, this is of course optional but very nice.
- I changed the method to use the entire can of coconut milk instead of encouraging you to separate the cream from the watery bits and only use the thicker cream. I did this because some batches of coconut milk have homogenisers in them which make that impossible to do, and actually it’s just fine with the whole can. It does make it thinner, as you can see in the photos. Of course, if you want to separate your coconut milk for a richer result, and can reliably do so with the brand you buy, go for it.
- The paneer is now pan fried. This is optional, but I never don’t pan fry my paneer anymore and I feel like it’s the best version of itself when it’s pan fried.
- I added some optional coriander / cilantro for topping. It’s very nice. You can even stir some into the curry before pureeing if you wish.
Paneer is totally one of our favorites but I’ve never tried it with kale! Sounds super tasty!
Thanks for this recipe! I got a bunch of kale in my garden right now and I was looking for inspiration in my fridge when I noticed a block of paneer. I knew that I had to make a kale version of palak paneer! I
winged this without weighing the kale beforehand and realized as I was dumping it in the pan (I pre-boiled it in salted water for 8 minutes, without chopping and it worked great with the hand blender) that I probably used twice as much as the recipe called for, about 2 bunches. I really didn’t think it was too much kale, I might even used even a little more next time as the dish is quite rich. I am also considering using light coconut milk as someone else has suggested. Very rich but delicious and easy!
I love the ease of a one pot meal. The flavors in this dish sound awesome.
Hi Christine,
First of all thanks for sharing this idea, the curry had a nice flavour but was very bland as there was no spice added. I followed your step but by then I noted that in step 2 you asked to use half of the butter but there was no mention for the other half.
For those who make this I will certainly ask to add salt and pepper/ chilli powder.
Oooh this paneer curry looks so flavourful. I haven’t had paneer in ages – I can’t wait to make this!
Oooh, I love the kale in this dish! These flavors sound so perfect together. Beautiful photographs! 🙂
This sounds so simple to prepare and the perfect bowl of comfort food for any night of the week. Love all the seasonings and can’t wait to try this.
Paneer is totally one of our favorites but I’ve never tried it with kale! Sounds super tasty!
I love the ease of a one pot meal. The flavors in this dish sound awesome.
Oooh, I love the kale in this dish! These flavors sound so perfect together. Beautiful photographs! 🙂
This sounds so simple to prepare and the perfect bowl of comfort food for any night of the week. Love all the seasonings and can’t wait to try this.
A scrumptiously healthy dish! I love kale. Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Love this curry! Its a great one for little one’s.sometimes I add a little extra yoghurt and some raisins for the my 20month old. For us I sometimes miss out the paneer and add broccoli mushrooms and other veggies. Super yummy. Thank you Happy Veggie Kitchen.😁
Yay! Raisins are such a great idea, thanks for the tip!
Tried this recipe and it was delicious. The curry base can also be used for egg or chicken curry. Loved it and shared it on my FB page as well!!
Tried this recipe and it was delicious. The curry base can also be used for egg or chicken curry. Loved it and shared it on my FB page as well!!
Flavors are incredible! Texture holds with the kale which is really nice since cooked spinach can be more slimy sometimes. I must say, it is NOT 6 portions though. Much less than that, so double the recipe if you’re trying to feed 6… maybe even triple if they’re hungry!
Thanks so much for the feedback Rob! I am so glad you enjoyed it! Funnily enough, it’s not 6 portions for me either but I previously had feedback from family members that they used a lot more rice than me and so my curry recipes went a much longer way in their homes – I thought I might be the odd one out! I’m going to change it to say 4-6, because it does contain 2 blocks of paneer so I still wouldn’t want to recommend more than 1/2 a block per serving. You could also bulk it out with a can of chickpeas to make it more filling and I will suggest that too. Thanks again!
Flavors are incredible! Texture holds with the kale which is really nice since cooked spinach can be more slimy sometimes. I must say, it is NOT 6 portions though. Much less than that, so double the recipe if you’re trying to feed 6… maybe even triple if they’re hungry!
Made this awesome recipe today and was delicious. I replaced the paneer with garbanzo beans and chopped the kale in the food processor ahead of cooking rather than after cooking which was an easier clean-up. Thanks for the recipe for this dish.
Sooo happy to hear this and what a great idea to chop the kale first and use chickpeas! Really happy it turned out so well for you!
