Palak paneer is a vegetarian dish made of spinach which is called palak in Hindi.paneer is an Indian cottage cheese which in this recipe is cooked in freshly puréed spinach leaves with mild spices. It is very popular in indian restaurants and pairs well with roti or naan. Do try this simple yet irresistible recipe.
Ingredients:
👉2 bunches palak/spinach
👉200gms paneer
👉handful of coriander leaves
👉2 green chillies
👉1 cup of finely chopped onion
👉1 cup of finely chopped tomatoes
👉1 tsp cumin seeds
👉1 tsp red chilly powder
👉1/2 tsp turmeric powder
👉1 tsp cumin powder
👉2 tbsp garlic
👉1 tbsp ginger
👉1 tsp pink salt
👉1 1/2 tsp garam masala
👉2 tbsp yogurt
👉3 tbsp ghee/oil
👉1 tbsp butter to fry paneer
Method:
👉Cut the paneer into cubes,take a wide frying pan on a medium heat Add in 1 tbsp of butter pan fry the paneer in the butter until lightly brown,when done place it in a plate keep it aside.
👉Cut the stems of the spinach and wash the spinach leaves under running water twice or in a strainer.
👉Take a pot on a medium heat add the washed spinach,salt and water,blanch in the spinach leaves for 2 mins when done drain the hot water and add some cold water to the blanched spinach,This method helps to restore the green colour of the spinach and also blanching removes the raw taste and bitterness of the spinach leaves.
👉Take a blender add the blanched spinach,green chillies and handful of coriander leaves and blend it to a smooth paste,do not add water while grinding,when done remove it and place it in a bowl.set it aside.
👉Heat up a pot on a medium flame add in ghee or oil,when it’s hot add in cumin seeds let it splatter now add in finely chopped garlic and ginger sauté till the raw aroma of the garlic goes away. Do not make to too brown.
👉Add in finely chopped onions fry it till translucent add in finely chopped tomatoes saute until mushy.
👉Now add the in turmeric powder,red chilli powder,cumin powder stir it altogether add in salt at this stage add in yogurt mix in everything stir for 2 mins then add in the ground paste of the spinach to the hot pot combine everything together let the paste cook in the spices.
👉Now add 1/2 cup a water cover the lid and let it simmer for 7 to 8 mins at this stage the gravy will tend to thicken up now add in garam masala stir it up last add in the fried paneer cover it and give it a boil and its done.
👉The most delicious palak paneer is ready to eat serve it with hot roti,naan or paratha.
👉You can top it up with butter or cream I have skipped cream in this recipe as I don’t like cream in my palak paneer. You can also add grated cheese to the spinach sauce if you like for more smother texture,I have put some paneer pieces on top just for decor.
Do try this lovely recipe.
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