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Calories · Indian

Calories in palak paneer

A typical restaurant serving of palak paneer (one restaurant bowl of palak paneer, before rice or naan, about 300 g) is about 300 calories, usually 200–400.

Restaurant portions vary; this is a typical estimate, not a label. Also called saag paneer, spinach paneer.

~300
Palak paneer

The usual range

Drawn on one 0–2,000 scale shared by every dish page, so plates compare at a glance.

Protein, carbs and fat

  • Protein16 g
  • Carbs13 g
  • Fat21 g

One serving

Serving
one restaurant bowl of palak paneer, before rice or naan
Weight
~300 g
Per 100 g
~101

The dish

About palak paneer

Palak paneer is cubes of fresh cheese in a puréed spinach gravy. USDA lists it at about 101 per 100 g, so a 300 g restaurant bowl is about 300; restaurants that finish it with cream and ghee land higher, and naan or rice can double the meal.

Ways it comes

One dish, a few numbers

Palak paneer · rough numbers

  • One cup~200
  • Restaurant bowl~300
  • Two cups~400
  • Bowl with a cup of rice~500

What moves the number

Why one plate is 200 and another 400

  • Cream and ghee stirred in at some restaurants
  • How much paneer is in the bowl
  • Rice or naan alongside

Ordering lighter

If you want a lighter plate

  • Ask for less cream
  • Share the bowl and add dal
  • Pick roti over butter naan

Side by side

Next to other Indian dishes

Indian · typical restaurant servingAll about Indian food →

  • Palak paneer~300one restaurant bowl of palak paneer, before rice or naan · usually 200–400
  • Samosa~310one large restaurant samosa · usually 200–400
  • Dal~350one restaurant bowl, about a cup · usually 250–600
  • Chicken korma~440one restaurant curry, no rice · usually 400–900
  • Masala dosa~490one restaurant masala dosa with its spiced potato filling, before sambar and chutney · usually 210–960
  • Lamb rogan josh~520one restaurant curry, no rice · usually 400–900
  • Tandoori chicken~540half a tandoori chicken, meat off the bone · usually 250–800
  • Naan~550one whole 10-inch restaurant naan · usually 260–750
  • Chicken vindaloo~670one restaurant curry, no rice · usually 450–1,000
  • Chicken biryani~730one takeaway or restaurant portion · usually 500–1,100
  • Butter chicken with rice~790one serving of butter chicken with one cup of rice · usually 600–1,100
  • Chicken tikka masala~800one curry with about 200 g of plain rice · usually 600–1,300

In PlateDiary

A rough number for the dishes you save — only if you want one.

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How these numbers were made

Method and sources

Last reviewed

Restaurant portions and cooking vary, so these are typical estimates for one serving, built from the sources below. Treat it as a rough number: your plate may land anywhere in the range.

If you manage a health condition, ask a doctor or registered dietitian.

AI helped draft this page; every number was checked against the sources.

  1. USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS 2021–2023) — Palak Paneer (1 cup, 200 g), FDC 2709631
  2. USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS 2021–2023) — Cheese, paneer, FDC 2705740
  3. USDA FoodData Central (FNDDS 2021–2023) — Rice, white, cooked (1 cup, 158 g), FDC 2708408

Questions

Questions people ask.

How many calories are in palak paneer?

A typical restaurant serving of palak paneer (one restaurant bowl of palak paneer, before rice or naan, about 300 g) is about 300 calories, usually 200–400. The number depends mostly on the portion and how it is cooked.

How many calories are in palak paneer with rice?

About 500 for a 300 g bowl with a cup of rice. With a whole restaurant naan it is closer to 850.

Is palak paneer healthy?

It is one of the lighter curries on an Indian menu, with about 16 g of protein in a bowl. Cream and ghee are what make it richer.

How many calories are in 1 cup of palak paneer?

About 200 for a 200 g cup.

What changes the calories in palak paneer?

Cream and ghee stirred in at some restaurants. How much paneer is in the bowl.

How can I order palak paneer lighter?

Ask for less cream. Share the bowl and add dal.

Can PlateDiary show calories for the dishes I eat out?

Yes, if you want it to: calories in PlateDiary are off unless you turn them on. Switch them on and each dish you save from a photo of the table gets one rough “~” number you can accept or change.