Made this awesome recipe today and was delicious. I replaced the paneer with garbanzo beans and chopped the kale in the food processor ahead of cooking rather than after cooking which was an easier clean-up. Thanks for the recipe for this dish.
I tried the recipe yesterday and felt that 4 tbsp of tomato paste was too much for our taste. The texture and the look was good but the taste not to much. I may have to adjust that next time. Nice recipe either way. I have never used coconut milk before in a curry ever.
I love this recipe! The first time I made it, I also felt that there was a bit too much tomato paste, and while the meal was good, it didn’t taste like a paneer dish at an Indian restaurant. The second time I used leaves from two mid-size bunches of kale, so probably closer to 300-350 grams kale total, and it turned out absolutely delicious, exactly like saag paneer, except that with kale. I considered using chickpeas instead, but I eat chickpeas very often in other dishes, so this is a great way to indulge in panner. Also, the second time I accidentally bought light coconut milk, but in the end I liked the taste better. And yes, it’s four portions for me as well, and I don’t eat much. Thank you for adding a great meal to my rotation!
Loved it. As my family prefers hot and spicy, I added little chili powder.
Just made this with 1/2 the paneer (didn’t note the required amount before shopping) but added a tin of chickpeas. I didn’t blend it due to time but it was still really yummy. Would probably top with some fresh coriander next time. Delish!
I’ve struggled with liking kale for years. This recipe is a game changer. Turned out great and family of 4 ate the whole thing. Since I’m vegan, and for those that can’t find or use paneer, I sub. the really firm high protein tofu. I cube it and toss with a little oil. Bake at 375 for 15 min. and then add it at the end.
At what point would you add the chickpeas to the recipe?
And do you think I can do 3/4 Kale and 1/4 Spinach and use the same methods?
Looking forward to making this!
I’d add chickpeas just after the sauce is pureed – and yes the mix of kale and spinach should work fine! Hope you enjoy 🙂
How many ounces of coconut milk? It just says one can
The can size I used is 400 grams or 14-15 ounces – I will update the recipe to clarify
That was very good. I don’t have an immersion blender, so we had cooked greens. I also made garlic naan, because that’s how I roll. I wish I could eat more.
Delighted to hear you enjoyed it so much 🙂
I haven’t finished this recipe yet – that will be tomorrow – I like to get started on the next day’s dinner the night before. So far the following comments: 1) The sauce is just lovely. I’m only half joking when I say you could substitute shredded newspapers for the kale and it would still be delicious! I did add a scant teaspoon of cayenne, and a bit of salt as it seemed to need it, although the lemon added before serving will perk it up too. 2) My immersion blender was useless – even though I let it cook for a while, the kale just clogged around the blades. Tomorrow I’ll run the lot through my food processor before rewarming and finishing the dish. 3) The recipe has a few minor flaws, as someone has noted there is no mention of the other half of the butter, so I just threw it all in at once, and I don’t see where you add the coconut water, if you had set it aside earlier – again I just put the whole thing in at once. Seems to me if you did have distinctly separated coconut milk, it would make more sense to add the watery portion first, to help stew down the kale. 4) No mention of make ahead, but this does seem the sort of thing that should taste better the next day (mind you keep the lemon juice out in that case to avoid discoloration). After I’ve pulsed this in the food processor tomorrow, I’ll likely stash half in the freezer with instructions to add the yogurt, lemon, paneer etc. just before serving.
Hi Ann! Thank you SO MUCH for your feedback. I honestly thought that some of these issues pointed out previously had been fixed when I recently updated the recipe but apparently not, I am so sorry.
So a previous iteration of the recipe suggested separating the coconut milk in the can, because I preferred not to use all of the water. I no longer recommend that because some brands of coconut milk just don’t separate properly and it doesn’t make enough of a difference to add confusion to anyone’s experience. Looks like I removed one reference to that but not the other, hence the confusion. All fixed.
The butter can all go in at once, and I have fixed that. It used to be the case that it was added at the end, but I don’t think it makes enough of a difference to be worth the extra step of dividing it up.
I’ve definitely had success with my immersion blender in this recipe but I’ve put a caveat on the recommendation after hearing your experience. It will depend on your model and how powerful it is + how deep it is in the pan.
I’ve added a note to add salt and pepper to taste, I never used to reference salt and pepper in recipes but lately I’ve realised it’s important to note when it will make a difference.
I appreciate your efforts to work through these issues and share your experience, it’s so helpful. I do hope you enjoy it!