Easy Palak Paneer Recipe
Easy to follow, rich and warming palak paneer recipe with creamy paneer chunks in a fragrant & smooth spinach sauce. Best served with warm naan or roti.
Ingredients
- 8oz (~250g) spinach bunch
- 2-2.5 cup water
- 2 cloves
- 6 oz (~170g) paneer, cut into cubes (store-bought or homemade)
- 3-4 tablespoon mustard oil (or any cooking oil of choice)
- ½ cup finely chopped onions
- ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds, finely crushed
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed
- 1 fat garlic clove, minced
- ¾ cup tomatoes, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- 2-4 thai green chillies, slit (adjust to tolerance)
- pinch of turmeric
- pinch of cinnamon
- 1.5 inch fresh ginger shoot, grated
- ½ teaspoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves, optional but recommended)
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1-2 tablespoon heavy cream (adjust to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
Instructions
- Add cloves to water and bring to a boil.Meanwhile, thoroughly wash the spinach leaves. Roughly chop the leaves if they are too big.You can pick the stems out if they are too tough.
- Once the water is boiling,turn off the heat & immediately add spinach to it.Let the leaves soak for 2-3 minutes and then drain. Reserve the liquid and transfer the spinach to food processor or blender.
- Put in the cloves too. Pulse or blend on lowest speed. I do not like to make a smooth puree however you can blend the spinach to desired texture. If needed, the reserved can be used liquid while blending. Set the blended spinach aside.
- Add cubed paneer to a bowl and pour 1 cup hot water over it. Let paneer soak for 6-8 minutes. Tip :- You can use the water you just boiled spinach in.
- Heat up oil on high in a wide kadai or medium heavy bottomed pan.Once the oil is smoky, reduce the heat to medium & wait for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the chopped onions to along with fennel & cumin seeds and sauté till the onions start to lightly brown.
- Next add the garlic,chopped tomatoes, coriander powder, green chillies, turmeric & cinnamon and keep on cooking on medium low heat till you see oil separating on the sides of the pot. This may take 6-8 minutes.
- Add the processed spinach, ginger, and salt and mix well. Also add ¼ cup of reserved liquid to start with. Let the spinach cook on medium heat for about 8-10 minutes stirring it continuously. Adjust the consistency adding more liquid as desired. If you like green palak paneer, skip the next step , add paneer and proceed.
- If you like a nicely sautéed palak sauce, let cook on low heat for least 12-15 minutes stirring continously.The spinach will bubble a lot during cooking (you can put a lid) and you will need to stir it in between to avoid sticking to bottom. Adjust the consistency adding more liquid as desired. Also the spinach will change color to dull green and you will start seeing glisten on the sides of the pot.
- At this point, add the soft paneer cubes, heavy cream and kasuri methi along with the sugar. Let cook on medium low for another 3-4 minutes.
- Finish with garam masala. Let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.Serve alongside hot flatbreads, steamed rice & salad.
Nutrition
Calories: 267kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 8gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 33mgSodium: 577mgPotassium: 435mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 5607IUVitamin C: 24mgCalcium: 280mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!