Flavor filled Palak paneer recipe | Spinach with Cottage Cheese
Flavor filled Palak Paneer is a North Indian recipe, that has gained widespread popularity around the globe. It has the wholesome goodness of spinach and the nutritional value of paneer.It is made from spinach puree sautéed with spices and aromatics to enhance its flavorful to which Indian cottage cheese is added and simmered together for a perfect alchemy
Equipment
- 1 Pressure Cooker
- 1 Heavy bottom pan or kadai
- 1 Wooden Spatula or Spoon
Ingredients
(1 cup = 250 ml)
Saute /shallow fry paneer
- 200 gm cottage cheese cut into cubes
- 2 tbsp oil
Palak gravy
- 2 bunches spinach leaves roughly chopped 350 gm
- 1 big tomato cut into big pieces 125 gm
- 1 medium onion chopped 50 gm
- 1 tbsp ginger chopped 8 gm (loosely packed)
- ½ cup water
- 1 tbsp oil use as needed
- 6 cloves garlic
- 8-10 fresh mint leaves
- 1 tbsp kasuri methi dried fenugreek leaves
Spices
- 1 tsp salt adjust as needed
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder haldi
- 1 tsp coriander powder dhaniya powder
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- ¼ tsp garam masala powder
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 black cardamom
- ½ inch cinnamon stick
Instructions
Saute/shallow fry paneer
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan. Shallow fry paneer, till the edges are golden in colour.
- Drain the paneer and plunge in regular water to become soft.
Boil Spinach
- In a pressure cook, add roughly chopped spinach leaves, onions, chopped ginger, green chili and chopped tomato. Also had ½ cup water. Secure the lid.
- Let 2-3 quick whistles blow on medium flame. Then switch off flame and let pressure release on its own.
- Blend to puree.
How to make Palak Paneer
- Thereafter, in a kadai or heavy bottom pan, add 1 tbsp cooking oil.
- Tip in bay leaf black cardamom and cinnamon stick.
- Add garlic paste, Sauté till it turns translucent.
- Then add salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder and red chili powder.
- Sauté the spices very well. At this stage , add in a tablespoon of pureed spinach and sauté along with the spices. Then add the remaining puree and let it come to a gentle boil.
- Drain water from paneer pieces. Add to the spinach.
- Simmer on medium flame for 2-3 minutes.
- Then add kasuri methi and fresh mint leaves. (Read description given above)
- Finally check for seasoning and sprinkle garam masala.Cover and cook for 5 minutes..
- Put off flame. Serve with roti or rice.
What to serve with
- Serve this Spinach Paneer recipe alongwith Roti, Naan, Methi Pulao or Bhuga Chawal. Serve alongside with chilled Mint Lassi . Conclude the meal with Gulab Jamun
Video
Notes
- Use fresh paneer. Any off smell of paneer will ruin this exotic dish. Some add raw paneer into the gravy. If paneer is fresh, you can go ahead with this. However,I recommend sauteing to get rid of any raw flavors in paneer.
- Pick fresh spinach leaves and rinse them well with water to get rid of sand and grit.
- Purée the spinach till you get a smooth creamy gravy.