Palak Paneer
A vegetarian classic from northern India. Golden-fried paneer, a mild and firm Indian cheese, in a smooth spinach sauce with garlic, ginger and warm spices.
Method
Five steps · 40 minutesBlanch the spinach
Boil the spinach for 1–2 minutes, then cool it in cold water and squeeze out the water. Blend it smooth with the green chilli.
Fry the paneer
Fry the paneer in half of the ghee over medium heat until golden on several sides. Set aside.
Start the sauce
Heat the rest of the ghee and fry the cumin seeds for 30 seconds. Add the onion and fry for about 8 minutes, until soft and golden. Stir in the garlic, ginger, ground coriander and turmeric.
Add tomatoes and spinach
Add the tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft. Add the spinach and 1 dl of water, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Finish
Stir in the cream, garam masala and paneer. Simmer gently for 3 minutes and season with salt.
Our tips
Cool the spinach quickly after blanching. That is what keeps the colour bright green.
If the fried paneer feels firm, leave it in warm water for a few minutes before adding it to the sauce.
Frozen spinach also works. Thaw it, squeeze out the water and start from the blending.
Remove the seeds from the chilli if you want a milder dish.
A lighter version
Fewer calories, same dishUse 250 g of paneer instead of 400 g. This also lowers the protein, to about 17 g per portion.
Fry in 1 tbsp of ghee or oil instead of 2 tbsp.
Use cooking cream, 15%, instead of whipping cream. Simmer gently after adding it, so that it does not split.
With all the swaps, about 330 kcal per portion instead of about 530 kcal (estimate). The sauce gets a little less rich.
- Energy
- about 530 kcal
- Protein
- about 24 g
- Fat
- about 43 g
- Carbohydrates
- about 13 g
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