Palak Paneer Recipe – Creamy Spinach Curry with Soft Cottage Cheese Cubes
Palak Paneer is a popular North Indian curry made with fresh spinach (palak) and soft paneer (Indian cottage cheese). This rich and vibrant green dish is comforting, flavorful, and a perfect combination of health and taste. A true delight when served with roti, naan, or jeera rice.
Ingredients
- Spinach – 250 grams (washed and chopped)
- Cottage Cheese (Paneer) – 150 grams (cut into cubes or triangles)
- Onion – 2 medium, finely chopped
- Tomatoes – 2 medium, finely chopped
- Garlic – 5 to 6 cloves
- Ginger – 1 small piece (julienned or finely chopped)
- Green Chili – 1, finely chopped
- Asafoetida (Hing) – 1/4 teaspoon
- Red Chili Powder – 1/2 teaspoon
- Coriander Powder – 1 teaspoon
- Turmeric Powder – 1/2 teaspoon
- Sugar – 1/2 teaspoon
- Salt – to taste
- Desi Ghee – 4 tablespoons
- Fresh Cream – 1/2 cup
- Cloves – 4
- Cinnamon – 1 small piece
- Bay Leaf – 1
- Ginger Flakes – for garnishing
Instructions
- Wash the spinach thoroughly and chop roughly. Boil it in an open pot with 1/2 tsp sugar for 4–5 minutes.
- Immediately transfer boiled spinach to cold water to retain the bright green color. Drain and grind into a fine puree.
- Heat desi ghee in a pan. Add cloves, cinnamon, and bay leaf. Sauté briefly.
- Add chopped garlic and ginger. Sauté on low flame for 2–3 minutes.
- Add chopped onions and cook until golden brown.
- Add chopped tomatoes and green chili. Cook until oil separates.
- Mix in coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, asafoetida, and 1 tbsp water. Cook for a minute.
- Add spinach puree and cook on low flame for 5–7 minutes.
- Stir in fresh cream and simmer for another 2–3 minutes.
- Add paneer cubes and salt. Cook on low flame for 7–8 minutes.
- Garnish with ginger flakes and serve hot.
Chef’s Tips
- For extra flavor, lightly sauté paneer cubes before adding them to the curry.
- You can add a pinch of garam masala at the end for a deeper flavor.
- Replace cream with cashew paste for a nutty twist.
- For vegan version, use tofu instead of paneer and coconut cream instead of dairy cream.