Palak Paneer – Indian Spinach Curry

Name: Palak Paneer – Indian Spinach Curry
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 batch homemade Paneer (Indian fresh cheese; recipe linked below); 30g / 2 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter (for pan frying, Note 2); 30g/2 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter (Note 2); 1 1/2 onions (, finely chopped, brown or yellow); 1 tsp fenugreek seeds (whole) (Note 3); 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp ground coriander; 3/4 tsp salt (, kosher/cooking salt, if using table salt, reduce by 1/4 tsp); 1/4 tsp black pepper; 2 garlic cloves (, finely chopped); 2 tsp ginger (, finely grated, 20g); 2 tomatoes (, peeled, seeded and diced, Note 4); 1 green chilli (, finely sliced, cayenne, Note 5); 700g/ 1.4lb fresh spinach leaves (English spinach) (, thoroughly washed and roughly chopped, ~9 cups very tightly packed, Note 6); 1/4 cup water; 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp cream (pure, heavy or thickened); 1 tbsp lemon juice

6 servings

servings

45 minutes

active time

1 hour 10 minutes

total time

Start Cooking

Ingredients

1 batch homemade Paneer (Indian fresh cheese; recipe linked below)

30g / 2 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter (for pan frying, Note 2)

30g/2 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter (Note 2)

1 1/2 onions (, finely chopped, brown or yellow)

1 tsp fenugreek seeds (whole) (Note 3)

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

3/4 tsp salt (, kosher/cooking salt, if using table salt, reduce by 1/4 tsp)

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 garlic cloves (, finely chopped)

2 tsp ginger (, finely grated, 20g)

2 tomatoes (, peeled, seeded and diced, Note 4)

1 green chilli (, finely sliced, cayenne, Note 5)

700g/ 1.4lb fresh spinach leaves (English spinach) (, thoroughly washed and roughly chopped, ~9 cups very tightly packed, Note 6)

1/4 cup water

1/3 cup + 1 tbsp cream (pure, heavy or thickened)

1 tbsp lemon juice

Directions

Saute onion & spices: Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, fenugreek, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes until onion is softened but not golden.

Add garlic and ginger, cook for 2 minutes.

Add the tomato and chilli, cook for 3 minutes on a medium heat.

Add spinach: Add about 1/3 of the spinach – or as much as you can handle in the pot (!) – and stir until wilted. Then add more spinach along with the water, cook again until wilted. Repeat until all the spinach is wilted.

Cook 10 minutes: Cook, stirring every now and then, for 10 minutes still on a medium heat.

Cream & lemon: Add the cream and lemon juice. Cook, stirring gently, for 3 minutes.

Puree half spinach: Remove half the spinach into a tall container and blend it to a puree using a stick blender. Pour pureed spinach back into the pot, and stir to combine.

Add Pan Fried Paneer: Gently stir in golden pan-fried paneer (see below). Stir gently to mix through.

Serve over basmati rice with fluffy, chewy homemade naan on the side!

Golden Pan-Fried Paneer (Note 8):

Cut paneer into 1.25cm / ½" thick slices. Then cut each slice into 2.5cm x 2 x 1.25cm thick pieces / 1 x ⅘" x ½" pieces – approximately!

Melt half the ghee or butter in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.

Place half the paneer in the pan and cook for 1 - 1 1/2 minutes until light golden - I tend to make it deep golden because colour = more flavour, but traditional is just a hint of gold Turn, then cook the other side until light golden.

Remove onto paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with remaining butter and paneer. Use per recipe.

Nutrition

Serving Size

Calories

510 kcal

Total Fat

39 g

Saturated Fat

24 g

Unsaturated Fat

Trans Fat

1 g

Cholesterol

127 mg

Sodium

647 mg

Total Carbohydrate

27 g

Dietary Fiber

4 g

Total Sugars

20 g

Protein

16 g