Description
Palak Paneer is a classic North Indian curry featuring creamy spinach and paneer cheese. This comforting vegetarian dish is rich in flavor and spices while being nutritious and easy to prepare. It’s perfect with naan, roti, or basmati rice for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon oil or ghee
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 green chilies, chopped
5 cups fresh spinach leaves or 2 cups frozen spinach
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
250 grams paneer, cubed
Juice of half a lemon (optional)
Instructions
1. Heat oil or ghee in a skillet over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Add onions and cook until golden. Stir in garlic, ginger, and green chilies until fragrant.
2. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Let cool slightly, then transfer to a blender with 1/4 cup water. Blend until smooth.
3. Pour the spinach purée back into the skillet. Stir in turmeric, coriander, garam masala, and salt. Simmer gently for 5 minutes.
4. Add the cubed paneer and gently stir to coat in the sauce. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Add cream if desired.
5. Turn off heat and stir in lemon juice for brightness. Serve hot.
Notes
To make it vegan, replace paneer with tofu and cream with coconut cream.
Use fresh spinach for brighter flavor, but frozen works well too.
Add lemon juice at the end to preserve the green color.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 420mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 10g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 45mg
Keywords: spinach paneer curry, vegetarian Indian, palak paneer