Palak Paneer is a Punjabi cuisine. Coming from Punjab, it is my duty to share my version of this recipe. Paneer Palak or Palak Paneer is a must try in the winter season. I hate spinach. When I say that, I mean it but this recipe has changed everything. It is scrumptious. I relished every bit of it. This is one of the most popular Indian dishes.
You can eat this palak paneer either with some breads (naan, roti etc.) or with rice. I love it with either of them. This is a quick and easy palak paneer recipe.
If you’re not Indian, let me make this easy for you, palak paneer is an Indian spinach & cottage cheese curry which consists of fried/ toasted cottage cheese (paneer) cubes cooked in a spinach (palak) paste with onions, tomatoes and a variety of spices and herbs.
You can also see some other paneer recipes on my blog. I would personally recommend trying the restaurant style paneer butter masala recipe.
Ingredients:
- Spinach leaves- 1.5 cup (washed & chopped)
- Paneer or Cottage Cheese- 1/2 cup or 60 grams (cubed) + 1/4 cup or 30 gram (grated)
- Onion- 1 medium sized (finely chopped)
- Tomato- 1 medium sized (finely chopped)
- Yoghurt- 2 tbsp (if using homemade curd, then whisk it until smooth before using)
- Fresh cream- 3 tbsp* (refer the notes)
- Bay leaf (or tej patta)- 1 small
- Garlic- 4 to 5 cloves (finely chopped)
- Ginger- 1/4 inch (finely chopped)
- Coriander powder- 1/2 tsp
- Red chilli powder- 1/2 tsp
- Black pepper powder- 1/2 tsp
- Salt- according to taste
- Oil- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp C
- Butter- 1 tbsp
Method to prepare quick & easy palak paneer:
- Take a pan, add in oil and butter. After the butter melts, add in garlic and ginger and saute them. Then, add in onion and saute them until translucent in colour.
- Add bay leaf, red chilli powder, black pepper powder and coriander powder. Stir it well with the onions so that spices are mixed properly.
- After cooking for about 2 to 3 minutes, add chopped tomato and stir it so that it starts releasing water, add some salt and cook it until almost all the water has evaporated and the tomato is not giving raw odour.
- Add spinach leaves and cook them for a few minutes. After they release their water, cook them until only a little water is left behind. Then, add yoghurt and stir it well. After cooking for about 3 minutes, switch off the flame and blend the mixture we created.
- After it is blended, add it to the same pan and keep it aside. Meanwhile take the paneer cubes and lightly toast in another pan with a tsp of oil. You can deep fry this or even not toast/ fry it at all if you like. Keep it aside.
- Take the spinach paste we blended and turn on the flame. Add salt and stir it. Once it comes to a boil, add grated paneer and mix it very well. Finally, add in paneer cubes and gently stir them in to avoid breaking them. Cook for a minute and your palak paneer is ready to be served.
Notes:
- *Fresh Cream: You can either use store bought fresh cream which we also use for cakes and desserts but if you have malai (cream separated from milk) you can take 2.5 tbsp of it with 1 tsp of milk, whisk it and then use it.
- You have to blend the bay leaf with the other ingredients. It adds a nice flavour to the palak paneer.
- Do not add too many spices because that will interfere with the flavours and not give the classic spinach flavour.
- Don’t add additional water while blending the spinach to a smooth paste.
