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    Home » Curry & Side dish » Palak Paneer

    Palak Paneer

    Published: Aug 25, 2017 · by Shilpa · Leave a Comment

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    Palak Paneer

    Palak paneer step-by-step recipe with video and photos.

    Jump to:
    • About this recipe
    • Ingredients
    • Serving suggestions
    • Tips for making best palak paneer
    • Palak paneer recipe video
    • Palak paneer step-by-step recipe with photos
    • Recipe card

    About this recipe

    Palak paneer is a famous Punjabi dish in which paneer (Indian cottage cheese) is cooked in spinach and spices masala base. This dish is our family favourite too. Soft cottage cheese cubes cooked in silky, mildly spicy spinach gravy is a definite winner. It pairs very well with both rice dishes and roti/naan. It is also known as saag paneer.

    There are many ways to make this popular dish and here is my take.

    Ingredients

    Palak Paneer

    Palak: Palak means spinach in Hindi.

    Paneer: Paneer is fresh Indian cottage cheese. You can use either store-bought paneer or make fresh paneer at home.

    Onion and tomato: They are used to make the base gravy of the dish.

    Ginger and garlic: I use lots of garlic in my recipe as it pairs very well with spinach.

    Spices: The whole spices I use are bay leaves, black cardamom, cumin seeds, and cloves. The powdered spices I use are garam masala, amchur (dried mango powder), and chilli powder.

    Ghee: I prefer to make this dish with ghee; however, you may replace it with cooking oil of your choice.

    Kasuri methi: Kasuri methi is dried fenugreek leaves. This is an optional ingredient but I highly recommend not to skip it.

    To make this dish, I blanched the spinach and blend it. I then made the base of this dish using spices (both whole and powdered), onion, ginger, garlic, and tomatoes (I add loads of garlic here and love the flavour it brings when combined with spinach). I then simmered spinach puree in it and finally added shallow-fried paneer.

    Serving suggestions

    Palak paneer can be served with plain Basmati rice or can be paired with pulao. Here are some dishes you can pair palak paneer with for a completel meal.

    • Palak Paneer
      Jeera Rice
    • Palak Paneer
      Naan
    • Palak Paneer
      Lachha Paratha
    • Palak Paneer
      Triangle Paratha

    Tips for making best palak paneer

    Once you shallow-fry the paneer, soak them in warm water. This will help keep them soft.

    Transfer the blanched palak to iced water immediately. This will help in retaining the colour of the spinach.

    Use lots of garlic to make palak paneer. Garlic and spinach work very well and makes this dish unique and very flavourful.

    Do not skip on tomatoes. They not only add flavour to the dish, they are beneficial too. Spinach is rich in iron and combining them with foods rich in vitamin C (like tomatoes) helps absord the iron.

    Do not skip Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) even though it is an optional ingredient. It pairs very well with paneer and adds a nutty flavour to the dish.

    For more Punjabi recipes, click here.

    For a non-vegetarian verision of this dish, try palak chicken. Click here for recipe.

    For more recipes using green leafy vegetables, click here.

    Palak Paneer

    Palak paneer recipe video

    Palak paneer step-by-step recipe with photos

    1. Wash and clean the spinach

    2. Blanch spinach in boiling water

    3. Puree the spinach

    Palak Paneer
    Palak Paneer
    Palak Paneer

    4. Heat 1 tsp ghee and lightly fry the paneer cubes. Set aside

    5. Add the remaining ghee and add cumin seeds, bay leaves, black cardamom, and cloves

    6. Add onions and fry till it is light golden

    7. Add ginger, garlic, and green chilli

    Palak Paneer
    Palak Paneer
    Palak Paneer
    Palak Paneer

    7. Add amchur, chilli powder, salt, and kasuri methi. Saute for a minute

    8. Add tomatoes and cook for few minutes until they become soft

    9. Add garam masala. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the spices and tomatoes are cooked

    Palak Paneer
    Palak Paneer
    Palak Paneer
    Palak Paneer

    10. Add spinach puree and simmer

    11. Mix in the paneer cubes. Simmer for 3-4 minutes

    Palak Paneer
    Palak Paneer
    Palak Paneer
    Palak Paneer
    Palak Paneer

    Recipe card

    Palak Paneer

    Palak paneer

    Palak paneer is a classic Punjabi dish where cottage cheese is cooked in silky, mildly spicy spinach gravy
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Course Side Dish
    Cuisine Indian, Punjabi
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 30 mins
    Total Time 40 mins

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 bunch spinach
    • 250 grams paneer cubed
    • 1 large onion finely chopped
    • 1 large tomato finely chopped
    • ½ inch ginger grated
    • 5-6 cloves garlic grated or finely chopped
    • 1-2 green chilli finely chopped (or as per taste)
    • 2 tbsp ghee
    • ½ tsp cumin seeds
    • 1 bay leaf
    • 1 black cardamom
    • 2-3 cloves
    • 1 tbsp kasuri methi
    • 1 tsp amchur
    • ½ tsp chilli powder
    • 1 tsp garam masala
    • Salt to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Wash the spinach thoroughly. Boil water in a stockpot. Add 1 tbsp salt to boiling water and add the spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes
    • Strain the spinach and refresh with cold water to stop cooking any further
    • Blend the spinach in a blender. Set aside
    • Heat a frypan, add 1 tsp ghee. Fry the paneer cubes lightly till golden on the sides. If you are not using them immediately, keep immersed in hot water to keep them soft
    • In the same pan, add the remaining ghee. Add cumin seeds and let it splutter
    • Add black cardamom, cloves, and bay leaves. Fry for a few seconds
    • Add onions and fry until they are lightly golden
    • Add ginger, garlic, green chilli, and fry for a further 1-2 minutes
    • Add kasuri methi, amchur, red chilli powder, and salt. Mix well
    • Add tomato and cook for a few minutes until they are soft
    • Add garam masala and cook until the spices and tomatoes are done
    • Add the spinach puree and mix well. Add ½ cup hot water to adjust consistency if needed. Bring to a boil
    • Simmer for 7-8 minutes or until the spinach is completely cooked
    • Add paneer cubes and mix gently. Simmer for 3-4 minutes
    • Serve with hot naan, multi-layer paratha or jeera rice

    Video

    Notes

    • To make a vegan version of this dish, replace paneer with tofu and ghee with an oil of your choice
    • You can use fresh paneer instead of frying them if you prefer the fresh creamy taste of paneer
    • Optionally you can add a dash of cream while serving
    Nutrition Facts
    Palak paneer
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 164 Calories from Fat 108
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 12g18%
    Saturated Fat 7g44%
    Cholesterol 30mg10%
    Sodium 99mg4%
    Potassium 563mg16%
    Carbohydrates 8g3%
    Fiber 3g13%
    Sugar 2g2%
    Protein 7g14%
    Vitamin A 8210IU164%
    Vitamin C 30mg36%
    Calcium 244mg24%
    Iron 3mg17%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @spicytamarind or tag #spicytamarind!

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    Namaste. My name is Shilpa. Born and brought up in the colourful, beautiful country India, I now reside in Melbourne with my family. Read More…

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