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!