Palak Paneer Recipe

Clean and blanch spinach

Thoroughly wash the spinach leaves to remove grit. Bring 1 liter of water to a rolling boil in a large pot, add the spinach and blanch for 1 minute until wilted but still bright green.

Shock and drain

Immediately transfer the blanched spinach into a bowl of ice water to stop cooking and preserve color. Once cooled (about 2 minutes), drain the spinach well and squeeze out as much water as possible using your hands or a clean kitchen towel.

Make a smooth puree

Place the drained spinach in a blender with 2–3 tablespoons of the reserved ice water and blitz to a smooth, slightly coarse or fine puree depending on preference. Set aside.

Prepare paneer

If using store-bought paneer, cut into 1–2 cm cubes. To firm slightly, pat cubes dry with paper towel. Heat 1 tbs ghee or oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat and lightly shallow-fry the paneer cubes 2–3 minutes per side until edges are golden. Remove and drain on paper towels. (Optional: skip frying and add paneer directly.)

Temper spices and sauté aromatics

Heat 2 tbs oil or ghee in a heavy pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 10–15 seconds. Add slit green chili and finely chopped onion. Sauté onions for 6–8 minutes until soft and translucent, stirring occasionally.

Add garlic, ginger and tomato

Add minced garlic and ginger; cook 1 minute until fragrant. Add chopped tomato (or 2 tbs tomato puree) and cook 3–4 minutes until tomatoes break down and oil begins to separate slightly from the masala.

Add dry spices

Stir in ground coriander, ground cumin, turmeric, red chili powder and about half the salt. Cook the spice mixture 1–2 minutes to bloom the flavors; if it becomes too dry, add 1–2 tbs water to prevent sticking.

Add spinach puree to masala

Pour the spinach puree into the pan with the masala and stir to combine. Cook together on medium-low for 4–5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add up to 100 ml water to reach your desired consistency.

Adjust seasoning and simmer

Add remaining salt, garam masala and kasuri methi (if using). Simmer the curry gently for 3–4 minutes to let flavors marry. Taste and adjust salt, chili, or lemon juice for brightness.

Add paneer and cream

Gently fold in the fried (or raw) paneer cubes and 3 tbs cream. Cook 2–3 minutes on low heat to warm the paneer and incorporate cream. Do not boil vigorously to avoid curdling the cream.

Turn off heat. Stir in fresh lemon juice if using and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve hot with roti, naan or steamed basmati rice.