Palak Paneer Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Palak Paneer is a great dish that packs a flavorful punch and is fun to make at home. This will make any spicy food lover happy!

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian, Spicy, Vegetarian

Keyword: Palak Paneer, Spicy

Servings: Servings

Calories: 484kcal

Author: Belly Laugh Living

Ingredients

1 teaspoon Ground Turmeric
2 teaspoon Cayenne
1 teaspoon Salt
3 Tablespoon Olive Oil Or vegetable oil
12 Ounces Paneer Cheese Or Tofu
1 Pound Cooked Spinach
1 Medium Onion
1 Tablespoon Ginger 1 Inch piece
4 Cloves Garlic
1 Hot Pepper We used Thai pepper
1 teaspoon Cumin
2 teaspoon Coriander
½ teaspoon Masala
½ Cups Plain Greek Yogurt

Instructions

Cook the spinach with ¼ cup of water, add one teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of pepper to a pan and place it over medium heat. Once the pan is heated, add the spinach and cook until it has wilted and turned bright green.
Cut Paneer or Tofu into small cubes. Measure Cayenne and Turmeric
Mix together cayenne, turmeric, salt, and oil.
Toss the Paneer or Tofu in the oil mixture, stirring to coat. Set aside.
Drain the liquid from the spinach. Then, use a food processor to puree the spinach until it's smooth. If you prefer a coarser texture, coarsely chop the spinach instead. Next, finely chop the onion, garlic, and ginger. Personally, I find that the flavors are more intense when the garlic and ginger are simply chopped, rather than minced.
To prepare the dish, take a pan and add the paneer (or tofu), along with spices and oil. Heat the pan over medium heat. After a couple of minutes, flip the paneer and repeat the process with each piece until they are browned on one side. Fry for another minute or so until the cheese has browned on all sides.
Set the Cheese aside
Add the Onion, ginger, garlic, and pepper along with a pinch of salt to the pan. Using the same pan and oil from the cheese mixture.
THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART: Sauté the mixture until it is toffee-colored. This will take about 15 minutes. Do NOT skip this step. This step is what gives the majority of the flavor. If the mixture is drying out add a couple tablespoons of water.
Add the coriander, cumin, and garam masala. Add a couple of tablespoons of water to keep the spices from burning. Cook until the spices are lightly toasted. Should take about 3 to 5 minutes
Add the Spinach to the onion mixture. Stir in a little salt (½ teaspoon) and ½ cup water. Cook for 5 minutes
Turn off the heat and add a couple of large spoonfuls of the hot Spinach to a small bowl of yogurt. Mix well to prevent curdling.
Then stir this mixture into the rest of the spinach
Once the spinach and yogurt are well combined, add the paneer. Turn the heat back on to medium, cover, and cook until warmed through, about 2 minutes
Serve as a main course or side dish. Enjoy!!!!

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