Palak Paneer

What is Palak Paneer?
Palak = spinach
Paneer = an unaged, soft, non-melty, Indian cheese
Where can I get paneer?
You can make your own at home or buy it packaged from an Indian store. If you buy paneer, submerge it in water for half an hour before using it to soften it up.
If you want to make your own paneer, you can follow the instructions from my Paneer from Scratch post.

Timmi’s Tips and Tricks
Where can I get paneer?
You can make your own at home or buy it packaged from an Indian store. If you buy paneer, submerge it in water for half an hour before using it to soften it up.
If you want to make your own paneer, you can follow the instructions from my Paneer from Scratch post. Homemade paneer can easily crumble, so make sure it’s been compressed under a weight overnight to remove all moisture is you’re using it in this recipe.
Can I use frozen spinach?
Sure! If you use frozen spinach, just skip over the blanching step.
What garam masala should I use?
A good garam masala is vital to this dish. You can make your own using my recipe here or buy one. I’ve used and recommend the MDH one, which works great for a lot of North Indian dishes.
Palak Paneer
Ingredients
- 10 oz fresh spinach
- 4 oz paneer
- 1/2 inch piece ginger
- 1/2 tsp garlic
- 3 green chilis
- 1 medium tomato
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin powder
- 1/2 tsp haldi turmeric
- 1/4 tsp red chili powder
- 3/4 tsp salt or to taste
- 2/3 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- dhaniya cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Blanch spinach in hot water for a few minutes until wilted.
- Once the spinach is blanched, transfer it from the hot water into a bowl of ice water. This will help retain the color.
- Blend together the spinach, ginger, garlic, and green chilis.
- Separately puree the tomato.
- Heat a pan on medium-high. Add oil and let it heat up.
- Add cumin to let it heat up a few seconds.
- Add the pureed tomato. Stir to combine with cumin. Add the salt, turmeric, and red chili powder. Mix and allow the tomatoes to cook, stirring periodically to ensure even cooking.
- Once the moisture from the tomato is gone, add in the blended spinach mixture.
- Mix in the spinach, cover the pan, lower heat to low, and allow to cook through, about 15 minutes. Open the lid to stir periodically.
- Once the spinach has cooked down, add in paneer, stir to mix, and simmer for 2-3 minutes or so to allow the paneer to absorb the palak flavor.
- Add in lemon juice and garam masala. Stir to mix.
- Add cilantro to garnish and enjoy!
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