Name: Palak Paneer
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 250 g Spinach, palak, washed and blanched; 200 g Paneer, cut into cubes; 1 Onion, medium, finely chopped; 1 Tomato, medium, pureed; 1 tbsp Garlic, finely minced (crucial for palak); 1 tsp Ginger, grated; 2 Green Chili Pepper, chopped; ½ tsp Garam Masala; 1 tsp Cumin Seeds; 1 tsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves, crushed dry fenugreek; 2 tbsp Fresh Cream, for richness; 1 tbsp Butter, for cooking; 1 tbsp Cooking Oil; 1 tsp Salt, to taste

50 mintotal

35 min hands-on15 min hands-off

Prep 15 min · Cook 20 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Mild

Add to your week

Method

In a blender, process the blanched, ice-cooled spinach and the green chillies into a smooth puree. Avoid adding excess water.
Heat the cooking oil and butter together in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and allow them to crackle.
Add the finely minced garlic and sauté until it takes on a light golden color. The toasted garlic forms the primary flavor profile of this dish.
Stir in the finely chopped onions and sauté patiently until they turn translucent and completely soft.
Stir in the grated ginger and tomato puree. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the raw tomato smell goes and the base thickens noticeably.
4–5 min
Season the masala base with salt and garam masala, mixing thoroughly to combine.
Pour in the bright spinach puree, stir it through and simmer gently on low heat for 3-4 minutes. Leave the pan uncovered: trapped steam dulls the spinach and takes the green with it.
3–4 min
Fold in the fresh paneer cubes and the crushed kasuri methi. Stir gently so as not to break the cheese, and simmer for 2 additional minutes to heat the paneer through.
Remove the pan from the heat entirely. Gently stir in the fresh cream.
Serve immediately, garnished elegantly with a final swirl of fresh cream.

How to tell it's done

Expect a flawlessly smooth, lusciously thick, deeply green gravy that gently coats soft cubes of fresh paneer, punctuated by strong garlic notes.

Getting it right

Tip

Never overcook the spinach once it has been pureed. Boiling it uncovered for just a few minutes is the secret to retaining a vibrant, restaurant-quality bright green hue.

What to serve it with

A luxurious dish best enjoyed with soft Garlic Naan, earthy Missi Roti, or fragrant Jeera Rice.

Mushroom Pyaz

Mushroom pyaz cooks mushrooms with onion and garlic until the water they release has gone.

35 minvegetarian

Mutton Dalcha

Dalcha simmers goat meat with chana dal and bottle gourd, the Hyderabadi partner to biryani.

2 hr 10 minnon vegetarian

Mutton Keema Matar

Mutton keema matar is minced mutton cooked with green peas, onion and tomato until the fat separates and the mince stays loose.

50 minnon vegetarian

Mutton Rogan Josh

Mutton rogan josh is a Kashmiri curry built on mustard oil, whole spices and Kashmiri chilli, simmered until the mutton is tender and the oil rises.

1 hr 45 minnon vegetarian

Nagpur Saoji Mutton

Saoji mutton is a fiery Nagpur curry built on a dark masala of poppy seeds, dried coconut and black pepper.

2 hr 30 minnon vegetarian

Namkeen Kaddu Ki Sabzi

Namkeen kaddu ki sabzi cooks pumpkin savoury with garlic and chilli, rather than the sweet-sour version.

25 minvegan

Ingredients