Palak paneer (cottage cheese in spinach gravy)

Cooking notes

  • If you love paneer, then this palak paneer recipe, aka cottage cheese in spinach gravy, is one of the tastiest ways to enjoy it.

  • Soft and creamy paneer cubes are simmered in a ginger-garlic flavoured spinach puree.

  • You can use fresh spinach instead of frozen, which is exactly what Dassana of Veg Recipes of India did in her recipe. I’ve adapted it for my convenience.

  • You might enjoy this dish with parathas or chapati, but rice goes well too. Leftovers store in the fridge easily and reheated the next day.

  • Serves 4

Ingredients

For palak (spinach) puree:

  • 250 gms of frozen spinach

  • 3 cups of water, for blanching

  • ½ tsp salt

  • 3 cups of cold water, for ice bath

  • 2 cloves of garlic

  • 1 inch ginger

For the cooking:

  • 200 gms paneer, cubed

  • 2 tbsp oil or ghee

  • ½ tsp cumin seeds

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped

  • 4 cloves of garlic, mashed or finely chopped

  • 1 medium tomato, finely chopped

  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder (haldi)

  • ¼ tsp red chilli powder

  • 1/8 tsp asafoetida (hing)

  • ½ cup water

  • Salt, to taste

  • ½ tsp garam masala powder

  • 1 tsp kasuri methi leaves (dried fenugreek)

  • 2 tbsp cooking cream

Method

  1. Set the 3 cups of water to boil, and then add the salt and spinach. Blanch for 3 minutes.

  2. Drain the water and immediately dunk the spinach in the cold water (use ice cubes if needed) for 1 minute to preserve the vibrant green colour and halt its cooking.

  3. Drain the icy water and transfer the spinach to the blender, along with the ginger and garlic. Make a smooth puree and keep aside.

  4. Now for the cooking – warm the oil or ghee in a pan. Add the cumin seeds and bay leaf. Let the seeds splutter for about 30 seconds.

  5. Add the onions and sauté till they become golden brown (about 2 minutes). Then add the garlic and sauté till the raw smell goes away (about 1 minute).

  6. Add the chopped tomatoes and continue cooking till they soften (about 1 minute). You can then add the spices – turmeric powder, chilli powder and asafoetida. Continue stirring for another 1 minute.

  7. Pour in the spinach puree and half-cup of water. Simmer for 5-6 minutes until the gravy thickens. Add salt to your taste. Stir and add garam masala powder.

  8. Add the paneer cubes and mix them in gently. Continue to simmer on a low heat for another 2 minutes till the paneer becomes soft and mixes well with the gravy.

  9. Stir in the kasuri methi and drizzle the cooking cream right before serving hot!

MealsAditi Sharma KalraComment