Restaurant Style Palak Paneer Recipe
Palak Paneer Recipe: Your Ultimate Source Of Iron!
Do you love North Indian cuisine? Try the palak paneer recipe, a flavorful spinach and cottage cheese mixture. It is an ideal main course recipe filled with the goodness of palak and paneer. You can accentuate its taste by adding spices according to your preferences. Palak paneer needs no introduction. You can enjoy the thick and creamy gravy of palak and paneer with plain paratha or rice.
The spinach cottage cheese recipe is perfect for any occasion. You can prepare the delicacy for festivals as well. So, if you are bored with regular paneer recipes, try out this easy palak paneer recipe that can be your go-to recipe for lazy weekends. The recipe is rich in fibre and iron, making it the best dish for people fond of green leafy vegetables. Without much ado, let’s help you prepare this nutritious and delicious recipe.
Ingredients of Palak Paneer
The ingredients mentioned below in preparing palak paneer will serve 4 to 6 people. These consists as follows:-
• 250-300 gm paneer, cut into cubes
• 2 tablespoons of ghee
• 3 red chillies
• One small onion, chopped
• One tomato, chopped
• One capsicum, chopped
• 2 teaspoons of ginger
• Powdered salt as required
• 1 teaspoon of kasturi methi powder
• 1/4 cup of fresh cream
• 2 bunches of spinach
• 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of garlic
• ½ cup warm water
• 4 green chillies
• 1 teaspoon of coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of cumin powder
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
• 4 cloves
• A pinch of asafoetida or hing
• One bay leaf
How to Prepare Palak Paneer? Your Step-by-step Guide
Cooking is a creative activity! If you arrange the ingredients correctly, you will find it effortless to prepare the lip-smacking and tasty palak paneer recipe. The process of making palak paneer is as follows:-
Step 1: Wash and Blanch the Spinach Leaves
Soak Indian cottage cheese in warm water for 10-15 minutes to make it soft. After some time, cut cottage cheese into small cubes and keep it aside. To know that the spinach leaves are free from adulterants, soak it in water and add a pinch of salt. Clean and wash the spinach thoroughly.
Now, it is time to blanch palak. Put a pan, add water and palak, and let the spinach leaves get blanched for 2-3 minutes. After that, immediately transfer the blanched palak to a bowl of icy cold water, which will help the leaves retain their bright green colour.
Step 2: Boil and Cook Palak
After blanching the leaves, put the pan back on the gas on a medium flame and put palak inside the pan. Cover the utensil and let the spinach get cooked until it becomes soft.
Pro Tip: You need not add water while boiling the spinach leaves, as the leaves contain sufficient water. When cooked, chop 100 gms (a handful) of palak in a bowl and keep it aside.
Step 3: Make Palak Puree
Put the remaining palak in a blender. Add cloves, garlic, ginger and chillies. Blend these palak paneer ingredients and make a smooth paste without adding water. After making the puree, it's time to put the kadhai on the stove.
Step 4: Cook Palak Paneer
Follow the steps below to cook palak paneer:-
→ Now put a kadhai on a low flame and heat 2 tablespoons of oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. You can use ghee instead of oil to make a healthier palak paneer.
→ Add one dried red chilli, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, and one bay leaf and saute them on a low flame until the spices turn aromatic.
→ Add ginger and one teaspoon of ginger garlic paste and saute the mixture till the onions turn golden brown.
→ Keeping the gas on a low flame, add ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon of chilli, coriander powders, and salt as per taste.
→ Add chopped tomato and capsicum and cook until the tomato turns mushy and capsicum shrinks.
→ Add the spinach puree and cook well.
→ Add a cup of water to adjust the consistency accordingly.
→ Add one tablespoon of cream and paneer and mix well, ensuring consistency.
→ Add the remaining paneer cubes and simmer them for a couple of minutes. → You can add a pinch of asafoetida or hing or just skip it.
→ Add ½ teaspoon garam masala and one tablespoon of kasuri methi powder and mix well.
→ Cook them for 2-3 minutes and serve palak paneer with roti or rice.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to make palak paneer, you can prepare the dish for breakfast, lunch or dinner and serve it with rice, roti, naan, bread, paranthas, etc. Palak paneer is nutritious and has many health benefits. It is a protein-rich dish that improves your digestive system, helps reduce weight, maintains blood pressure and cholesterol levels, is good for your bones, improves cognitive functions, etc. You can cook and consume restaurant-style palak paneer in moderation and reap the maximum health benefits.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can you freeze palak paneer?
Yes, you can freeze palak paneer. But, according to Ayurveda, palak paneer (and other dishes) should not be stored and reheated. Doing so reduces the nutritional value, and the paneer will lose its soft texture. Furthermore, freshly cooked food has the maximum life force (prana). Thus, eating palak paneer when prepared freshly cooked is always advisable.
2. Why does palak paneer taste bitter sometimes?
Palak paneer tastes bitter sometimes if blanching is not done properly. Raw spinach leaves comprise high levels of the oxalic acid compound, causing a bitter taste. Thus, blanching the spinach leaves properly is recommended to eliminate the oxalic acid compound, making them taste better and more nutritious. You can also add a tablespoon of cream to the spinach leaves. The fat content of the cream will smooth out the bitter taste.
3. Which type of spinach should you use to make palak paneer?
To make palak paneer, select fresh, tender spinach leaves that are light to medium green in colour. Refrain from using dark leaves stems or stalks of spinach leaves because using them gives the dish a bitter taste. You can also buy palak a day before making the dish and use the frozen leaves to make palak paneer.
