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top down view of Palak Paneer
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Pakistani Palak Paneer - Richly flavored, Dhaba Style

Richly flavored, hearty, dhaba style Pakistani Palak Paneer with the right amount of zing for every day eating and entertaining alike.
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine pakistani, indian
Diet Halal, Vegetarian
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Author Sarah Mir

Equipment

  • saute pan
  • food processor/ chopper/ mini blender

Ingredients

  • 340 g frozen spinach recommended: south asian, more in post
  • ¾ cup diced paneer (roughly 100g, prefried cubes are so good here!)
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 onion (50-60g) diced
  • 2 green chilies
  • 1 tbsp crushed garlic or garlic paste
  • ½ tbsp grated ginger or ginger paste
  • 1 tomato chopped
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp chili flakes
  • ¼ tsp turmeric
  • 1 tbsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
  • 2 tbsp cream can sub with yoghurt
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • squeeze of lemon juice

Instructions

  • If you are using prefried paneer or don't want fried paneer you can skip this step, but otherwise cut your paneer into small cubes and pan fry in a little oil until golden on each side. Soak the paneer briefly in salted water and drain - this will keep it from getting rubbery later.
  • Heat 3-4 tbsp of oil in a saute pan or wok on medium high heat.
  • Add your diced onions, green chilies, and cumin seeds to the pan and cook till the onions take on an amber hue
    lightly caramelized diced onions for Palak Paneer
  • Now add in your ginger and garlic, give it a stir and cook for a minute to cook the rawness out.
  • Add in your tomatoes, salt, chili flakes, and turmeric.
    tomatoes and spices added to a pan
  • Cover your saute pan with a lid and cook for 2 minutes. This breaks the tomatoes down much faster and accelerates the flavour building process.
    tomato masala cooking with lid on
  • Continue to cook the tomato mixture for another 3-5 minutes or until the oil starts to rise above the tomato mix.
  • Now it is time for the star of the show - the spinach. You can put your frozen spinach in, turn the heat down to medium, and cook covered for 5 minutes.
    spinach defrosting in palak paneer masala
  • Remove the lid, mix well, and cook uncovered on medium high heat for another 5-7 minutes, the mix will look cohesive and rich.
    Palak mix for palak paneer
  • Run your mix (and 2 ice cubes if you are in a rush) through a chopper, mini food processor or blender along with 1-2 tbsp of cream (or yoghurt). You can also use 1 tbsp cream now and drizzle the last tbsp over at the end.
    tips for cooking palak paneer faster
  • Put your mix back in the pan along with 1 tbsp more of oil and your kasuri methi. the extra oil is because your blended mix will burn quickly otherwise.
  • Cook on low heat, covered for about 5-7 minutes or until the mix starts to separate a little. Taste, adjust seasoning as needed. A little lemon is so nice for a brighter note.
  • Add your paneer cubes, cook for low, covered for 5 minutes and serve! You can slice over slivers of butter or drizzle over melted butter for extra richness.