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Restaurant style palak paneer recipe
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Punjabi Palak Paneer Recipe

Palak Paneer is probably one of the most popular dishes in any Indian restaurant. The spinach gravy is creamy and luscious with cottage cheese cubes (or Indian fresh cheese). And this palak paneer recipe is even better than the ones served at the restaurants!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian, Punjabi
Keyword Paneer Recipes, Restaurant style Recipes, Spinach Recipes
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings 3 People
Calories 357kcal

Equipment

  • Stove Top
  • Heavy bottom Non-stick Pan
  • Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

  • 500 gms. Spinach Leaves - keep the stems as well
  • 150 gms Paneer or Cottage Cheese Replace it with Tofu for Vegan option
  • 2 Tomatoes - cut in 4 cubes
  • 1 Onion Medium Size - cut in 4 cubes
  • 8 Cloves of Garlic
  • 2 inches Ginger
  • ½ tsp Jeera or Cumin Seeds
  • ¼ tsp Shahi Jeera or Black Cumin Seeds Optional
  • A pinch of Hing or Asafoetida Powder
  • Salt to Taste
  • 1 tsp Cumin Powder
  • 2 tsp Coriander Powder
  • 3 tbsp Ghee to cook You may replace it with Mustard Oil for Vegan option
  • ½ tsp Kasoori Methi/Fenugreek Leaves
  • 2 tbsp Tomato Ketchup
  • 1 tsp Fresh Cream Omit for Vegan option
  • 2 Dried Red Chilies
  • ½ tsp Garam Masala Powder

Instructions

  • Pressure cook the Palak or Spinach leaves with its stem with Salt and 1/4 cup of water. Let it whistle for 3-4 times before taking it off the heat.
    500 gms. Spinach Leaves, Salt to Taste
  • Once it cools, open the lid and blend the entire content into a smooth puree.
    While you may keep it aside to cool off completely before running it into your mixer, otherwise, if you are in a hurry, blend it hot without the lid, but covering the mixing jar with a clean kitchen towel.
    This would allow to escape the steam and prevent the splattering of the green slurry everywhere around. Believe me, it's a pain to clean a green mess, as it tends to stick!! :( Experience speaks here....
  • Anyways, once its done, keep this puree aside. Make a puree of the Tomato, Onion, Garlic and Ginger.
    2 Tomatoes, 1 Onion, 8 Cloves of Garlic, 2 inches Ginger
  • Heat the ghee/mustard oil in a pan. Keep the heat on medium and temper the ghee or oil with Cumin seeds, Black Cumin Seeds, dried Red Chilies and Asafoetida or Hing.
    ½ tsp Jeera or Cumin Seeds, ¼ tsp Shahi Jeera or Black Cumin Seeds, 3 tbsp Ghee to cook, 2 Dried Red Chilies, A pinch of Hing or Asafoetida Powder
  • Once they start splattering, add the puree of Onion and Tomato in it. Fry till the tomatoes-onion mix loose the raw texture. It should also reduce in amount
  • Now, add Ketchup, Cumin Powder, Coriander Powder, Garam Masala & Kasoori Methi to the Onion mix. Fry till you can see some of the fat separating from the edges of the masala mix.
    1 tsp Cumin Powder, 2 tsp Coriander Powder, ½ tsp Kasoori Methi/Fenugreek Leaves, 2 tbsp Tomato Ketchup, ½ tsp Garam Masala Powder
  • Now, add the Palak or Spinach puree into the fried masala and mix everything well. Let it simmer for next 15-20 minutes on medium-high heat. Keep stirring it once in a while to prevent it sticking at the bottom. You may put the lid while it simmers as it tends to splatter and messes everything around.
  • Once you see that the water content has been reduced, fry the rest of on high heat for 2-3 minutes.
  • Now, add the Paneer or Cottage Cheese cubes and some cream. Mix everything well and let it bubble-boil once. Turn off the heat and serve.
    Note, I shallow fried the Paneer cubes in a teaspoon of ghee before putting them in the gravy. That is how my family prefers. However, this is totally optional.
    150 gms Paneer or Cottage Cheese, 1 tsp Fresh Cream

Notes