📍 Where this dish comes from: Amritsar, Punjab · The Golden Temple
Discover the history of this region →
Discover the history of this region →
Palak paneer is the dish that turned the world onto vegetarian Indian cooking — the combination of bright green spinach sauce and golden fried paneer is as visually striking as it is delicious. Jade-green, fragrant, and deeply satisfying, paneer cubes fried golden until they develop a caramelized crust nestle into a silky spinach sauce that carries warmth, sweetness, and a quiet depth that makes vegetarian cooking feel like an absolute privilege. The secret is in the preparation of the spinach: blanch it, shock it, and blend it to preserve the vivid color.
What You’ll Need
Servings: 3 servings
Calories: 375kcal
Ingredients
- 300 g paneer cubed
- 500 g fresh spinach
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1 onion diced
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 2 green chilies
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 100 ml full-fat cream
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Blanch spinach 1 minute; blend with green chilies until smooth.
- Fry paneer cubes in ghee until golden; set aside.
- In same pan, cook onion until golden.
- Add ginger-garlic paste and all spices; cook 2 minutes.
- Add spinach puree and simmer 5 minutes.
- Add cream and stir through.
- Add paneer; simmer 3 minutes.
- Finish with garam masala.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 375kcal | Protein: 20g | Fat: 28g | Fiber: 3g
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Health Benefits
- Spinach provides vitamin K1 for blood clotting and vitamin K2 for bone mineralization.
- Frying paneer before adding it to the sauce creates the Maillard reaction, adding depth and complexity.
- Full-fat paneer contains butyric acid, a short-chain fatty acid studied for its role in colon health.
Pairs Well With
- Cauliflower Pulao
- Almond Flour Roti