Palak Paneer

Palak paneer is soft cubes of paneer cheese in a smooth, gently spiced spinach sauce, and it is one of the most loved vegetarian dishes on any Indian menu. The secret to keeping it bright green is to blanch the spinach for just a minute and cool it quickly before blending. Fresh or frozen spinach both work, and if you cannot find paneer, firm tofu or halloumi are good stand-ins.

Palak Paneer

Soft paneer cubes in a smooth, bright green spinach sauce with ginger, garlic, cumin and a touch of cream. Ready in about 40 minutes.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 10 oz fresh spinach 300 g, about 10 packed cups; or 10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed
• 1 green chilli optional
• 8 oz paneer 225 g, cut into cubes
• 2 tbsp ghee or oil divided
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 medium tomato finely chopped
• 0.5 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 0.5 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder or paprika
• 0.5 tsp garam masala
• 0.75 tsp salt
• 0.25 cup heavy cream 60 ml, plus extra to drizzle
• 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) optional
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Equipment

• 1 Large pan
• 1 Blender
• 1 Pot for blanching

Method

 

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the spinach and cook for 1 minute, just until wilted. Drain and plunge it into a bowl of ice water to keep the colour, then drain again and squeeze lightly. (With frozen spinach, skip this step.)
2. Blend the spinach and green chilli with 2 to 3 tablespoons of water to a smooth puree.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a large pan over medium heat. Fry the paneer cubes for 3 to 4 minutes, turning, until lightly golden. Move them to a bowl of warm water to keep them soft.
4. Add the remaining ghee to the pan. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 20 seconds, then add the onion and cook for 6 to 8 minutes until golden. Add the ginger garlic paste and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the tomato, turmeric, coriander, chilli powder and salt. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the tomato breaks down into a soft masala.
6. Stir in the spinach puree and a splash of water if it is very thick. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes; longer cooking dulls the green colour.
7. Drain the paneer and add it with the cream, garam masala, kasuri methi and lemon juice. Warm through for 2 minutes and serve with a swirl of cream.

Notes

Serve with: garlic naan, roti or basmati rice.

Vegan: use firm tofu instead of paneer, oil instead of ghee, and coconut cream instead of dairy cream.

Make ahead: keeps in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. The colour darkens a little but the flavour stays good.

Outside India: paneer is sold in many large supermarkets near the halloumi, and in Indian grocery stores. Firm tofu or halloumi (soaked in hot water for 10 minutes to remove some salt) are good swaps.

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