Palak Paneer
Cubes of fresh cheese in a bright spinach gravy. Blanching the spinach and shocking it in ice water is what keeps the colour green instead of army drab.
- Time
- 40 mins
- Serves
- 4
- Steps
- 7
- Ingredients
- 10
Method
- 01
Blanch the spinach in boiling water for 60 seconds, then plunge it straight into ice water. Skip this and the curry turns a dull grey-green.
- 02
Squeeze the spinach dry and blend it with the green chillies into a thick puree.
- 03
Fry the paneer cubes in a little ghee until golden on two sides, then drop them into warm salted water so they stay soft.
- 04
Heat the rest of the ghee, crackle the cumin seeds, then fry the onion until golden, about 8 minutes.
- 05
Add the ginger garlic paste and cook 2 minutes, then the tomato, and cook until it collapses.
- 06
Stir in the spinach puree and cook just 5 minutes - long cooking dulls the colour.
- 07
Fold in the drained paneer, the garam masala and the cream. Serve with roti.
Cooking Tips
- Blanch the spinach for 60 seconds then shock it in ice water. Skip this and the curry turns a dull army green.
- Cook the spinach puree for only five minutes at the end - long cooking kills the colour.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Firm tofu works in place of paneer for a dairy-free version.
- Frozen spinach is fine; squeeze it very dry first.
What to Serve With It
- Serve with roti or naan rather than rice, to scoop up the thick gravy.
Storage and Reheating
- Keeps 3 days, though the colour dulls. Not suitable for freezing - the paneer goes spongy.
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