Palak Paneer
Palak paneer is my preferred dish to order at Indian eateries, and I’m thrilled to present my homemade rendition to you! Palak paneer consists of soft cubes of paneer cheese in a well-seasoned, smooth, spinach sauce. Palak literally translates to spinach, and this vibrant green meal is abundantly flavorful. It’s vegetarian comfort food at its best.
Palak paneer originates from the Punjab area in Northern India. I aspire to visit India someday, but until that moment, I’m crafting my version based on the different Indian restaurants I often visit. I sought to learn how to prepare my own palak paneer with organic spinach during my pregnancy with our son, as spinach contains higher pesticide residues per weight than any other type of produce.
I created this dish multiple times (at least six occasions, to be specific) to ensure that the recipe delivers maximum taste while being efficient from beginning to end. Now you can prepare palak paneer for dinner whenever you have the craving. This recipe is completed in approximately 45 minutes!
3 Reasons to Prepare This Palak Paneer
This recipe slightly deviates from traditional methods. Here’s the rationale.
- The recipe provides alternatives for using either fresh or frozen spinach, allowing you to select the option that suits you best. Regardless, I suggest purchasing organic.
- It heavily utilizes the food processor. If you’re going to use it, you should maximize its capabilities. We will first process the spinach, regardless of whether it’s fresh or frozen. Following that, we will process the ginger, garlic, chili pepper, and onion. Cheers for reduced chopping!
- We’ll roast the paneer in oil and spices. Paneer cheese is subtle in taste and doesn’t impart much flavor by itself. Some recipes recommend mixing plain cheese into the greens, while others suggest pan-frying the cheese until it becomes golden, enhancing its flavor. To simplify the recipe, we’ll roast the cheese while preparing the other components. It becomes incredibly flavorful in the oven and is ready to be mixed into the greens at just the right moment.
View How to Prepare This Recipe
Ingredient Choices & Alternatives
You will find the complete recipe at the conclusion of the post, but here are some options to consider.
Fresh vs. Frozen Spinach
I favor the more vibrant flavor of fresh spinach, but frozen spinach performs admirably, is more economical, and is equally nutritious. Ensure your frozen spinach has been stored appropriately so it’s not icy—freezer-burned spinach is unpalatable.
8 to 12 ounces Paneer Cheese
Paneer is available in packages ranging from 8 to 12 ounces, depending on your grocery store’s selection. For reference, these images display 10 ounces of paneer. The full 12 ounces results in a very cheesy dish, but you might as well use all of it if that’s what you found at the market.
Oil or Ghee
Saag paneer is generally prepared with ghee—clarified butter with a notably nutty and caramel-like taste. I don’t always have ghee on hand, but I can confirm that the recipe turns out wonderfully with olive oil or avocado oil (neither will be detectable in the final dish).
Yogurt or Cream
Greek yogurt provides a tang that enlivens the dish, which I enjoy. Yogurt needs to be tempered before being added to the mixture to avoid curdling, and I’ve included instructions in the recipe (it’s quite simple).
Heavy cream has a richer flavor and slightly softens the other tastes. Due to its high fat content, tempering the mixture is unnecessary.
What’s the distinction between palak paneer and saag paneer?
Palak translates to spinach specifically, while saag paneer refers to leafy greens, including mustard greens, spinach, or kale. You can transform this recipe into saag paneer by swapping another green for the spinach. Frozen kale worked effectively for me.
Serving Recommendations
Savor saag paneer with warm naan (Indian flatbread) or cooked basmati rice (here’s how I prepare brown rice, including brown basmati).
For a complete meal, consider adding one or more of the following options:
I would love to hear how your recipe turns out in the comments! I hope you relish it as much as I do.
Print
Palak Paneer
Palak paneer consists of paneer cheese simmered in a well-seasoned spinach sauce. This homemade palak paneer is assembled quickly and delivers fantastic flavor. Recipe yields 4 servings.
- 16 ounces fresh or frozen spinach*
- 1-inch segment of fresh ginger, quartered lengthwise
- 4 cloves garlic, each sliced into several pieces
- 1 large green serrano chile or 1 medium jalapeno, ribs and seeds discarded, chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large yellow or white onion, halved and diced into 1-inch chunks
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ¾ teaspoon fine salt, divided, to taste
- 8 to 12 ounces paneer (Indian cheese), depending on how cheesy you desire your dish to be, cut into ¾-inch to 1-inch cubes
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil, divided
- ½ cup whole-milk plain Greek yogurt or heavy cream
- Optional drizzle of fresh lemon juice or finely chopped tomatoes for acidity
- For serving: warm cooked basmati rice or flatbread (roti or naan)
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper to stop the paneer from adhering. If you’re using frozen spinach, defrost it in the microwave in a microwave-safe glass dish for approximately 5 minutes on high—do not remove any excess water.
- Meanwhile, in a food processor, blend the garlic and ginger together until finely minced, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides if needed. Incorporate the chili pepper and onion and pulse until they are finely chopped (making sure to halt before they become mushy). Transfer the mixture into a bowl and put the food processor bowl back on the machine (no need to wash it).
- In the food processor, blend several handfuls of the fresh spinach until it’s fragmented into tiny bits, then continue as required until all the spinach is utilized and a mixture close to a puree is achieved. (Alternatively, process the thawed spinach mixture until smooth.)
- Arrange the cubed paneer on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle it liberally with the coriander, cumin, garam masala, and ½ teaspoon of the salt, and then drizzle 2 tablespoons of oil on top. Mix until the cheese is uniformly coated in oil and spices. Distribute the cheese evenly across the pan. Bake for 10 minutes, stir, and then continue baking for an additional 3 to 5 minutes until the paneer is beautifully golden.
- In a medium stainless steel skillet over medium heat, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the onion
- blend (set aside the bowl for later) and ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onion becomes translucent and begins to take on a golden hue, stirring increasingly often as time progresses to avert burning.
- Incorporate the spinach and mix thoroughly. Add the cooked paneer, ½ cup water and ¼ teaspoon salt, stir, and simmer for 7 to 10 minutes, until the blend is heated throughout and the flavors have fused.
- Switch off the heat and take the skillet off the hot burner. Place a few generous spoonfuls of the spinach into the reserved bowl and mix in the yogurt (this tempers the yogurt to prevent curdling—if using cream, you can directly stir it into the skillet). Then incorporate half of the yogurt mixture into the spinach, mix to combine, followed by the remaining yogurt mixture. Adjust seasoning with extra salt (I typically add ⅛ teaspoon). Serve with a optional splash of lemon juice or diced tomatoes on top to enhance the flavors, accompanied by warm rice or flatbread, if desired.
Notes
Recipe modified from Aarti Sequeira, with the roasted paneer idea inspired by Anita Jaisinghani.
*Greens options: Palak paneer refers to spinach and cheese, but you can create a variation called saag paneer using a variety of greens, such as mustard greens or kale.
Nutrition
The details provided are an estimate generated by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be regarded as a replacement for a qualified nutritionist’s counsel. See our complete nutrition disclaimer here.
Post Comment