Palak Paneer — Spinach with Cottage Cheese
“I spent years ordering palak paneer at restaurants before I realised how simple it is to make at home — and how much better it tastes fresh. The trick is blanching the spinach quickly and blending it immediately to keep the colour vivid. Old, slowly cooked spinach turns a sad army green. This version stays bright.”
What You’ll Need
- 500g fresh baby spinach
- 250g paneer, cut into 2cm cubes
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp oil or ghee
- 3 tbsp fresh cream
- Salt to taste
Let’s Cook — Step by Step
- Step 1 — Blanch the spinach: plunge into boiling salted water for 2 minutes, then immediately into a bowl of ice-cold water. Squeeze out excess water and blend to a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Step 2 — Pan-fry the paneer cubes in a little oil until golden on all sides. Set aside.
- Step 3 — In the same pan, heat oil/ghee and add cumin seeds. When they splutter, add onions. Cook 8 minutes until golden.
- Step 4 — Add ginger-garlic paste. Stir 1 minute. Add tomatoes, turmeric, coriander powder, and salt. Cook until tomatoes break down completely — about 10 minutes.
- Step 5 — Add the spinach puree. Stir and simmer for 5 minutes. Add a small splash of water if it’s too thick.
- Step 6 — Add the fried paneer. Stir gently to combine without breaking the paneer.
- Step 7 — Stir in garam masala and fresh cream. Simmer 2 minutes.
- Step 8 — Serve with naan or jeera rice.
Kitchen Tip: Blanch and blend the spinach very quickly — this is the only way to keep that gorgeous bright green colour.
Made with fresh ingredients & kitchen love ♥ — meozmedia.com
