Palak Paneer Recipe Whiskaffair

on Jun 04, 2024, Updated Sep 24, 2024 Here are some more palak recipes that you can try: Palak Raita, Palak Pakoda, Dal Palak, Palak Chole, and Saag Paneer. My son Bhavye is very selective about his food and does not try many Indian dishes. He has a very specific taste for spices and masalas, and despite trying my best, I’ve not been able to make him like many Indian dishes. But this recipe of Palak Paneer is one he asks for and relishes. I have tasted palak paneer at multiple restaurants and many homes. But not to sound too boastful, I know without a doubt that my recipe to make Palak Paneer is THE EASIEST & THE BEST! I’ve tried making this recipe in different ways multiple times, trying to perfect the taste. My experimentation has thrown up some surprising nuances in the preparation impacting its taste.

Adding a little baking soda or sugar while blanching the spinach transforms the color of the curry, think green getting a lot greener! Doing a dhungar (smoke treatment) works every time. This process gives this curry a restaurant-like smoky flavor. When serving the curry to guests or making it for special occasions, tempering garlic and dry red chilies in ghee is a great idea to make it more indulgent. I also add some heavy cream at the end to oomph up the taste.

About Palak Paneer

In India, we call spinach as Palak, and paneer is Indian cottage cheese. Palak Paneer is a combination of both these ingredients in a delicious curry. I come from North India, where this curry is very popular. You would find it easily in most Indian restaurants and dhabas (Indian roadside eateries). Everyone has a slightly different way of making it, but I’ve perfected this by making it several times at home. Here, I’m sharing my tried and tested recipe so you can enjoy the same flavor at your home too. You can serve it with naan, lachha paratha, or any other Indian bread for a hearty meal.

Storage Suggestions

You can refrigerate palak paneer for 2-3 days in airtight containers and reheat to serve. Paneer (Indian Cottage Cheese) – You can get paneer at any Indian grocery store near you. Many supermarkets in the US also carry paneer these days. Lime Juice works wonders in this recipe adding to the taste. It also helps with iron absorption from spinach. Spices – You will need basic spices from your pantry like cumin seeds, dry red chilies, coriander powder, and garam masala powder. Other Ingredients – You would need cooking oil, baking soda, salt, green chilies, onions, tomatoes, ginger, and garlic to make this recipe. Once the oil is hot, add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and 2-3 dried red chilies (broken into small pieces) and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds. While it is optional, you can add fresh cream at this stage if you want to. Check for salt to your taste and add more if needed. Place the coal piece in a small steel bowl and place it on the top of the curry bowl. Now pour 1 teaspoon of ghee on top of the coal and immediately close the lid of the main bowl. You would see that coal will start to release the smoke which will be absorbed by the curry. Let it release the smoke for 10-15 minutes. Now open the lid of your bowl, remove the coal piece and the small bowl you placed, and gently mix the curry. Now add 2 tablespoon finely chopped garlic and 1 dry red chilies (cut into small pieces) and fry them until garlic turns golden brown. If the paneer is hard, soak it in warm water for 15 minutes to make it soft. Adding a little cream at the end makes this dish taste even more indulgent. I don’t add it when making this curry for home-style meals, but I add a little when I have guests or I am making it for special occasions like festivals or parties. If you have vegan diet, replace paneer with tofu and fresh cream with Greek yogurt, almond cream, or cashew cream, although you would really have to name the dish as palak tofu 🙂 This version will also be healthier. I’ve sometimes replace paneer with cooked chickpeas or corn kernels to make variation of this curry. If you want to freeze this dish, I would advise only prepare the curry. Just freeze your curry in freezer-safe containers and add paneer cubes when you want to serve. When you are ready to serve, thaw the curry for 3-4 hours on your kitchen counter. Then re-heat until it is nicely warmed. Now you can add paneer cubes and cook for another minute. You can also make the curry and refrigerate it for 2-3 days. Add the paneer cubes once you are ready to serve.