Palak Paneer is one of the most popular dish of North India. It is made of smooth spinach curry and soft paneer or cottage cheese cubes. This recipe is a home style recipe which is really good in taste and not too rich like you find in restaurants as i have not added cream.Instead i have given it a twist of Tadka or Tempering which adds to the taste and gives a real nice punch to the dish. Palak paneer goes well with Roti, naan, parathas and jeera rice.

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Palak Paneer Home-Style Recipe

Course

Main Dish

Cuisine

Indian

Prep Time

30 minutes

Cook Time

15 minutes

Passive Time

45 minutes

Servings

4 people

Ingredients

For Palak Puree

• 1 large bunch or 250 gms spinach blanched
• 2-3 small or medium garlic cloves
• 1 inch ginger roughly chopped
• 1-2 green chillies

For Palak Curry

• 1 large onion finely chopped
• 2 small-medium tomatoes pureed
• 200-250 gms paneer cubes
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• a pinch asafoetida (hing)
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
• 1 tsp coriander powder (dhania powder)
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1-2 cups water
• oil as required
• Salt as per taste
• Ginger julienne for garnishing

For tadka or Tempering

• 2 tbsp of oil/ghee
• 1/2 tsp kashmiri red chilli poder
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• a pinch of asafoetida

• For Tadka or Tempering:
• 2 tbsp of oil/ghee
• 1/2 tsp kashmiri red chilli poder
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• pinch Aof asafoetida

Course Main Dish Cuisine Indian Prep Time 30 minutes Cook Time 15 minutes Passive Time 45 minutes Servings 4 people Ingredients For Palak Puree 1 large bunch or 250 gms spinach blanched 2-3 small or medium garlic cloves 1 inch ginger roughly chopped 1-2 green chillies For Palak Curry 1 large onion finely chopped 2 small-medium tomatoes pureed 200-250 gms paneer cubes 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera) a pinch asafoetida (hing) 1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi) 1 tsp coriander powder (dhania powder) 1/2 tsp red chilli powder 1-2 cups water oil as required Salt as per taste Ginger julienne for garnishing For tadka or Tempering 2 tbsp of oil/ghee 1/2 tsp kashmiri red chilli poder 1/4 tsp cumin seeds a pinch of asafoetida For Tadka or Tempering: 2 tbsp of oil/ghee 1/2 tsp kashmiri red chilli poder 1/4 tsp cumin seeds pinch Aof asafoetida

Instructions

For Palak Puree

1. Firstly rinse the spinach (palak) in running water to remove all the dirt and remove the hard stems.
2. Now blanch the spinach in 3 cups of boiling water for 3-4 minutes and then rinse.
3. After rinsing, immediately add the spinach into ice cold water to preserve the green color of the spinach.
4. Now add blanched spinach, ginger, garlic and green chillies in a blender and make a smooth paste . No need to add water. Keep the paste aside.

For Palak Curry

1. Heat oil in a pan, add asafoetida and cumin seeds. Let the seeds crackle.
2. Add finely chopped onions and saute till it turns light brown in color.
3. Now add tomato puree and mix well.
4. Add turmeric powder,coriander powder and red chilli powder. Saute till the masala starts leaving oil from the sides.
5. After the oil starts leaving from the sides, add the spinach puree and stir well for 2 minutes.
6. Now add water as required and salt. Bring the curry to a boil and adjust the consistency of the gravy as required.
7. On a low flame, add paneer cubes and let it simmer for 5 minutes.

For Tadka or Tempering

1. In a small pan, heat oil/ghee.
2. Add asafoetida and cumin seeds. When the seeds start crackling, remove the pan from the heat.
3. Immediately add kashmiri red chilli powder.
4. Pour the tadka over the curry
5. Garnish Palak Paneer with ginger julienne and serve hot with Roti, naan, parathas or jeera rice.

Directions for preparing the recipe

1. Firstly rinse the spinach (palak) in running water to remove all the dirt and remove the hard stems.
2. Now blanch the spinach in 3 cups of boiling water for 3-4 minutes and then rinse.
   
3. After rinsing, immediately add the spinach into ice cold water to preserve the green color of the spinach.
4. Now add blanched spinach, ginger, garlic and green chillies in a blender and make a smooth paste . No need to add water. Keep the paste aside.
5. Heat oil in a pan, add asafoetida and cumin seeds. Let the seeds crackle.
   
6. Add finely chopped onions and saute till it turns light brown in color.
   
7. Now add tomato puree and mix well.
   
8. Add turmeric powder,coriander powder and red chilli powder. Saute till the masala starts leaving oil from the sides.
   
9. After the oil starts leaving from the sides, add the spinach puree and stir well for 2 minutes.
   
10. Now add water as required and salt. Bring the curry to a boil and adjust the consistency of the gravy as required.
    
    
11. On a low flame, add paneer cubes and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
    

Directions for Tadka or Tempering

1. In a small pan, heat oil/ghee.
   
2. Add asafoetida and cumin seeds. When the seeds start crackling, remove the pan from the heat.
   
3. Immediately add kashmiri red chilli powder.
   
4. Pour the tadka over the curry
5. Garnish Palak Paneer with ginger julienne and serve hot with Roti, naan, parathas or jeera rice.