Description
Palak Paneer (Indian cottage cheese with spinach gravy), the most popular and loved vegetarian dish, where fresh and soft paneer cubes are cooked in a smooth, creamy, mildly spiced spinach gravy. This recipe goes well with basmati rice, roti or with any naan or bread as you like. Delicious and healthy!
Scale
Ingredients
- 1 bunch spinach (palak)
- 6 to 7 cashew nuts (kaju)
- 1 green chilli
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- Salt as per taste
- Water as needed
- 200 grams cottage cheese (paneer) cut into cubes
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1onion finely chopped
- 2 tomatoes finely chopped
- 3–4 garlic cloves, chopped
- ½ inch ginger piece, grated
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- ½ teaspoon or to taste red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- A pinch of garam masala
- A pinch of black salt
- ½ teaspoon dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
- 2 tablespoons fresh cream (malai)
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons clarified butter (ghee)
Instructions
- First, separate the palak leaves and wash thoroughly to get rid of any dirt or mud. Wash well and keep aside.
- Take a pressure cooker, add washed spinach along with green chilli, cashew nuts, little salt and sugar. Add a glass of water into it.
- Now cook it for 1 whistle to come. Turn off the flame.
- Then take out the boiled spinach and immediately put this into ice cold water.
- Now, grind the mixture to make a smooth paste without adding water.
- In a bowl, add paneer cubes and turmeric powder. Toss well until fully coated.
- Set aside for 10 minutes.
- Heat ghee in a pan or kadai.
- Add cumin seeds, chopped garlic cloves and grated ginger.
- Sauté it for few seconds.
- Add finely chopped onion and sauté it on a medium flame until translucent.
- Then, add finely chopped tomatoes.
- Cover and cook it until tomato gets softened.
- Add red chilli powder, and coriander powder. Cover and cook for 2 minutes.
- After that put the pureed spinach and cook it for 3-4 mins on medium flame.
- Add the crushed fenugreek leaves to the pan.
- Also, add garam masala, black salt, marinated paneer cubes.
- Cover it with a lid and let them to be cooked. Turn off the flame.
- This delicious restaurant style ‘Palak Paneer’ is ready to be served. Garnish it with some fresh cream (malai).
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Do not overcook the spinach as it prevents the green color from the greens.
- Add more whole garam masala like a piece of cinnamon, 1 elaichi, shahi jeera etc. for extra aromatic flavors.
- If you like, you can pan-fry the paneer cubes (until golden brown) before adding them to the spinach gravy.
- If you do not want to add green chilli, garlic and onion then you can avoid them.
- Ghee gives a nice taste to this dish. You can also use butter.
- Cuisine: Indian
Keywords: Restaurant style Palak Paneer, Palak Paneer Recipe, Spinach with Indian Cottage Cheese