Palak Paneer Recipe is very popular in North India. It consist of fresh spinach (palak) and cooked with soft chunks of paneer (Indian cottage cheese). Hii ! Today we will discuss the delicious Palak Paneer Recipe. It’s actually not that difficult like all good things.
It is just a matter of three things – technique, proportion and magic 😉
So I will share the technique and proportion with you and the magic is in your hand as far as I know, every cook has a different kind of magic in their hands.
The evolution of palak paneer recipe is very simple. The thought of palak paneer evolution was that all the green ingredients that were grown in the farms were taken and added together in a pot – spinach leaves, dill leaves etc. There was a time when 18-19 green ingredients were added and a “saag” was made. Everything that was green, was put with the meat, to cook with the meat. This origin is the true origin of saag meat, saag paneer or later.
When the meat and greens were cooked together, automatically what came out was this version of a beautiful “saag paneer” but slowly the supply of greens were decreased, we stopped entering the farms. In the market, spinach was easily available and grown. So they took spinach, evolved the concept of it and “Palak Paneer ” was created.
In this recipe the paneer is separately shallow fried and added to the delicious spinach gravy mixed with aromatic spices, paneer is not only delicious but also rich in protein, vitamin, minerals and other nutrients. Let’s head to the recipe –
Palak Paneer
Ingredients – Palak Paneer Recipe
- 2 bunches- palak leaves ( cleaned and blanched in cold water)
- 3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1 tbsp oil
- 4 cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 chopped green chilli
- 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 small onion (finely chopped)
- 1 medium sized tomato (chopped)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 3 leaves of spinach (chopped)
- 1 tsp coriander seeds ( roasted and crushed)
- A pinch of asafoetida
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 1/2 tsp kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) – roasted and crushed
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp fresh cream
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1/4 tsp garam masala
- 250 grams paneer (cubes)
- Ginger julienne for garnish
- 1 tbsp fresh cream for garnish
Instructions – Palak Paneer Recipe
- In a pot blanch spinach leaves in boiling water for 2 minutes and transfer immediately into ice cold water.
- Now, add cooked spinach leaves with 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste into a blender and make a smooth paste.
- Heat ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds, bay leaf, asafoetida. Stir for a minute until fragrance goes off.
- Now, add chopped garlic, onion and saute until they turn translucent.
- Add chopped tomato, salt to taste and stir till they turn soft.
- Now, add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, kasoori methi, crushed coriander seeds and some coriander powder and mix it well.
- Add some chopped palak leaves, and then add prepared palak puree, hot water, adjust salt and stir it nicely.
- Transfer paneer cubes into the gravy, sprinkle garam masala and allow it to cook for another 1 minute and finish with fresh cream and fold it into gravy.
- Transfer in a serving bowl and garnish with fresh cream and ginger julienne.
- Serve hot with rice or roti.
Tips :
- Serve this recipe with garlic naan it will taste awesome, the combination of garlic and spinach is divine.
- The garlic has to be lightly toasted, that note of toasted garlic has to be there in “Palak Paneer”.
- Dried fenugreek leaves are very important to taste like restaurant. Add it when the spices are cooked properly and when you are about to add the tomatoes.
