Palak Paneer

Palak Paneer is a popular North Indian vegetarian dish made from soft cubes of paneer (Indian cottage cheese) simmered in a smooth spinach gravy. It's a nutritious and flavorful curry that pairs perfectly with roti, naan, or rice. In this recipe, we will guide you through the steps to prepare this delicious dish at home.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Serves: 5
Main ingredients: Paneer and spinach
Course: Main course

Quick Navigation:

• Ingredients (Serves 5)
• Procedure
• Step 1: Prepare the Paneer and Spinach
• Step 2: Blanch the Paneer
• Step 3: Strain the Paneer
• Step 4: Cook the Spinach with Herbs
• Step 5: Sauté Spices and Vegetables
• Step 6: Add Ginger Garlic Paste
• Step 7: Add Spices
• Step 8: Combine Spinach and Spices
• Step 9: Prepare Coriander Seed Powder
• Step 10: Finalize the Curry

Ingredients (Serves 5)

Spinach (Palakura): 2 bunches

Paneer: 200 grams

Onions (Ullipayalu): 2

Green Chillies (Pachimirapa): 2

Cloves (Lavangalu): 2

Cinnamon sticks (Dalcina Chakka): 2

Coriander seeds (Dhaniyalu): 1 tsp

Red Chilli Powder (Karam): 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder (Pasupu): 1 pinch

Fresh Coriander Leaves (Kothimeera): 1/4 cup

Mint Leaves (Pudina): 1/4 cup

Ginger Garlic Paste (Allam Velulli): 1 tsp

Pepper Powder (Miriyala Podi): 1/4 tsp

Sugar: 1 pinch

Lemon Juice: 2 drops

Salt: To taste

Oil: 1 tsp

Procedure

Step 1: Prepare the Paneer and Spinach

Cut the paneer into small cubes and chop the spinach leaves finely.

Step 2: Blanch the Paneer

Add a little salt to one glass of water and bring it to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the paneer pieces to the hot water.

Step 3: Strain the Paneer

After 5 minutes, strain the paneer from the water and set aside.

Step 4: Cook the Spinach with Herbs

Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a pan. Add the spinach leaves along with mint and coriander leaves. Cover the pan and let it cook on low flame until the spinach is wilted.

Step 5: Sauté Spices and Vegetables

In another pan, heat 1 teaspoon of oil. Fry the cinnamon sticks, cloves, onions, and green chillies for 5 minutes.

Step 6: Add Ginger Garlic Paste

Add 1 teaspoon of ginger garlic paste to the pan with sautéed spices and vegetables. Stir well. (Turn off the heat under the spinach once it is cooked.)

Step 7: Add Spices

Add a pinch of turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of red chilli powder to the fried onions. Stir and cook for another minute, then add 1/4 teaspoon of pepper powder.

Step 8: Combine Spinach and Spices

Grind the cooked spinach mixture into a smooth paste and add it to the pan. Add one glass of water, stir well, and cover the pan. Let it cook for 5 minutes on medium flame.

Step 9: Prepare Coriander Seed Powder

Meanwhile, dry roast the coriander seeds until fragrant and grind them into a fine powder.

Step 10: Finalize the Curry

Add the paneer pieces and the ground coriander seed powder to the cooking pan. Cover and let it cook for another 5 minutes, then turn off the heat.

Add 2 drops of lemon juice and a pinch of sugar to the curry. Transfer it to a serving bowl.

Your delicious homemade Palak Paneer is now ready to serve! This flavorful and nutritious dish pairs wonderfully with poori, chapati, phulka, biryani, or naan. Enjoy the rich taste of spinach and paneer combined with aromatic spices.