Palak paneer. Spinach paneer curry. Looking for a healthy dinner idea? Why not try this green and flavorful paneer curry featuring the goodness of vibrant spinach? This traditional curry is perfect as a healthy side dish for your next meal.
You might be already familiar with “green goddess” smoothies, sandwiches etc featuring the endless nutritional possibilities of green vegetables and fruits. So, how about a “green goddess” curry to celebrate all things green.
I’m talking about the traditional palak paneer (palak = spinach, paneer = Indian cottage cheese) that’s basically paneer cubes cooked in rich and flavorful spinach purée.
Fresh cubes of paneer, spinach purée flavored with classic spices - this spinach paneer curry is incredibly delicious. Just the right kind of curry to boost your nutritional intake.
To begin with, make the green spinach purée which forms the base of this palak paneer curry. Blanch spinach leaves in salted boiling water for a couple of seconds, and transfer to chilled water. This will stop the cooking process. Remember not to overcook spinach.Again, make sure you only use the leaves and not the stems. Transfer the cooled spinach to a blender.
You’ll also need to make a quick spice mix to purée along with the spinach. To be exact, this spice mix is the secret to making the most flavorful purée for this spinach paneer curry.
Splutter cumin seeds in a little oil, and fry bay leaf, garlic cloves, ginger and green chilies. Sauté some onions until it turns brown, and cook up some tomatoes until mushy. Allow this mixture to cool down slightly before you add it to the blanched spinach to make smooth purée.
The next and final step is making the palak paneer curry. To make this curry, you’ll also need paneer or Indian cottage cheese. I love the idea of making fresh homemade paneer, but don’t worry, you don’t have to make from scratch if you’re time-pressed. You can buy fresh or frozen paneer from your local Indian grocery store.
Now, let’s bring all the elements together to create an awesome curry. Fry ground turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander and red chili powder in a little oil, and then stir in spinach purée. Simmer for few minutes, and stir in cream and garam masala. Finally, cook paneer in the flavorful sauce.
While the spinach paneer curry is cooking, make chapati, Malabar paratha, lachha paratha, plain naan, and butter naan
to serve with the curry. You can also serve it with basmati rice or ghee rice.
More Indian Curries:
- Cauliflower and Potato Curry
- Sweet Potato Chickpea Curry
- Lentils Kale Cauliflower Curry
- Onion Curry
- Eggplant Coconut Curry or Vazhuthananga Paal Curry
- Rajma Masala (Kidney Beans Curry)
- Spinach Yogurt Curry
Palak Paneer | Spinach Paneer Curry | Video
Ingredients
Spinach purée:
- 250 g spinach only leaves
- 1 tablespoon oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 inch fresh ginger chopped
- 2 green chilies chopped
- 1 small onion chopped
- 1 medium tomatoes chopped
Palak paneer:
- 2 teaspoon oil
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin cumin powder
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 2 tablespoon fresh cream
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
- 225 g paneer Indian cottage cheese, cubed
- Salt to taste
Instructions
Spinach purée:
- Into a pot of salted boiling water, add spinach leaves and blanch for 1-2 minutes. Transfer blanched spinach into chilled water set in another bowl. This will stop the cooking process. Set aside.
- Meanwhile heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add bay leaf and cumin seeds. Sauté until the seeds splutter. Add garlic, ginger and green chilies. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Add onions. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until onions turn light brown. Add tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until tomatoes are mushy. Remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly.
- Place this mixture in a food processor along with blanched spinach. Process to a smooth purée.
Palak paneer:
- Heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add ground turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander and red chili powder. Stir fry for a minute. Add spinach purée. Stir to combine. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add cream. Stir to combine. Add garam masala. Season with salt. Simmer for another 2 minutes. Add paneer. Cook, covered, for 2 minutes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
**** Click here to get the recipe for homemade fresh paneer
Like this spinach paneer or palak paneer curry? Then join Nish Kitchen on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram. Watch exclusive recipe videos on YouTube. Don't forget to check out more paneer recipes:
- Chili Paneer
- Paneer Butter Masala
- Cheesy Paneer Pav Bhaji Sliders
- Paneer Wrap / Paneer Kathi Roll
- Spicy Paneer sandwich
- Tandoori Paneer Quesadilla
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