Palak Paneer – Creamy Spinach with Cheese

The majority of the recipe time is letting the spinach simmer for a long time while you enjoy other activities around the house. The cooking time might be shorter or longer depending on the pan you use, how much liquid is in the mixture. Every time I have made this dish, it takes a different amount of time to cook. To know it is done, the taste should not have a strong spinach flavor but a warm and round flavor of all the spices, spinach, onion, garlic and ginger. If it has a strong spinach flavor, the dish is still a bit raw. To know the paneer is done, take a spoon and try to cut a cube of paneer in half, it should easily come apart. Add the cream and mix in at this point if you wish to add it. It lightens the color and adds a touch of richness. You can also add another teaspoon of garam masala if it tastes a bit bland and salt if needed. Be careful not to over salt, as I have done this occasionally. You can also add another tablespoon of butter if you wish. Mix in the final touches and serve hot. This dish can be accompanied with chapatis – whole wheat Indian flat breads, rice or any of your favorite grain accompaniments. It can also be enjoyed by itself.

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the oil and ghee/butter and let it get hot. If using cumin seeds, add them at this point. Once they splutter and turn light brown add the chopped onion and a tablespoon of salt. Let the onions brown, stirring occasionally. It should take about 10 minutes. If you are using green chilies instead of red chili powder, you can add them along with the onions.

Step 2

While the onion mixture is cooking, fill a large pot with water half-way to two-thirds full and bring to a boil. Rinse the spinach so it is ready.

Step 3

Once the onions have browned add the chopped garlic and grated ginger (or garlic/ginger paste if using it). I find fresh garlic and ginger will have a better taste but the paste is faster and easier if you prefer. Add 4 to 5 diced garlic cloves at this point (optional).

Step 4

Let the garlic and ginger simmer in the onions for about 5 minutes. Chop off the root top of the tomatoes and puree them in the food processor until smooth (30 seconds) and add to the onions. Let the mixture cook for 5 minutes or until the oil starts to separate from the mixture.

Step 5

Add the coriander powder, garam masala, red chili powder, turmeric powder and salt. Mix and let cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 6

The water should be boiling at this point. Add as much spinach as will fit in the pot at one time. Let the spinach boil for a minute or two until it becomes soft. Transfer the spinach to the blender using a strainer or a slotted spoon. Be careful not to get too much water in the blender. This will make the dish too watery and it will take longer to cook. Let some of the water drain away from the spinach as you are transferring it to the blender. If later on you need to add water to the blender to get it mix well, you can spoon in a little at a time. Once the blender is full, blend the spinach until smooth or if you prefer, a little course. Add water from the pot to the mixture if the mixture is getting stuck in the blender. Pour the blended spinach into the skillet. Repeat this process until all the spinach is used up.

Step 7

Mix the spinach and tomato/onion mixture. Turn the heat down to medium or medium-low and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t burn on the bottom. The debate now is to cover the pot or not to cover the pot. If you leave the pot uncovered, the dish will keep its beautiful green color. However, this dish splatters a lot so if I cook it uncovered, I turn the heat down lower so it splatters less but it takes about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes to cook. If you cover, the dish will lose some of the color and turn more brownish. However, your kitchen will not get decorated with green and the dish will be done faster. If I’m entertaining, I’ll go the extra mile for the color but if it’s just dinner for two, I’ll cover it and save myself the cleanup.

Step 8

Add the cubed paneer after the spinach has cooked for about 20 minutes.