Easy Palak Paneer Recipe

Are you fond of North Indian Cuisine?? Then Palak Paneer needs no introduction! Loaded with the goodness of spinach and cottage cheese, this recipe makes for a perfect main course. There’s a reason why it’s one of the most well-known Indian curries out there – it’s deliciously creamy and has a beautiful vibrant green colour, and tastes absolutely scrumptious. Enjoy this thick & creamy gravy of spinach loaded with cottage cheese with plain paratha or even rice.

Palak Paneer is a traditional North Indian curry made with fresh spinach, onions, spices, cottage cheese, and herbs. It is high in fibre and rich in iron and is good for people who love to relish green veggies deliciously.

What is Palak Paneer?

‘Palak’ in Hindi means ‘spinach,’ while ‘Paneer’ is Indian cottage cheese. So palak paneer is cottage cheese cooked in a smooth, spicy, and delectable spinach gravy or sauce. This is one of the milder Indian curries, in terms of heat and spice. The subtle spicing from chilli powder, cumin, garam masala, and nutmeg complements the delicate spinach flavour without overpowering it. And the paneer acts as a beautiful balancer that soaks up all the flavours and adds a delicious creaminess to the curry. The best part is that it’s really healthy and is vegetarian! You can accentuate the taste of this recipe by adding spices as per your palate preference.

In lots of Indian restaurants in Europe and USA, you find Saag and palak paneer as separate dishes and ones confuses on the difference between the two. The difference between the two is simple: palak paneer is an actual North Indian dish which is very popular all over India, while saag paneer is a dish originated outside of India by foreign/expat chefs who have adapted the flavours of similar Indian curries but with a twist.

Irrespective of how you make this dish, the combination of spinach with cumin powder, paneer and ghee is absolutely delicious and unbeatable! It’s healthy, protein packed and gets ready in less than 30 minutes. Do give a try, if you haven’t already.

SAAG VS PALAK

Because palak signifies spinach, palak paneer is made using spinach as the key ingredient. However, because saag means ‘ leafy greens’ in Hindi, it usually refers to a variety of greens such as dill leaves, mustard greens, radish greens, fenugreek leaves, and a few more. As a result, saag is typically cooked with one or more of these ingredients. For this reason, if you try it at a restaurant, you might come across a completely different saag paneer every time!

Another significant distinction between the two is the spices that are used to make the two dishes. Saag has a lot of garam masala, and Palak Paneer is flavoured with coriander. Saag always has a lot of cream and is much richer whilst palak panner only has a hint of cream. This tends to give both the dishes a different texture and flavour as well.

Two key steps to get the perfect Palak Paneer

1. To get the bright green colour for your Palak Paneer Gravy

Adding a pinch of baking soda when cooking spinach in water – it will help retain its green colour. Do not overcook the spinach as it will loose its flavour and colour. Fill a bowl up with ice as the spinach cooks and cover the ice in cold water. Then, dump your spinach into the ice water after it finishes cooking. This helps preserve the bright green colour of your fresh spinach as well as maximise the spinach flavour and nutrient content.

2. Keeping the paneer soft

Store bought paneer are often little hard. So, once you slice the paneer block, dip the slices in warm salt water for 15 minutes, before adding to the curry.

Helpful Tips and Tricks to make the best Palak Paneer:

• When using fresh spinach, cut the stems of the spinach and discard them, wash the leaves thoroughly as they may have some dirt on them. The stems of the spinach are usually dense and stringy, so that is the reason we remove them.
• When using fresh spinach leaves its always best to blanch them. Blanching removes the raw, bitter, and metallic flavour that spinach tends to have, and helps to retain the bright green colour of the spinach.
• Blanche the spinach by placing it in boiling water with a pinch of baking soda for two to three minutes(don’t overcook). Remove the spinach from the boiling water and immediately place it in ice cold water to stop it from cooking and maintain the beautiful green colour. Drain and keep aside.
• Homemade paneer is always the best option as it has a softer, crumblier texture than store-bought paneer. The store-bought variety is substantially denser and firmer in comparison.
• The wheat flour add the creaminess and binds the spinach not making it look watery.
• Want a vegan option? You can substitute paneer for tofu and use coconut cream instead of regular cream.

If you’ve tried this Easy Palak Paneer Recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe! You can also follow us on Facebook and Instagram to see what’s latest in our kitchen!

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Easy Palak Paneer Recipe

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cooking Time: 30 Minutes 30 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 3 voted )

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Ingredients

• Spinach 2 medium-sized bundles, (260 grams)
• Pinch of baking soda
• 2 green chillies
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 cup coriander, (35 grams)
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 3 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 tbsb chopped ginger
• 1 medium onion, chopped 
• 1 tomato, chopped or grated
• 1 tsp roasted cumin powder
• 1/4  tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2  tsp black salt
• 1/3 cup curd, room temperature 
• 1 tbsp wheat flour
• 250gm fresh paneer
• 1 tbsp fresh cream
• 1/2 tsp Garam masala
• nutmeg
• 1 tsp lemon juice

method

1. Blanching the spinach : Fill a medium sized pot half with water. Put on medium-high heat and bring the water to a rolling boil. Add the spinach along with a pinch of baking soda in boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes (do not overcook). Immediately dip it in ice-cold water immediately. drain and keep aside. 
2. Add the spinach, green chillies, ginger and coriander to a blender and blend until it forms a paste.
3. Put a pot, over medium heat add the ghee. When the ghee is hot add the cumin and let it splutter. Add the chopped garlic, ginger, and onion and sauté until the onions are translucent, for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the roasted cumin powder, turmeric, chilli powder, salt and curd. Allow the mix to cook till the oil leaves the sides of the pan.
5. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for further 5-6 minutes. Add the spinach puree and the wheat flour and mix well, allow it to cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add the paneer soon after. Allow it to cook for a few minutes. Switch off the heat and add the garam masala, nutmeg, fresh cream and lemon juice. Stir and serve hot with paratha, naan or rice. Enjoy!!

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