Palak Paneer recipe

A North Indian favorite, Palak paneer is a delicious variation on saag. Palak paneer a spinach based gravy with homemade cottage cheese is a popular and recognizable dish in any Indian restaurants. It’s packed with goodness of spinach and loaded with protein from paneer.

Try this delicious recipe and you’ll be surprised how easy it is make!

Step by step palak paneer recipe below

1. Boil 3 cups water in a pan and add in ¼ tsp salt to the hot water. Then add the rinsed palak leaves in the hot water. Let it boil for 1 minute and then turn off the flame. Let it sit in the hot water for 2-3 minutes.
   
2. Strain the leaves and immediately add the palak leaves in a bowl containing ice cold water. Let it sit for 2 minutes.
   
3. Then drain the ice cold water and grind the spinach leaves to make a smooth palak puree. No need to add water while grinding. Keep the spinach puree aside.
   
4. Make ginger garlic green chili paste. 
   
5. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin and bay leaf (tej patta). Add in the minced onion. Saute till the onion become golden.
   
6. Add ginger garlic and green chili paste. Saute just for a minute.
   
7. Then add turmeric powder, red chili powder and asafoetida/hing. Stir very well.
   
8. Add the tomato puree, stir and saute the tomatoes till you see the oil releasing from sides of the mixture.
   
9. Then add palak puree and mix well. Add about ¼ cup water or as required. Simmer for 5 minutes or more until the palak or spinach is cooked. Season with salt. when the gravy starts to thicken, add garam masala and stir again.
   
10. Add the paneer/cottage cheese cubes.
    
11. Stir gently and simmer on low flame till the paneer cubes become soft. About 1-2 minutes. Lastly add cream. Stir gently again. Switch off the flame.
    

Palak paneer recipe below:

Palak Paneer Prep time Cook time Total  20 min  10 min  30 min Spinach gravy cooked with paneer/cottage cheese and Indian spices. AUTHOR: Monali RECIPE TYPE: Main CUISINE: North Indian SERVES: 4 INGREDIENTS (measuring cup used, 1 cup=237 ml) For palak/spinach puree- A bunch of fresh spinach/ palak (8 oz) 1 green chili, chopped 2 garlic clove ½ inch ginger, roughly chopped Water as required Ice cold water for blanching For gravy- 2 tbsp. oil or butter ¼ tsp cumin seeds/jeera A pinch of asafoetida/hing 1 Indian bay leaf/tej patta 1 medium sized onion, minced 4 small garlic/lehsun, minced 1 medium sized tomato, grind to fine paste ¼ tsp turmeric powder ¼ tsp red chili powder Salt as required ¼ to ½ tsp of garam masala Water as required 7 oz/ 200 gm of paneer/ cottage cheese 1 tbsp. of cream  For garnishing- 1-2 tsp of cream for topping the palak paneer Few drops of lemon juice Few ginger julienes DIRECTION Rinse the palak or spinach leaves very well in running water. Boil 3 cups water in a pan or microwave and add in ¼ tsp salt to the hot water. Then add the palak leaves in the hot water. Let it boil for 1 minute and then turn off the flame. Let it sit in the hot water for 2-3 minutes. Strain the leaves and immediately add the palak leaves in a bowl containing ice cold water. Let it sit for 2 minutes. Then drain the ice cold water and grind the spinach leaves to make a smooth palak puree. No need to add water while grinding. Keep the spinach puree aside. Palak gravy: Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin and bay leaf (tej patta) Add in the minced onion. Saute till the onion become golden. Then add ginger garlic and green chili paste. Saute just for a minute. Add the tomato puree, stir and saute the tomatoes till you see the oil releasing from sides of the mixture. Then add turmeric powder, red chili powder and asafoetida/hing. Stir very well. Then add palak puree and mix well. Add about ¼ cup water or as required. Simmer for 5 minutes or more until the palak or spinach is cooked. Season with salt. By this time the gravy will also thicken. Add garam masala and stir again. Add the paneer/cottage cheese cubes. Stir gently and simmer on low flame till the paneer cubes become soft. About 1-2 minutes. Lastly add cream. Stir gently again. Switch off the flame. NOTES The method of blanching mentioned above helps in preserving the green color of the spinach. If you are using butter for tempering, melt it on a low flame. Make sure that the butter does not brown. If you are using oil for tempering, just top palak paneer with a tsp of butter while serving; it tastes good! Vegans can substitute paneer with tofu in this palak paneer recipe. It tastes good with tofu as well.  SERVING SUGGESTION Top the palak paneer with some cream while serving. Also drizzle a few drops of lemon juice on top along with ginger julienne. Stir and serve the palak paneer hot with roti, plain paratha or rice.