Prajakta's Palak Paneer

Palak paneer is a classic for good reason: tender paneer and vibrant spinach come together in a creamy, savory gravy that’s both comforting and bright. Here, the spinach is cooked quickly to keep its color and blended with green chilli, ginger, and garlic before meeting a warmly spiced onion-tomato base. Spoon it over rice or scoop it up with roti for a deeply satisfying meal.

Note: Baby spinach works well here, but traditionally bunches of spinach are used for palak paneer. The stems are trimmed from the bunches, leaving some on, and then the spinach is thoroughly washed before use. For the ginger and garlic paste, a small processor, add ¼ cup of garlic cloves, and 1 big knob of ginger (1-2 inches). Process with a 2-3 tablespoons of water, until brown down into a smooth consistency.

Ingredients

2 clam shells baby spinach (250g)
3 tablespoons salted butter
500g paneer, cut in ¾ inch pieces
2 tablespoon neutral oil, divided
2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 green chili or serrano peppers
¾-inch ginger, roughly chopped
¼ tsp Jodhana Cumin
1 small red onion (115g), finely chopped (1 cup)
2 plum tomatoes (100g), finely chopped
1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon powdered Jodhana Cumin
½ teaspoon powdered Nandini Coriander
¼ teaspoon Guntur Sannam Chilli
Pinch of Pragati Turmeric

Methods

Wash the spinach, dry, and then roughly chop.
In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, add the butter, and once melted and foamy, shallow fry the cubed paneer in batches, until golden brown on two sides, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
To the same pan, add 1 tablespoon of the oil and then add in the garlic, green chili, fresh ginger and the spinach. For a bright green gravy, cook on high heat for a minute, then immediately stir in 1 tablespoon of water and cover, lowering the heat to medium, until the leaves are wilted, about 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat, uncover and allow to cool lightly. Transfer to a small food processor and process into a thick puree
To the same pan, set over medium heat, add the remaining oil, cumin seeds and the onion, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion just begins to brown, 5 minutes.
Lower the heat to medium-low, stir in the tomato, ginger garlic paste, ½ teaspoons salt, 1 tablespoon water, cover and cook, until the tomatoes start to break down, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the cumin, coriander, chilli powder and turmeric, spices and cook, stirring frequently, until toasty, another 2-3 minutes.
Stir in the spinach puree. Add a ¼ cup of water to remove any remnants from the mixer and add to the pot
Stir in the paneer, cover, and cook to meld everything together, adding another splash of water if needed to make a saucy gravy that will lightly coat a spoon, 2-3 minutes.
Optional: Add fresh cream
Serve hot with rotis or rice