Palak Paneer or Saag Paneer

The earliest memory I have of palak paneer, is from the 90s, paneer wasn’t available in a store. My mum used to make it at home, tie the muslin cloth and tell us all at home to not splash water on it. When my brother and I were kids, we always wanted something different, not the usual stuff, so my mum used to make this. I’ve always remembered it being tasty. The dish is really simple to make! When I got married, I took down all of my mums recipes, I wanted to make new and nice things everyday. This turned out to be the one recipe I made the most often. My husband really likes anything with Paneer, so I learnt and made this recipe. The texture of the recipe is really great, so silky without adding cashew or anything else. Try getting a good quality, fresh spinach for this. The dried variety is no good for this. Paneer as always, when I’m in Bangalore we use Gowardhan paneer. The quantity in this dish is enough for a family of 4. If you really like it, then I would suggest doubling if. Like this recipe? Do you want any recipe in particular? Ask away! [recipe_card]

Palak Paneer

The earliest memory I have of palak paneer, is from the 90s, paneer wasn’t available in a store. My mum used to make it at home, tie the muslin cloth and tell us all at home to not splash water on it. When my brother and I were kids, we always wanted something different, not the usual stuff, so my mum used to make this. I’ve always remembered it being tasty. The dish is really simple to make!
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Servings 4
Calories 200 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 250 grams of spinach or palak
  • 2-3 green chillies
  • 2 onions
  • 1 inch ginger
  • Handful of coriander
  • 200 grams paneer
  • Salt per taste
  • 1 tablespoon garam masala
  • 1.5 teaspoons aamchoor or raw mango powder
  • 1 tablespoon coriander powder

Instructions
 

  • Steps to make Palak Paneer
  • In a bowl add 250 grams of spinach or palak
  • Add 2-3 green chillies, I used 2 spicy ones
  • In a pressure cooker or pressure pan, cook it for 1 whistle and turn it off
  • While the pressure cooking is cooling, cut 2 onions and 1 inch ginger
  • In a pan add 4 tablespoons of oil
  • When the oil is hot add the cut onions and ginger and stir fry it for 5-8 minutes until the onion turns transparent
  • Remove and keep aside to cool
  • The pressure cooker should have cooled by now, remove and keep the spinach and chilli aside to cool
  • After around 10 minutes, blend the Palak, green chilli, onion and ginger in a mixer jar
  • Add a handful of fresh coriander or cilantro, to give it both a flavour and colour boost
  • Add a splash of water and blend it to a smooth paste
  • Remove and keep aside
  • Blend it in batches, I did around 3 times to get a creamy gravy
  • Next take the paneer out, clean and pat dry it
  • Cut the paneer to your preferred size
  • Add around 1-2 tablespoon of oil in a pan
  • Add the gravy into the hot oil, be careful it can splash
  • Add a splash of water and mix
  • Add salt per taste and mix
  • Add 1 tablespoon garam masala and mix
  • Add 1 tablespoon of kasuri methi or dried fenugreek leaves and stir
  • Add 1.5 teaspoons of Aamchoor or raw mango powder and mix
  • Next add 1 tablespoon of coriander powder and mix
  • Next add the cut paneer and stir well
  • Cook it for a maximum of 5-6 minutes minutes, longer than that the paneer becomes chewy
  • Cover with the lid and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes
  • If you choose to you can garnish it with fresh cream or butter, I love it just like this
  • The dish is now ready to serve you can have it with either roti or rice!
Keyword palak paneer, paneer, paneer recipe, saag paneer