Palak paneer
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs fresh spinach, stemmed and washed
- 14 oz paneer cheese, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 3 tbsp ghee, divided
- 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2 green chiles, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), crushed
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Blanch spinach in boiling salted water for 3 minutes until fully wilted. Shock in ice bath, squeeze dry, and blend with 1/4 cup water until completely smooth. Set puree aside.
- Heat 1.5 tbsp ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Pan-fry paneer cubes 2-3 minutes per side until light golden crust forms. Remove and set aside on paper towels.
- In the same pan, add remaining 1.5 tbsp ghee and toast cumin seeds for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add diced onion and cook 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent and beginning to caramelize at edges.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and minced green chiles, cook 1 minute while stirring constantly to prevent burning. Add tomato paste and cook another 2 minutes until slightly darkened.
- Pour spinach puree into pan, reduce heat to medium, and simmer 8-10 minutes while stirring occasionally. The mixture will darken slightly and become more concentrated.
- Stir in heavy cream, garam masala, red chili powder, and kasuri methi. Simmer 5 minutes on medium heat until cream is fully incorporated and sauce reaches a rich, deep green color.
- Gently add fried paneer cubes back to sauce and fold carefully to coat evenly. Simmer together for 3-4 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
- Transfer to serving dish and finish with a light drizzle of ghee and fresh cracked black pepper. Serve immediately with naan or basmati rice.
Inspired by Manish Tyagi’s winning palak paneer. This is a plausible recreation, not the chef’s original recipe.