Palak Paneer

Silky spinach puree cradles soft paneer cubes in this beloved Indian classic, enriched with ghee and warmed spices like cumin. Garlic, ginger, and fresh chiles build a vibrant base that's balanced by tomatoes and a whisper of cream. Perfect for weeknight dinners or impressing guests with restaurant-quality comfort food.

Ingredients

2 garlic cloves, peeled

2 green chiles or 1 serrano chile, stemmed

1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

2 medium plum tomatoes

Ice, as needed

6 packed cups (8 oz) fresh baby spinach leaves

2 tbsp ghee

½ tsp cumin seeds

1 small Indian bay leaf

1 small yellow onion, diced

½ tsp garam masala

½ tsp Kashmiri chile powder

1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves

8 oz paneer, diced into 1-inch cubes

1 tbsp heavy cream, plus more for serving

Salt, to taste

Naan and cooked basmati rice, for serving

Instructions

Place the garlic, chiles, and ginger in a food processor with 3 tbsp of water. Purée until a paste forms, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Set paste aside until ready to use.

Coarsely grate the tomatoes on a box grater set directly on your cutting board. Discard the skins and set the grated tomatoes aside until ready to use.

Fill a medium bowl with ice and cold water. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add the spinach and cook until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain, then transfer the spinach to the bowl of ice water until cold, about 5 minutes. Drain, discarding the water and ice cubes.

Transfer the spinach to a food processor or blender along with ½ cup of water and purée until smooth. Set aside until ready to use.

Heat the ghee in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds and cook until they start to pop, about 30 seconds, then add the bay leaf and onion and cook until the onion is soft and golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the reserved garlic-ginger paste and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the grated tomatoes and cook until soft, 4 to 5 minutes, then stir in the garam masala and chile powder. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Stir in the reserved spinach purée, the fenugreek leaves, and 1 cup water. Decrease the heat so the mixture is at a slow simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the paneer and 1 tbsp cream and stir until the paneer has warmed through, about 3 minutes. Take care not to heat the paneer too long in the sauce or it will become chewy. Season with salt and remove the bay leaf.

Transfer to a serving dish and drizzle with more cream. Serve with naan and rice.