Palak Paneer Recipe with step-by-step instructions and pics-Palak Paneer is a popular and flavorful spinach-based curry with Paneer or Indian cottage cheese cubes. Spinach gives the palak paneer a bright green color apart from making the delicacy highly nutritious.
The combination of paneer in palak curry takes the taste of the dish to the next level and increases the protein content of the yummy palak paneer curry.
Palak paneer ki sabji is a must in the weekly menu of my home.
Serve it with roti, naan, lachcha paratha, or rice, you simply crave for more and more of it.
Palak Paneer is one such dish that moms are happy to feed their kids and kids are also desperate to see on their plates
There are a number of ways of preparing palak paneer.
We can puree the blanched spinach or can just crush the spinach or palak in mortar and pastel or chop it finely in a chopper. The recipe that I have given here for palak paneer makes use of pureed spinach. Find the detailed and easy palak paneer recipe below.
Along with this post, check other curry recipes on the blog, Paneer bhurji curry, Sindhi Curry and Sindhi Besan Tikki Curry
How to make palak paneer
Step by step instructions with pics:
Palak Paneer ingredients
- 4 cups Palak (spinach)
- 3 green chilies
- 12 cashews
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
- 2 cardamom (choti elaichi)
- 2 onion
- 6 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1 tomato
- 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 3/4 tsp salt or salt to taste
- 1.5 cup paneer cubes
Step by step Instructions for preparing palak paneer
Making Palak Puree
- Firstly, take 4 cups of palak or spinach, remove the stems. and rinse the spinach several times with water to get rid of dirt and impurities.
2. Take 3 green chilies, deseed, and cut them into pieces. I have taken a less spicy version of green chilies.
3. Blanch the spinach with green chilies, and 12 cashews with 1/4 cup of water.
4. After a few minutes, take out the spinach from hot water, and put it in cold water to stop the further cooking process.
5. Put the spinach on a colander and make a puree out of it with 1/4 cup water.
Making Palak gravy
6. Further, take 2 onions, 6 garlic cloves, and 1 tsp ginger.
7. Make a paste of ginger and garlic with 1 tbsp water in a blender.
8. Heat 3 tbsp ghee (clarified butter) in a vessel or pan. Add 2 green cardamom (elaichi) to it.
9. Now saute the chopped onions in ghee.
10. Once onions turn translucent, add the ginger-garlic paste to it.
11.Continue sauteeing onions till they are golden brown.
12. Add one crushed tomato to the onions.
13. Additionally, add 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala, and 3/4 tsp salt or salt to taste.
14. Cook till the fat separates from the sides.
15. Further, add prepared palak puree to the tomato mixture.
16. Stir and cook for a few minutes.
Making Palak Paneer
17. Now add 1.5 cup paneer cubes to the gravy.
18. Cook the paneer in palak gravy for 2-3 minutes and switch off the gas.
Super tasty palak paneer is ready to be relished. Serve with onion rings and lemon wedges.
Recipe Card for Palak Paneer Recipe
Palak Paneer Recipe | how to make palak paneer | palak paneer curry
Equipment
- pan or deep bottom vessel
- Blender
Ingredients
For Palak Puree
- 4 cup palak or spinach
- 3 green chilies
- 12 cashwes
- 1/4 cup water
For Palak Gravy
- 3 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
- 2 cardamom (choti elaichi)
- 2 onion
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1 tomato
- 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 3/4 tsp salt or salt to taste
For Palak Paneer
- 1.5 cup paneer cubes
- prepared palak gravy in above step
Instructions
Making Palak Puree
- Firstly, take 4 cups of palak or spinach, remove the stems. and rinse the spinach several times with water to get rid of dirt and impurities.
- Take 3 green chilies, deseed, and cut them into pieces. I have taken a less spicy version of green chilies.
- Blanch the spinach with green chilies, and 12 cashews with 1/4 cup of water.
- After a few minutes, take out the spinach from hot water, and put in cold water to stop the further cooking process.
- Put the spinach on colander and make a puree out of it with 1/4 cup water.
Making Palak gravy
- Further, take 2 onions, 6 garlic cloves, and 1 tsp ginger.
- Make a paste of ginger and garlic with 1 tbsp water in a blender.
