How to Make Palak Paneer: The Easiest and Simplest Recipe

Palak Paneer is a vegetarian dish made up of spinach and paneer, a form of Indian cheese. It can be served as a side dish or appetiser, or as the main course in many parts of India. Traditionally made by simmering spinach with spices and cubes of paneer, the taste can vary according to each chef's recipe. Here we have an easy recipe for you to try. Read on for some tips and tricks on how to make this dish that is perfect for your dinner tonight!

What you'll need

- 1 bunch spinach - 1 cup water - 2 tsp salt - 1 tbsp vegetable oil - ¼ tsp cumin - ¼ tsp red chilli powder - ½ inch ginger, grated or ground - 200 g paneer (or a package of paneer)

How to make Palak Paneer

- Wash and remove all the leaves from the spinach. - Put the spinach in a heatproof dish that can fit in your microwave. - Add water to just cover the leaves, and sprinkle salt over it. - Microwave for five minutes on high, until the leaves are wilted. - Drain off any excess water and set aside. - Chop one onion and fry in a pan with butter or oil until light brown. - Add ginger paste, garlic paste, cumin powder and dry mango powder if you have it (or just add more cumin). - Add chopped tomatoes and cook for about five minutes until tomatoes have become soft. - Add strained yoghourt (about 2 tablespoons), stirring well to avoid lumps forming. -Add fresh cream or milk if desired at this point, stirring well again. - Add cooked spinach to the pan and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring often so that it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. - When spinach is cooked through, add cubes of paneer or cubed firm tofu if you're looking for a vegan option, cooking for about 5 more minutes or until everything is heated through. The dish should now be thick and creamy due to the addition of yoghourt as it cooks down – mine reached that stage after about 15 minutes with constant stirring but yours may take longer depending on how much liquid you start with.

Why this recipe is the best

A lot of people are intimidated by Indian spices, but this recipe is simple and straightforward. There's no need to go out and buy any expensive ingredients, either! We're using spinach, an onion, a tomato, and paneer. You'll also need to have some other things on hand: vegetable oil, ginger paste or fresh grated ginger, salt, ground cumin, garam masala (a popular Indian spice mix), dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi), red chilli powder (optional), ground turmeric (optional), coriander powder or cilantro leaves. It's a simple dish that can be made in under 30 minutes. It tastes delicious with rice or naan bread if you want a more filling meal. *A note on the cheese: if you don't have paneer on hand, feel free to substitute ricotta cheese for it- just make sure it's full-fat ricotta with no fillers or additives for best flavour!

Wrap Up

If you're looking for a wholesome, nourishing, and delicious dish for your family, you can't go wrong with this easy and simple recipe for Palak Paneer. However, if you don’t have time to cook it, Visit us, The Yarra Indian Restaurant and enjoy the most delicious Indian food in Melbourne. We serve many Indian dishes including Palak Paneer with their original flavour that will surely transport you back to the Mughal era though we have infused some modern twist in our menu which made the food even more delicious and flavoursome.