Palak Paneer (Spinach with cottage cheese curry)

Palak Paneer (Spinach with cottage cheese curry) is another favorite in my house and I am also always happy to serve it. It is easy to make with all the healthy ingredients in it and goes well with both rice and roti. 

Traditionally while making Palak paneer, spinach is either pressure cooked or blanched before actually proceeding with curry. I have tried these techniques in the past, but the technique that I have listed here works best for me, it brings out a lot of flavor of spinach and saves time by skipping the pressure cooking or blanching steps.

Palak Paneer (Spinach with cottage cheese curry)

Palak Paneer - Recipe

Spinach - 1 bunch of fresh spinach leaves

Spinach (Palak)

Paneer - 1 packet (200 grams)

Onion - 1 medium sized

Tomato - 1 medium sized

Green chilly - 1 (you can skip this, if you want the curry to be mild)

Dry red chillies - 1-2

Ginger - 1/4 inch piece

Garlic - 3-4 cloves

Cumin seeds (jeera) - 1 teaspoon

Clove - 1

Cinnamon - 1 small piece(around 1/4 inch)

Black Pepper - 2 

Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Coriander powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Asafoetida powder, Salt and oil

Ingredients for Palak Paneer

1. Chop onion, tomato, spinach and green chilly and keep aside

2. Cut paneer in small cubes. 

3. Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry the paneer cubes until slightly golden from all sides, remove them from oil and keep aside.

4. In the same pan, heat some oil and add clove, cinnamon and black pepper. Then temper with 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds and asafoetida powder.

5. Add ginger, garlic, chopped green chilly and red chillies. Saute everything for few seconds.

6. Add chopped onion and saute until soft. Then add chopped tomatoes and saute for a couple of minutes

7. Add chopped spinach and saute for 3 - 5 minutes or until the spinach is soft.

Saute Palak

 8. Then remove the pan from the flame. Let it cool and then blend the whole mixture in a blender with water.
9. Now for the final time, heat oil in a pan, temper with 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds and asafoetida seeds, add the spinach blended mixture and paneer. Add salt, water, check the spices and let it boil for a couple of minutes.
Serve hot with rotis, rice or parathas.

Palak Paneer (Spinach with cottage cheese curry)

 Some variations:
1. You can add fresh cream in the final step to make the curry more creamy.
2. You can add kasuri methi to the blended mixture.
3. Replace paneer with tofu.
4. Sneak in any other greens like amaranth, red chard, green chard etc . (That's my secret, don't tell my kiddo)