An Indian dish called palak paneer combines a rich spinach sauce with creamy palak paneer. For people who want to incorporate unusual flavors into their diet, this recipe is perfect.
Palak Paneer Ingredients:
- 500 g spinach, preferably chopped or, if necessary, frozen in leaves
- 400g paneer cheese from India
- Four cloves of garlic, about 20 g
- Half a teaspoon of dried herbs or a small onion weighing up to 120 grams
- One tablespoon of freshly grated ginger
- Three tablespoons of vegetable oil for frying
- Two teaspoons (40 g) of real butter
- One or two spoons For sauces and spices, use 18% cream or 30% whipped cream.
- One level teaspoon each of salt, garam masala, cumin and pepper; one-third of a level teaspoon of each of these four ingredients
- possible additions: 200 g cherry tomatoes; fresh coriander; sugar
- To serve, choose from rice; bread: naan, roti, chapati or paratha
Palak Paneer
Step 1: Prepare the spinach
When in season, wash and dry 500 g of fresh spinach (without the tails). When spinach is not in season, use frozen leaves or even chopped spinach. Finally, you can grind the spinach, which once thawed will likely be so thin that you can cook it without adding water.
Place the frozen spinach in a pot and reduce the heat until it begins to simmer. After adding less than half a cup of water, wait until the spinach begins to thaw, then bring it to a boil. Stir the pot once every five minutes. Cook in this way for a total of five minutes. The spinach must remain moist.
Step 2: Finely chop the spinach
Place the cooked, delicate spinach in a bowl and mix (or use a hand blender) until it cools down slightly. Choose whether you want your spinach to be finely chopped and smooth, or, like me, chunkier and less shredded when you blend it.
Step 3: Fry the Paneer
In a larger pan, heat from the bottom up. Add three tablespoons of vegetable oil for frying. Cut 400 grams of Indian Paneer cheese into small cubes and add it to the hot fat. Once the cheese is browned, simply remove it and place it in another bowl without adding any fat.
First tip: You can skip the frying step because the cheese does not need to be fried first. However, to fry the remaining sauce ingredients, heat the oil.
Tip 2: Firm tofu, Halloumi cheese, feta cheese (added at the end; watch out for the salty taste), Spanish Queso Blanco cheese, soft ricotta cheese and mozzarella cheese can be substituted as a last resort for panner cheese.
Step 4: Start preparing the sauce.
After peeling and chopping the onion very coarsely, place it in a cheese pan (with heated oil). Cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Then add peeled (or crushed in a mortar) garlic cloves. Additionally, add a quarter teaspoon of pepper, a quarter teaspoon of cumin, a quarter teaspoon of chopped chili pepper, a flat tablespoon of fresh, grated ginger or a flat teaspoon of dried ginger and half a teaspoon of garam masala flavor. Combine all ingredients and cook over low heat for two minutes.
Be careful when including chili in your meal. The strength of the chili powder used may vary. It’s best to use less of it and add it at the end, if possible, when preparing the sauce. Give Kashmiri chilli if you have it.
Step 5: Add spinach
Add all the chopped spinach to the pan. To increase moisture and sweetness, add additional water or diced tomatoes (do not peel). Mix the sauce on low heat and simmer (covered) for about ten minutes.
Step 6: Add remaining ingredients and cheese.
Finally, add a tablespoon or two of 30% whipping cream, previously fried cheese and about 40 g of butter (you can also clarify it and weigh 30 g). After adding the paneer and mixing, bring to a boil again.
Taste the food and season it if necessary. I usually add a little more sugar, salt and pepper. I optionally added tomato puree without the skin to check whether the sauce was not too thick.
Step 7: Present and decorate
Transfer the serving spoon to a plate. Add some fresh coriander and a spoonful of sweet or sour cream, if you like. It is also a great idea to add a squeeze of lemon to Palak Paneer, which will bring out the flavor and add freshness.
Palak paneer can be served in many different ways. My favorite dish is Palak Paneer served with brown or white basmati rice to balance the spicy flavors and absorb the thick sauce.
It tastes as good as bread. Traditional Indian breads such as naan, roti, chapati and paratha go perfectly with Palak Paneer because they allow you to dip and scoop the sauce. Palak paneer can be eaten with dal, vegetables, yogurt and raita, among others.
To maintain the consistency of the cheese and avoid the bitter taste of spinach, be careful when reheating palak paneer. You can do this on low power in the microwave, being careful not to “overheat” the cheese, checking every few seconds. However, it is recommended to reapply after heating this meal in a pan over medium heat, stirring regularly and adding a small amount of fat (ghee or clarified butter).
Once cooled, store the paneer sticks for a maximum of three to four days in the refrigerator in a hermetically sealed container to prevent odor transfer from the refrigerator. Additionally, you can freeze Palak Paneer (in containers or bags) for up to two months, but please note that the consistency of paneer may change slightly after defrosting. Before reheating, thaw the Palak Paneer in the refrigerator.
Enjoy your meal.
