Description
Palak Paneer is a delightful dish featuring creamy spinach and flavorful Indian cheese. Perfect for a healthy meal or a comforting dinner, this simple recipe is sure to please everyone at the table.
Ingredients
Scale
- 16 ounces fresh or frozen spinach
- 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, quartered lengthwise
- 4 cloves garlic, each cut into several segments
- 1 large green serrano chile or 1 medium jalapeno, ribs and seeds removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 large yellow or white onion, halved and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ¾ teaspoon fine salt, divided, to taste
- 8 to 12 ounces paneer, cut into ¾-inch to 1-inch cubes
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil, divided
- ½ cup whole-milk plain Greek yogurt or heavy cream
- Optional squeeze of fresh lemon juice or finely chopped tomatoes for acidity
- For serving: cooked basmati rice or flatbread (roti or naan), warmed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Thaw frozen spinach in the microwave if needed, keeping the excess water.
- In a food processor, finely chop garlic and ginger, then add chili and onion, pulsing until finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, keeping the processor bowl ready for spinach.
- Process fresh spinach until finely chopped or pureed, then transfer to the prepared mixture.
- Place cubed paneer on the baking sheet, season with spices and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil. Mix gently and spread evenly, baking for 10 minutes, then stir and bake another 3-5 minutes until golden.
- In a skillet over medium heat, warm the remaining oil, add the onion mixture with ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook for 5-7 minutes until translucent and slightly golden, stirring frequently.
- Add spinach and cooked paneer to the pan along with ½ cup water and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook for 7-10 minutes until warmed through and combined.
- Turn off the heat and temper yogurt by mixing a small portion of the spinach mixture into it. Stir this back into the skillet and adjust salt to taste. Serve warm with an optional squeeze of lemon or tomatoes.
Notes
You can use store-bought or homemade paneer for this recipe.
Adding a squeeze of lemon juice at the end brightens the flavors.
Serve this dish with warm basmati rice or naan for a satisfying meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 20mg