Palak Paneer — Creamy Spinach
Experience the authentic flavors of North India with this creamy and vibrant Palak Paneer. The secret to the perfect green hue is revealed in this easy-to-follow recipe.
Palak Paneer — Creamy Spinach
Experience the authentic flavors of North India with this creamy and vibrant Palak Paneer. The secret to the perfect green hue is revealed in this easy-to-follow recipe.
Key move
Blanch the spinach quickly and shock it in ice water to preserve its vibrant green color and prevent bitterness.
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The Setup
- PotMedium
- BowlLarge
- PanMedium
The Mise en Place
5 of 13Your prep station before cooking begins
The Aromatics (0/3)
The Spice Blend (0/5)
Spinach is not vibrant green.
Ensure the spinach is blanched for only 1 minute and immediately transferred to an ice bath.
Palak Paneer is too bitter.
Squeeze out as much excess water as possible from the spinach after blanching.
Chef's Notes
To prevent spinach from becoming bitter, blanch it quickly in boiling water, then shock in ice water before pureeing.
For extra creamy palak paneer, blend in a tablespoon of cashew paste or a splash of heavy cream at the end.
Serve hot with naan, roti, or basmati rice. A dollop of yogurt or cream makes a lovely garnish.
The spinach puree can be made a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Reheat gently before adding paneer.
The Method
PREPARE
Time-sensitiveBring a pot of water to a boil. Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl.
Water is boiling and ice bath is ready.
BLANCH
Time-sensitiveBlanch the spinach (10 oz) in boiling water for 1 minute. Immediately transfer it to the ice bath to stop cooking.
Spinach is bright green and has been shocked in ice water.
DRAIN
Drain the spinach (10 oz) well and squeeze out excess water. Roughly chop the spinach.
Spinach is well-drained and chopped.
HEAT
Heat oil (2 tbsp) in a pan over medium heat. Add chopped onion (1 medium) and sauté until golden brown.
Onions are golden brown.
ADD
Add ginger (1 tbsp) and garlic (2 cloves) to the pan and sauté for another minute until fragrant.
Ginger and garlic are fragrant.
STIR
Stir in tomato (1 cup) puree, turmeric powder (½ tsp), red chili powder (½ tsp), cumin powder (½ tsp), garam masala (1 tsp), and salt (½ tsp). Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Spices are fragrant and well combined with tomato puree.
ADD
Add the chopped spinach (10 oz) to the pan and mix well. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Spinach is wilted and incorporated into the sauce.
STIR
Stir in the heavy cream (½ cups) and paneer (10 oz) cubes. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, allowing the paneer to heat through.
Cream is incorporated and paneer is heated through.
SERVE
Serve hot with rice or naan.
Dish is ready to be served.
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