A creamy yet flavorful preparation of Spinach and Paneer (Indian cheese) blended with spices. Palak Paneer also referred to as saag paneer is a perfect blend of nutrition. Spinach is rich in niacin, zinc, and is a very good source of fiber, vitamin A, C and E and above all its low in fat and cholesterol. On the other hand paneer provides protein, potassium, calcium and much more. Over all this is an energy packed dish.
Also try slow cooker version of Palak Paneer, Punjabi lobia masala, Punjabi kadhi, langarwali dal, onion-tomato masala, Ghee in slow cooker.
If you are going to make paneer from scratch I would recommend doing that a day in advance. Prepared with fresh spinach it’s so fresh and great-tasting. Blanched and pureed spinach is used for this recipe but to save time you can use frozen spinach. Just thaw and puree it in a mixer by adding 1/3 cup of water.
Also if you have onion- tomato masala on hand you can use that instead of making fresh masala. The only difference is that it saves time and adds more flavor and smooth texture to the dish. But if you don’t have onion tomato masala ready then just follow the recipe below. Even without adding cream this palak paneer was a perfect blend of creaminess and texture.
Follow this link to cook palak paneer without onion and garlic. Enjoy this easy and phenomenally delicious saag panner/palak paneer recipe.
Palak Paneer
INGREDIENTS
- 1 big bunch Blanched and pureed palak
- 1.5 cup Homemade Cubed Paneer
- 1 medium Onions, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon Garlic paste
- 2 medium Tomatoes, chopped
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon Jeera (cumin seeds)
- 1/2 teaspoon Red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder (sukha dhaniya)
- 1 teaspoon Haldi (Turmeric powder)
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 2 tablespoon Cream (optional)
- 2 tablespoon Oil/Ghee
INSTRUCTIONS
PANEER PREPARATION
- 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.
- Assemble: rest of the ingredients needed for this recipe.
- This dish calls for fried paneer but instead of frying I preferred toasting it on a skillet (tawa). It's simple - Grease griddle with oil, add sliced paneer to it and with the help of a fork keep turning till paneer turns light golden in color. Once cool cut them into cubes. For frying paneer - Heat oil in a pan, when hot add paneer and fry till golden brown.
SAUTEING PALAK
- In a pan heat ghee/oil and add cumin seeds. When they start to splutter add chopped onions, garlic paste and saute until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes along with spices and mix.
- Cover the pan and lower the flame. Cook for about 2-3 minutes on low fame. Once the oil/ghee starts to leave the masala..
- Add blanched palak to the pan.
- Give it a good mix and stir it till well- blended.
- Cook on a low heat for about 4-5 minutes till the color changes from light green to dark green.
- Adjust seasonings and add cubed paneer pieces to cooked palak. Mix and let paneer absorb all the flavors.
- Avoid mixing at this point because paneer when dipped in hot spinach will become soft and start to crumble. Serve hot with rotis.
Now that lookd delicious!Really needed this recipe to satisfy my craving for palak paner. Will be trying out this weekend. I cannot go without saying this Phenomenal and sensational website!!
Thanks Aarushi 🙂
Hi! I tried palak paneer and dal tadka recipes today.Once again, fantastic !!!!!!!!
Thanks for trying the recipe and sharing your wonderful feedback with me. Glad you liked it. Happy New Year to you!! 🙂
Oh my goodness! This has to be one of my favorite dishes ever! As soon as my spinach is ready for harvest, this will the first dish I make with it. I just hope I can do your recipe justice . . . Now I need to learn to make paneer from scratch . . . ☺ so happy! Thanks! 💕
Oh you will. 💕
Do give it a try and share your feedback with me.
Ruchi, hi! I always struggle with how much tomato onion paste I need to use for anything. Haha. How much of your tomato onion recipe would you use for this palak paneer recipe? Thanks:)
Aruna, use 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon of onion-tomato masala for this recipe.