Palak Paneer Recipe is a popular Indian Vegetarian Dish, specially one of the North Indian dish that has won hearts worldwide with its creamy Palak gravy and fresh paneer (Cottage Cheese) cubes. This vegetarian dish not only tempts your taste buds but also has lots of health benefits due to its rich content.
It is the most having and cooking dish in Indian kitchen. This delicious dish is easy to make and loved by every ages. So learn my special Palak paneer recipe in an easy way and serve it to everyone with Rice, Roti, and Naan.
ABOUT PALAK PANEER RECIPE
Palak Paneer Recipe is a classic Indian dish which is made with spinach leaves(palak) and paneer (Indian cottage cheese). To make this, blanch spinach, you need the spices like cumin, coriander, and garam masala. Saute onions, garlic, and ginger in oil, with the spinach puree, and simmer till thick gravy. Need to cut paneer into cubes and lightly fry till it turns golden. Add the paneer to the spinach puree, simmer till required consistency, and finish with cream. Garnish with a lemon juice and coriander leafs.
Palak Paneer Recipe is rich in flavor, with creamy in texture, and it can pairs perfectly with rice or roti for a satisfying vegetarian meal.
There is more Paneer recipe by me
Once you tried this at your home, I guarantee you will forgot the restaurant palak paneer. The method of making Palak Paneer Recipe is in below just follow the details guide. So lets start,
Ingredients:
- 500 grams of fresh spinach leaves/ Palak Saag
- 200 grams of paneer (cottage cheese), cubed cut
- 2 medium-sized onions, chopped finely
- 2 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped finely
- 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1-inch piece of ginger, grated
- 2 green chilies, finely chopped (adjust as per taste preference)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons of oil or butter
- 2 tablespoons of cream (for garnish)/
- 5 Cashews
- Fresh coriander leaves for garnish
Instructions:
Restaurant style Palak Paneer Recipe
1. Preparation of Spinach
Start with washing the spinach leaves in normal water to remove the dirt or impurities.
Boil spinach leaves in hot water for 2-3 minutes and blanch them until they become soft.
To keep the bright green color of boiled spinach, immediately put it in a bowl of ice water.
Drain the spinach and blend it into a smooth puree using a blender. Keep aside.
2. Cooking Paneer
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil or butter in a pan over medium heat.
Add the paneer cubes into oil and lightly fry them from all sides until paneer turns golden brown.
Once paneer done, take out the paneer cubes from the pan and set them aside.
3. Making the Palak Paneer Gravy
In the same pan, add another tablespoon of oil or butter.
Heat the oil with cumin seeds and make them to splutter. You can add whole spices (khade masala).
Add the chopped onions to the oil and cook till they turn light golden brown.
Add the garlic and ginger paste, and chopped green chilies. Saute till they aromatic and raw smell vanishes.
Stir in the chopped/paste tomatoes and cook until they soften and the oil starts to separate from the masala.
Add the dry spices – garam masala, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and salt, when the tomatoes turn mushy and soft, and mix everything for 3 to 5 minutes. Or you can add a little amount or 3/4th cup of water to the spices mix perfectly.
You can add cashew paste to it for a creamy texture. You just need to make cashew paste and add wit the masala, when you add spinach puree add it along with.
Pour in the prepared spinach (palak) puree and mix the puree with the masala and stir thoroughly.
Let the gravy to simmer for 5-7 minutes,and let the flavors mix together and the gravy becomes thick. Do not cook for long time, it can discolor your Palak Paneer Recipe.
4. Final Assembly
When the gravy reaches to the required consistency, add the paneer cubes into the spinach mixture slightly.Stir gently the paneer to coat evenly with the palak gravy.
Let the Palak Paneer Recipe simmer for another 2-3 minutes on low heat to the paneer to absorb the flavors of the gravy and the spices.Turn off the heat and transfer the Palak Paneer Recipe to a serving bowl.
Drizzle the fresh cream (if using) and garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves.
5. Serving
Palak Paneer is best dish to pairs wonderfully with hot rotis, naan, or steamed rice.
Serve hot and enjoy the taste of flavors in every bite.
Tips For Palak Paneer Recipe
- Cleaning the Palak: Clean the palak/spinach with cold or normal water, do not wash with hot/ warm water. After boil the spinach add it to the cold water, it gives a perfect color to the dish.
- Garam Masala: Adding garam masala is all up to you and you can skip this process. If you are adding it then keep it minimum, it can ruin the taste of Palak Paneer Recipe.
- Paneer: You can add the raw paneer or you can swallow fry them from both side and add into the gravy. Just make sure to choose good quality paneer.
- Palak/Spinach: At the time of buying spinach just keep it in mind to choose fresh and green palak leaves, dark palak leaves has less taste.
FAQs For Palak Paneer Recipe
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What is Palak Paneer?
- Palak Paneer Recipe is a popular North Indian dish made with fresh spinach leaves (palak) and paneer (Indian cottage cheese). It’s cooked in a creamy and flavorful gravy, basically seasoned with spices like cumin, onions, ginger garlic, tomato, chili powder, and turmeric.
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Is Palak Paneer a Healthy Dish?
- Yes, Palak Paneer is a healthy dish as it mixed with nutritious ingredients like spinach and paneer. Spinach is rich in iron, vitamins, and antioxidants, while paneer gives us protein and calcium. However, it depends upon adding oil, butter and spices.
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Can I Use Frozen Spinach for Palak Paneer?
- Yes, you can take frozen spinach as an alternative to fresh spinach for making Palak Paneer Recipe. Just make sure to drain and soak the frozen spinach perfectly before using it in the recipe.
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How Do I Prevent the Spinach from Turning Brown?
- To prevent spinach from turning brown, need to blanch it properly before blending into a puree. After boiling, transfer the spinach to a bowl of ice water immediately to preserve its vibrant green color.
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Can I Make Palak Paneer Without Cream?
- Yes, you can make Palak Paneer without cream if you want. The cream is basically added for richness and creaminess, but you can skip it or add it with yogurt for a healthier alternative. Or you can skip the both as per your need.
Nutrition
| Nutrient | Amount | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Serving Size | 1 cup (200g) | |
| Calories | 230 kcal | |
| Total Fat | 15g | 23% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Trans Fat | 0g | |
| Cholesterol | 30mg | 10% |
| Sodium | 650mg | 27% |
| Total Carbohydrates | 10g | 3% |
| Dietary Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugars | 3g | |
| Protein | 15g | |
| Vitamins and Minerals | ||
| Vitamin A | 250% DV | |
| Vitamin C | 60% DV | |
| Calcium | 40% DV | |
| Iron | 25% DV | |
| Vitamin K | 500% DV | |
| Folate | 30% DV | |
| Potassium | 20% DV | |
| Magnesium | 15% DV |
Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Now you can make the tasty, delicious and creamy restaurant style Palak Paneer Recipe in your kitchen, just follow my easy and simple recipe, it will leave everyone to ask for more. With it’s creamy, rich texture palak gravy is a perfect mix with paneer. Just try it and give surprise a perfect dish to your family and loved ones.
If you liked my details recipe then just give me feedback about this dish, did you like the taste and which dish should I make next?