- Heat 3 tbsp ghee (clarified butter) in a vessel or pan. Add 2 green cardamom (elaichi) to it.
- Now saute the chopped onions in ghee.
- Once onions turn translucent, add the ginger-garlic paste to it.
- .Continue sauteeing onions till they are golden brown.
- Add one crushed tomato to the onions.
- Additionally, add 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp cumin powder, 1/2 tsp garam masala, and 3/4 tsp salt or salt to taste.
- Cook till the fat separates from the sides.
- Further, add prepared palak puree to the tomato mixture.
- Stir and cook for a few minutes.
Making Palak Paneer
- Now add 1.5 cup paneer cubes to the gravy.
- Cook the paneer in palak gravy for 2-3 minutes and switch off the gas.
- Super tasty palak paneer is ready to be relished. Serve with onion rings and lemon wedges.
Notes
- You need to blanch the spinach or palak, do not overcook it else it will turn black and lose nutrition. After blanching rinse spinach with cold water to stop the cooking process as it will maintain the green color of the spinach leaves.
- I have made this palak paneer without cream. The cashew nuts used in palak puree add creaminess and richness to the gravy. You can also use thick beaten curd to substitute cream and cut down the calories
- Use the green chilies to give the required spiciness to the curry as the color of the chilies will enhance the green color of the palak paneer.
- You are liberal to use tofu instead of paneer. Tofu is made from soy milk and is a healthier option than paneer.
- Fresh or frozen paneer can be used in palak paneer.
- I like the mild flavor of cardamom in palak paneer. If you do not have cardamom, you can skip using it.
- Using paneer as it is or using fried paneer in palak paneer curry is an individual choice. I prefer cooking paneer directly in spinach gravy for 2-3 minutes to infuse the gravy flavors into paneer.
- Do not overcook spinach just blanch and rinse with cold water to stop the further cooking process and to avoid blackening of blanched spinach leaves.
- Do not cover the pan while blanching the spinach.
- Use green chilies in palak paneer for spiciness, it will help in enhancing the overall green color of palak paneer curry,
Tips and variations of making Palak Paneer Curry
- You need to blanch the spinach or palak, do not overcook it else it will turn black and lose nutrition. After blanching rinse spinach with cold water to stop the cooking process as it will maintain the green color of the spinach leaves.
- I have made this palak paneer without cream. The cashew nuts used in palak puree add creaminess and richness to the gravy. You can also use thick beaten curd to substitute cream and cut down the calories
- Use the green chilies to give the required spiciness to the curry as the color of the chilies will enhance the green color of the palak paneer.
- You are liberal to use tofu instead of paneer. Tofu is made from soy milk and is a healthier option than paneer.
- Fresh or frozen paneer can be used in palak paneer.
- I like the mild flavor of cardamom in palak paneer. If you do not have cardamom, you can skip using it.
- Using paneer as it is or using fried paneer in palak paneer curry is an individual choice. I prefer cooking paneer directly in spinach gravy for 2-3 minutes to infuse the gravy flavors into paneer.
Serving suggestions
Palak paneer goes well with any Indian bread like phulka, roti, naan, or lachcha paratha. Jeera rice, pulao or steamed rice also tastes yum with palak paneer curry. Serve onion rings and lemon wedges with palak paneer and enjoy the scrumptious meal on the table with your loved ones.
How to get the bright green color of palak paneer
To get the bright color of the palak paneer. you need to follow certain tips.
- Do not overcook spinach just blanch and rinse with cold water to stop the further cooking process and to avoid blackening of blanched spinach leaves.
- Do not cover the pan while blanching the spinach.
- Use green chilies in palak paneer for spiciness, it will help in enhancing the overall green color of palak paneer curry,
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5 Comments
Purnima
May 3, 2021 at 6:36 am
This looks so flavorful yet healthy. Never tried with cashews, cardamoms, next time will follow your recipe and shall let you know how it tasted.
By Geeta
May 4, 2021 at 1:45 am
Thank you, Purnima!
Ninu Abraham
May 19, 2021 at 9:27 am
Healthy and Tasty. Next item on my cooking spree.
By Geeta
May 19, 2021 at 10:01 am
Thanks, Ninu!
Sulu
May 28, 2021 at 2:59 pm
good one