North Indian · Lunch, Dinner
Palak paneer
Cottage cheese in spinach gravy
- Total time45 minstart to table
- Hands on30 minactual work
- EffortModerate
- Serves4as written
- Per serving~345 kcalapprox.
Tender paneer cubes in a bright spinach gravy scented with cumin, garlic, ginger and green chilli. A little cream can be added for a restrained finish.
Method
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Pick over 600 g fresh spinach leaves, discarding slimy leaves and tough root ends. Wash in several changes of clean water until no grit remains. Cut 350 g paneer into even 2.5 cm cubes.
Done when: Spinach is free of visible grit and damaged leaves, and paneer is divided into even 2.5 cm cubes.
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Bring 2 1/2 l water for blanching to a full boil in the blanch pan. Add the spinach in two batches, pressing it under the water. Cook each batch for 45 seconds from when it wilts, then lift it out immediately into 1 1/2 l cold water.
Done when: All leaves are wilted and bright green, with no raw stiff patches.
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Drain the cooled spinach and press out excess water without wringing it dry. Blend it with 1 piece green chilli and 50 ml water for blending until smooth but not foamy. If using a countertop blender, let the spinach cool fully and vent the lid safely.
Done when: Spinach is a smooth, pourable puree with no coarse leaf pieces and no foam cap.
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Heat 1 1/2 tbsp refined sunflower oil in the curry pan over medium heat. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds; when it sizzles, add 1 piece onion, finely chopped. Cook for 7 minutes, stirring, until soft and pale gold. Add 5 clove garlic, finely chopped and 15 g ginger, finely chopped; stir for the final minute.
Done when: Onion is soft and pale gold; garlic and ginger smell cooked without browning darkly.
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Lower the heat to medium-low and add the spinach puree, 1/2 tsp garam masala and 1 1/2 tsp fine salt. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring often. For a thick, spoonable gravy, add the remaining measured 100 ml hot water one tablespoon at a time, stopping while the puree still coats the paneer.
Done when: The raw spinach smell is gone and the puree bubbles gently while retaining a green colour.
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Fold in the paneer cubes. Keep at a very gentle simmer for 3 minutes, turning the cubes once so they heat evenly without breaking.
Done when: Paneer is hot through, tender and intact; the spinach gravy coats each cube.
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Turn off the heat. Stir in 2 tsp lemon juice, then fold in 40 ml fresh cream if using. Taste and adjust the fine salt; rest for 2 minutes before serving.
Done when: Lemon and any selected cream are evenly folded through, and the gravy remains thick enough to coat intact paneer cubes.
Or have it read to you
In the app these same steps are read aloud one at a time, hands-free, with the timers running — and the cook guide speaks eleven Indian languages, so whoever is at the stove can follow along without reading English.
- English
- Hindi
- Tamil
- Telugu
- Bengali
- Marathi
- Kannada
- Malayalam
- Gujarati
- Punjabi
- Odia
Good to know
- Diet
- Vegetarian
- Contains
- milk
- Eaten at
- Lunch, Dinner
- Nutrition, per serving
- ~345 kcal · 21 g protein · 13 g carbs · 25 g fat (approx.)
- Keeps
- 2 days in the fridge