Palak Paneer Recipe

Bring 1 L of water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Add a pinch of salt and the spinach leaves; blanch for 1 minute until bright green and slightly wilted.

Immediately transfer the blanched spinach into the ice water to stop cooking and preserve color. Drain well after 2 minutes, squeezing out excess water with your hands or in a colander.

In a blender, combine the drained spinach, ginger, green chilies and garlic. Add 2–3 tablespoons of water if necessary and blend to a very smooth puree. Set aside.

Heat 2 tbs oil or ghee in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 10–15 seconds.

Add the finely chopped onion and sauté on medium heat until soft and translucent, about 4–5 minutes. Do not brown heavily; stir frequently.

Add the chopped tomato (or tomato puree) and cook 2–3 minutes until it softens and oil begins to separate slightly. If using fresh tomato, mash while cooking.

Stir in ground coriander, ground cumin, turmeric, red chili powder and salt. Cook spices with the onion-tomato mixture for 1 minute to bloom the flavors.

Pour the spinach puree into the pan, mix thoroughly with the masala and simmer on low for 3–4 minutes. Add 100 ml water to adjust the consistency if the gravy is too thick.

Use an immersion blender or transfer to a blender and pulse once or twice if you prefer an ultra-smooth texture. Return to pan and simmer 2 more minutes. Taste and adjust salt and spices if needed.

Stir in fresh cream (optional) and simmer 30 seconds more. Keep the gravy warm on the lowest heat while you prepare the paneer.

If using store-bought firm paneer, cut into 2 cm cubes. Optionally soak the cubes in warm salted water for 5 minutes to soften; drain and pat dry on paper towels.

Season the paneer lightly with 0.25 tsp salt and 0.25 tsp turmeric (optional) for color and gentle flavor.

Heat 2 tbs oil or ghee in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the paneer cubes in a single layer and shallow-fry, turning occasionally, until golden on at least two sides (about 3–4 minutes total). Remove and set on paper towels to drain excess oil.

Alternatively, for no-oil option, lightly grill or sear the paneer on a dry nonstick pan until light brown spots appear.

Add the shallow-fried paneer cubes into the warm spinach gravy and gently stir to coat. Simmer together on low heat for 2–3 minutes so the paneer absorbs some flavor.

Add 1 tbs butter or ghee and crushed kasuri methi; mix gently. Simmer 30–60 seconds more.

Turn off the heat. Stir in lemon juice and sprinkle chopped fresh coriander on top.

Serve hot with steamed basmati rice, jeera rice or Indian breads (naan, roti).