Palak Paneer (Spinach and Cheese)

Palak Paneer is one of my daughter’s favorite things to eat and I end up making this at least once a week. It contains the goodness of spinach and the protein of paneer, making it super healthy. Add a few spices, onions and tomatoes and it’s super yumm! This recipe was inspired by my mom. She taught me a different version of it a few years back. I modified it and tried a couple different variations of it, until I came up with this. My husband absolutely loves this version, as it’s similar to his absolute favorite dish cooked by me, paneer ki bhurji (Grated pressed cheese cooked with onions, tomatoes and spices). The story behind the bhurji is really interesting actually.

This was the first thing I ever cooked for him. We were courting then and my mum invited him over for lunch shortly after we got engaged. I was an amateur cook then. So while my mum cooked the rest of the food for the afternoon, I was cooking the paneer ki bhurji, while following her instructions. In the process, I confused coriander powder with garam masala and added two heaped teaspoons of garam masala to the bhurji instead of two teaspoons of coriander powder. Garam masala can be really pungent and in most of the food I cook, I add very little of it, from a pinch to half a teaspoon maybe. So to think I had added so much of it, I panicked! The one dish that I was cooking would end up being a disaster, and would probably not even end up on the table. But, my mom being the fabulous cook that she is, came to my rescue. We added quite a few tablespoons of heavy cream to it, to tone down the garam masala, and voilà to this day my husband says that was the best bhurji he has ever eaten! And I have never been able to replicate that!

Coming back to this recipe of Palak Paneer, I have combined a spinach and cheese recipe that my mom taught me with the paneer ki bhurji recipe and it tastes delicious!

Here’s the recipe:

Palak Paneer

Ingredients:

1. Spinach – 250 grams (roughly chopped)
2. Olive oil – 1.5 tablespoon
3. Onion – 1 large (chopped)
4. Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
5. Black cardamom – 1
6. Garlic – 1.5 teaspoon (minced)
7. Ginger – 1 teaspoon (minced)
8. Tomatoes – 2 (chopped)
9. Salt – 1.5 teaspoon
10. Turmeric – 1 teaspoon
11. Paprika – 1/2 teaspoon
12. Coriander powder – 2.5 teaspoons
13. Garam masala – 1/4 teaspoon
14. Paneer – 300 grams (grated)

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add black cardamom and cumin seeds. Saute for a couple of minutes.
2. Add chopped onions and minced garlic and sauté for 5 minutes.
3. Add minced ginger and tomatoes and sauté for 5 minutes.
4.  Add salt, turmeric, paprika, coriander powder and garam masala. Saute for 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water and sauté for a couple of minutes.
5. Add grated paneer (pressed cheese) to the pan and cook for 5 minutes.
6. Add chopped spinach and cook for 5 more minutes.
7. Serve hot with Indian flat bread.

I hope you enjoy this variation of palak paneer and I look forward to reading your comments and thoughts on this! Happy Cooking!