Easy Palak Paneer Recipe | Restaurant Style Recipe
Palak Paneer, also known as Saag Paneer, is a popular North Indian dish made from fresh spinach leaves and cubes of paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese) cooked in a spiced gravy. It's a blend of leafy greens and creamy paneer, resulting in a vibrant green dish that's as visually appealing as delicious.
Ingredients
- 400 grams Spinach leaves washed and chopped
- 300 grams Paneer
- 1 tablespoon Ghee / Oil
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 large Onion
- 1 inch Ginger
- 6 cloves Garlic
- 2 Green Chillies
- 1 large Tomato
- 1 Bay Leaf
- Salt as needed
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- ½ teaspoon Red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- ¾ cup Water or as needed
- ½ teaspoon Sugar
- 2 tablespoon Fresh Cream
- 2 teaspoon Kasuri Methi
- Lemon Juice as needed
Instructions
- Wash and chop the spinach. Set it aside.
- Heat ghee or oil in a pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and saute for a minute. Then, add chopped onions and sauté until they turn translucent. Add chopped green chillies, fresh ginger, and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes until the raw smell disappears.
- Add chopped tomatoes and cook until they become soft and the oil starts to separate.
- Add the chopped spinach leaves and cook for 5 minutes. Switch off and let the mixture cool down to room temperature.
- Add the mixture to a mixer jar with cold water and make a fine puree. You can also use an immersion blender to make a smooth paste. Spinach puree is now ready.
- In the same pan, add ghee or oil again. Once hot, add bay leaf. Saute.
- Add salt, turmeric powder, garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder, Kashmiri chilli powder and red chilli powder. Stir well and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add the pureed spinach and mix well. Add water to achieve your desired consistency. Let it simmer for 5-7 minutes, allowing the flavours to blend well.
- Add sugar if desired. Sugar is added to balance the taste and remove the slight bitterness from spinach.
- Add heavy cream at this stage. Add the paneer cubes to the simmering gravy and stir gently.
- Cook for 5 more minutes, and Palak Paneer is ready.
- Add crushed Kasuri Methi. Mix well and switch off. Add some lemon juice towards the end, if desired.
- Serve the delicious palak paneer recipe hot with roti, naan, or rice.
Notes
I fried the paneer cubes for a few minutes in a little ghee and added it to the gravy. You can use fried or plain paneer cubes. That is your choice!
Tried this recipe?Mention @cakeworkorange or #cakeworkorange on Instagram