A delicious No Onion No Garlic Palak Paneer is a comfort food that is super easy to make and is loaded with tons of goodness and nutrients. Healthy and addictive!
Palak paneer also referred to as Saag paneer is the most relished dish in almost every Indian household.
A tasty and delightful dish prepared with leafy green spinach, mild spices and Indian cottage cheese – intensely flavorful, loaded with nutrients and the delicious ingredients will set your taste buds tingling!
Loaded with good stuff!
This combo together takes care of your dietary needs – where spinach takes care of
- iron,
- vitamin A, C, K,
- magnesium
- and many more nutrients.
On the other hand, paneer fills the dish with calcium and protein. Spinach and Paneer both complement each other flawlessly.
Now onto the recipe!
I begin the recipe by blanching palak/spinach in hot water. Later tossed in a blender to make a puree. To save some time – you can use frozen spinach instead of the fresh one.
Because it is a no onion no garlic dish, I have used cabbage paste +coconut paste + homemade tomato puree + cashew paste as a base for my gravy.
Saute and cook everything together until oil starts to separate. Do not overcook spinach/palak, as it may result in the change of color which may not look appetizing at all.
Mix in grilled paneer, adjust spices and take it off the flame. Just before serving, pour in the final tempering. As per taste, add cream to the final dish.
Add smoky flavor to No onion no garlic Palak Paneer!
If you would like to give this dish a smoky effect, then follow the step by step dhungar method below.
A piece of burning charcoal is placed in a bowl, and ghee is poured on top of hot charcoal to create smoke.
The bowl is then placed over palak paneer and is covered so that the smoky flavor is trapped and soaked up by the dish. The result is an intensely flavored scrumptious palak paneer!
Pair it with homemade tandoori roti or kulchas and malai kofta for a perfect restaurant-style dinner – but without onion and garlic. 🙂
While you are here, check out other No-onion-no-garlic recipes. For other lip-smacking recipes check out my friend’s blog!
If you happen to make this recipe, then share your comments below. If you have any questions, I would be happy to answer them.
No Onion No Garlic Palak Paneer
INGREDIENTS
MAIN INGREDIENTS
- 300 grams Fresh Spinach leaves
- 250 grams Cubed Paneer
- 2 -4 teaspoon Oil to cook paneer
FOR THE GRAVY
- 1/3 cup Boiled Cabbage Paste
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup Homemade tomato puree
- 3 tablespoon Coconut paste
- 1 tablespoon Ginger paste
- 1/2 tablespoon Cashew Paste (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon Red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder (sukha dhaniya)
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- Salt to taste
- 1-2 tablespoon Cream (optional)
FINAL TEMPERING - OPTIONAL
- 3 teaspoon Ghee
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 3-4 pieces of Dried whole red chilies
INSTRUCTIONS
BLANCHING PALAK
- Wash and clean Spinach.
- Boil water in a pan.
- Add spinach. Let it boil for 2-3 minutes.
- Using a slotting spoon remove spinach and..
- Drop into a large bowl of ice water.
- This will stop the cooking process.
- Once cooled, drain and coarsely ground spinach.
- Cut paneer in cubes and cook over griddle until light brown in color and crispy.
MAKING GRAVY
- Assemble: ingredients for the gravy.
- Heat oil in a pan, add cabbage paste, tomato paste and cook for a minute.
- Mix in spices and cook for another minute.
- Add coconut paste and cashew paste and cook for 1 minute until oil starts to separate.
- Pour in coarsely grounded palak.
- Mix it well.
- Bring it to a boil.
- Adjust seasonings and add cubed paneer.
DHUNGAR EFFECT
- For the smoky flavor follow the steps below. On a medium low flame heat charcoal.
- In 10 minutes it will be red hot. Using a tong, carefully lift the hot charcoal...
- And drop it in a stainless steel bowl or katori..
- Drizzle some ghee on top, it will start to sizzle...
- Place lid on top and let palak paneer soak in all the flavors. Leave it for 2-4 minutes, carefully remove katori from palak paneer and set it aside. When charcoal is completely cooled, discard it.
- Smoky palak paneer is ready. Just before serving, I like to add my second tadka.
- Feel free to add cream on top.
- Pair it with tandoori roti for a perfect evening meal.
Loved the bright green color and no addition of cream 🙂
Thanks Soniya! Glad you liked. 🙂
this is a fabulous recipe Ruchi. I also make no onion an dno garlic palak paneer but add little corn starch for thickening. your addition of cabbage puree is excellent choice.
That’s a great tip Sonal.Thanks for sharing. 🙂
tis is awesome reciepe ruchi
Thanks Kushboo. 🙂
Amazing!!
Thank you Asmita. 🙂
Hare krsna ji..
i am a aspiring devotee. And i just started cooking. We prefer non onion garlic recipies. So please kindly send me some recipies. I will be very thankfull to you.
you can mail me on swamiravinder0@gmail.com.
(i prefer hindi language)
thanks
hare krsna..
Ravinder ji, all the no onion no garlic recipes are listed on the blog. I am afraid, I don’t have the hindi font on my computer so can’t provide you the recipes in hindi.
Link to no onion no garlic recipes – http://www.ruchiskitchen.com/category/recipes/no-onion-no-garlic/
Regards and Jai Shree Krishna!
Thank you very very much…..It was my first try in non onion and garlic cooking ……you made it the best one ever….I owe you a mountain full of sweets.
YOU MUST BE A GREAT COOK….
The recipe was so good.. no one can say it is no onion no garlic recipie.
Your cashew paste coconut paste curd lauki paste cabbage paste has to be put in every gravy dish of no onion no garlic recipe ?
These five combination has to be there ya we can skip any ?
Thank you, Surabhi!
You can use any two combos to make your recipe. 😊
Glad you liked the recipe. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your experience with me.
Hi..nice recipe
..but….jain’s dont use ginger as well….
Glad you liked the recipe. The neighbors who loved closed to us were strict Jain’s and they excluded ONLY onion, garlic and certain spices from their diet but thanks for updating me. It’s always good to learn something new. 🙂
Hi.. nice palak paneer recipe … i think jain people dosent eat ginger also than what is a sustitute of ginger … plz reply me because i want to make for my jain freind . Plz waiting for u r reply
Thanks Mahek!
Yes, I was recently updated about this (Jain’s don’t eat ginger). Well, you can skip ginger and continue with the recipe.
Plz tell me substitute for coconut paste?? N hw to make cabbage paste. Can this be made and freeze??
Hello Manya,
Here is the link for cabbage paste – https://www.ruchiskitchen.com/boiled-cabbage-paste-for-no-onion-no-garlic-cooking/
Yes, you can freeze cabbage paste for up to 2 months.
And here you will find a substitute for coconut paste – https://www.ruchiskitchen.com/a-guide-to-no-onion-no-garlic-cooking/
Thank you for this recipe! You have given good alternatives for making gravy….I will try this way. I prefer Jain food.
Pleasure is all mine. Glad you found the post helpful, Hema. 😊