Easy Palak Paneer Recipe

Slofoodgroup Team March 15, 2023

How to Make Spiced Creamed Spinach with Indian Cottage Cheese

If you are looking for new ways to incorporate green vegetables into your routine, you’ve got to try Palak Paneer. It’s a comforting Indian dish that contains dense pieces of paneer cheese simmered in a smooth puree of creamed spinach and a sense-provoking blend of spices. It is pretty hard to screw up and unlike many other spinach dishes, if cooked correctly it will be completely void of any level of bitterness or chalky aftertaste. 

We’ve developed a recipe for palak paneer that is incredibly simple to make and requires just minutes of cooking. It primarily uses ground spices for flavoring and uses frozen spinach, so you won’t even need to blanch your greens. To cut down on time even further, feel free to add the paneer cubes directly rather than grilling them first. It will only slightly change the texture and some people prefer it that way. 

We like the flavor of the coconut in this version of palak paneer, but if you’d prefer, you could definitely replace it with heavy cream. 

Additionally, if you want to make a vegan version of this dish, you could just replace the paneer cheese with cubes of firm tofu. 

Simple Instructions for Making Quick and Easy Palak Paneer 

Ingredients

• 16 ounces frozen chopped spinach
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
• 1 whole white or yellow onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ¾ cup diced stewed tomatoes
• 6 ounces full-fat coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves
• ½ teaspoon fresh-ground coriander seeds
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 ½ teapoons pasilla chili powder (or red pepper for more heat)
• 1 tablespoon prepared garam masala paste
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Salt to taste
• 1 package paneer cheese, cut into cubes

Procedure

1. In a large pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil and sautè your onion until it is tender.
2. Add the garlic and cook for another 3-5 minutes. 
3. Remove half of the garlic and onion mixture and add it to a blender with the chopped spinach, tomatoes, and coconut milk. Blend to smooth. 
4. Add the spinach mixture to the remaining onions and garlic in the pan. Simmer gently as you stir in your dried spices and garam masala paste. 
5. Add salt to taste and finish by stirring in the lemon juice.
6. In a separate pan, melt the remaining coconut oil and turn the heat up to medium. Cook your paneer cheese for about 3 minutes per side or until it has reached golden brown in color on both sides
7. Remove the paneer from the pan and place it directly in the simmering spinach mixture. 
8. Serve over basmati rice, alongside naan, or even with lentil crackers (papadum).