Easy Paneer Recipe : How To Make Palak Paneer From Scratch?

Palak paneer is a popular Indian vegetarian meal made with paneer (Indian cheese) and spinach in a smooth, creamy, and delectable sauce. This is simply amazing; it's rich, flavourful, and tastes better than anything you'd have at a restaurant. It goes well with parathas, rotis, butter naans, jeera rice, ghee rice, or simple basmati rice. One of the most popular paneer recipes is Palak Paneer. It was a fantastic way to sneak in some greens. Many people wouldn't eat spinach otherwise, but if it came with paneer, they'd cheerfully eat bowls of it.

Palak Paneer is a common dish in northern India. In Hindi, Palak means spinach, and paneer means Indian cottage cheese. As a result, this stew is cooked using spinach and cottage cheese from India. It's a pretty simple and straightforward meal that anyone can prepare at home. The spinach is pureed after blanching. After that, it's seasoned and cooked over low heat with paneer. Cream is added to the spinach leaves to soften them while also adding richness.

If you don't want to use cream, you can use yoghurt or milk instead. Everyone makes this dish in their own unique style, and to be honest, it's a lot of fun. This recipe is relatively easy to make and can be referred to as a "homestyle" palak paneer preparation. It uses basic spices and simple ingredients.

Recipe for easy home style Palak Paneer

Servings for : 1-2

Preparation time for Spinach Puree : 15 mins

Preparation time for Palak Paneer  : 10 mins

Ingredients 

1. Spinach - 350 grams (or two small bunches)
2. Tomato - 1 Medium
3. Whole garlic cloves - 3
4. Finely chopped garlic -2
5. Ginger - 1 inch
6. Green chilli  - 1 or more to taste
7.  Oil -  1tbsp /15 ml
8. Large onion finely chopped - 1
9. Cup water - 1/2  or as needed
10. Garam masala - ¾ 1 tsp
11. Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
12. Red chilli powder - ¼ tsp or to taste
13. Heavy cream - 2 -3 tbsp
14. Paneer cut cubes - 350 grams
15.  Kasuri methi crushed ( dried fenugreek leaves) - ½ tbsp
16. Lemon juice to taste

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Recipe for Spinach Puree

Step 1-Add a pinch of salt to a pot of boiling water, followed by the spinach leaves. Blanch the spinach leaves in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes, or until they are wilted.

Step 2-Take them out and immerse them in ice cold water. This aids in the preservation of the leaves' green hue.

Step 3-In a blender, combine the blanched spinach, tomato, 3 garlic cloves, ginger, and green chilli.

Step 4-Blend until smooth and set aside.

Paneer is very versatile/Image by Canva

Recipe for Palak Paneer :

Step 1: Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil and the remaining 2 garlic cloves. Sauté for a few minutes, or until the colour begins to change.

Step 2: Toss in the chopped onions after that.

Step 3: Continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the onion is tender and transparent.

Step 4: Mix in the spinach puree that has been produced. At this time, add about 1/2 cup of water.

Step 5: Cook for 10 minutes on medium heat, covered. There will be a lot of bubbling from the spinach. To avoid sticking at the bottom, stir at regular intervals.

Step 6: At this stage, you can optionally add 12 teaspoons of sugar if desired.

Step 7: Lastly, add the heavy cream.

Step 8: Stir in the paneer thoroughly. Allow 3 to 4 minutes for the curry to simmer.

Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice and kasuri methi. Serve palak paneer hot with naan or roti or rice.

Paneer packs in protein/ Image by Canva

Pro Tips :

1. Because spinach has an acquired taste, add some cream and sugar to help lessen the overarching taste.
2. If you're using store-bought paneer, soak it in hot water for 15 to 20 minutes before using it in the recipe.
3. The paneer from the shop will become really soft after staying in water.
4. Before adding the paneer cubes to the curry, you can pan-fry them (till golden brown).
5. Garlic and spinach are a great combination. If you aren't a fan, however, you can reduce your intake or avoid it altogether.
6. This recipe can be prepared up to two days ahead of time. Keep it in the fridge. When it's time to serve, make sure it's hot. While reheating the curry, you may need to add additional water or milk to thin it out.
7. You can use any type of cooking oil.

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