Palak Paneer
Creamy spinach curry with cubes of paneer cheese, infused with garlic, ginger, and warm spices. A restaurant-quality Indian classic that's surprisingly doable at home.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 18g
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb fresh spinach
- 14 oz paneer cheese
- 1 whole onion, medium
- 4 whole garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp ginger, fresh
- 1 whole tomato, medium
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup yogurt, plain
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 to taste salt and black pepper
Instructions
- 1
Blanch spinach in boiling salted water 2 minutes, then transfer to ice water. Drain and squeeze dry.
- 2
Blend spinach with 0.25 cup water until completely smooth. Set aside.
- 3
Cut paneer into 0.75-inch cubes. Mince garlic and ginger together. Dice onion and tomato.
- 4
Heat oil in a heavy skillet over medium. Add cumin seeds; cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- 5
Add onion. Sauté 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and light golden.
- 6
Add garlic and ginger. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, until very fragrant.
- 7
Add tomato. Cook 2 minutes, breaking it down with a spoon, until softened.
- 8
Pour in spinach puree. Stir to combine. Simmer 3 minutes until darkened slightly.
- 9
Stir in yogurt and cream. Season with garam masala, salt, and pepper.
- 10
Add paneer cubes. Simmer gently 5 minutes without stirring much—paneer should stay intact.
- 11
Taste and adjust salt. Spinach should taste rich, slightly creamy, and cohesive.
- 12
Transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with a little extra cream if desired. Serve hot with naan or rice.
Tools you’ll need
- large pot
- colander
- ice bath
- blender or food processor
- chef's knife
- cutting board
- 12-inch heavy skillet
- wooden spoon
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
Cook smarter
Get matched recipes for what’s in your fridge
CookSnap is a free iOS app that finds real recipes from the ingredients you already have. No more grocery-list aspirations.
