Indian Creamed Spinach Palak Not Paneer Recipes

PALAK PANEER RECIPE | SPINACH PANEER

Steps:

• Pluck only the young & tender spinach leaves and discard the stems as they may leave a bitter taste. If using baby spinach you can use the stems as well.
• Add them to a large pot of water. Rinse them well few times & drain to a colander.
• Allow the water to drain completely otherwise it will let out lot of moisture while cooking.
• Heat half tablespoon oil in a pan. Saute green chilies, cashews and spinach for 3 to 4 mins until the leaves wilt off thoroughly & raw smell of spinach has gone away. [OR another option is to blanch the palak in 4 cups of hot water with ¼ tsp salt for 2 mins. Then immerse in ice cold water. Drain completely.]
• Cool this completely. Blend this along with ¼ cup water to a smooth puree. The puree should be smooth and thick. You may add 1 to 2 tbsps more water to help in blending.
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter and half tablespoon oil to the same pan, Once they melt, add cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves & cumin seeds.
• When the spices begin to sizzle, add onions and fry till they turn transparent to golden.
• Next saute ginger garlic paste for 1 to 2 minutes or until you begin to smell it nice.
• Then add tomatoes with salt. Saute until they break down and turn mushy.
• Add garam masala & saute until the masala smells good. This may take 2 mins. (for a smoother curry refer notes)
• Pour ¾ cup water and cook covered until onions are completely soft. There should be some water left in the pan. (for consistency check video)
• Lower the flame, add kasuri methi and pureed spinach. Mix well and cook until it begins to bubble for about 2 to 3 mins. If the curry is too thick you may add a few tbsps of hot water.
• Avoid overcooking. Add paneer & mix well. Turn off and remove to a serving bowl. Optionally garnish with cream.
• Serve palak paneer with naan, roti or Jeera rice.

PALAK PANEER (INDIAN FRESH SPINACH WITH PANEER CHEESE)

Steps:

• Cut spinach into shreds and cook in 3 tablespoons water until tender; remove from heat.
• Saute onion, cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger in 1-2 tablespoons ghee or oil until onion is translucent.
• Then add garlic and chopped tomatoes, and reduce heat.
• Cook this briefly and slowly blend in yogurt a little at a time to prevent curdling.
• Add coriander, garam masala, paprika, and salt, mixing well.
• Add cooked spinach with liquid, cover and simmer on low heat for approximately 20-30 minutes.
• Remove from heat.
• Take half of spinach mixture and puree in food processor or blender, and return to mixture and stir.
• Slowly stir in heavy cream, and heat through on low heat.
• Add paneer cubes.
• Serve.

SPICED CREAMY SPINACH (PALAK PANEER WITHOUT THE PANEER)

Steps:

• Follow the instructions on the packet of frozen spinach by heating it up in the microwave or cook down fresh spinach in a saucepan just by itself
• Strain spinach water from the cooked down spinach
• Over medium high heat, saute garlic, ginger, chilies and onions in ghee until aromatic
• Lower heat to medium and mix in cumin, coriander, garam masala and yogurt
• Add cooked spinach and simmer for 5 minutes
• Add tomato sauce and mix thoroughly
• Remove from heat and transfer to a blender
• Blend the spinach mixture into a puree
• Dish and serve hot

PALAK PANEER - INDIAN SPINACH CURRY WITH HOMEMADE FRESH CHEESE

Steps:

• Saute onion & spices: Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, fenugreek, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes until onion is softened but not golden.
• Add garlic and ginger, cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the tomato and chilli, cook for 3 minutes on a medium heat.
• Add spinach: Add about 1/3 of the spinach - or as much as you can handle in the pot (!) - and stir until wilted. Then add more spinach along with the water, cook again until wilted. Repeat until all the spinach is wilted.
• Cook 10 minutes: Cook, stirring every now and then, for 10 minutes still on a medium heat.
• Cream & lemon: Add the cream and lemon juice. Cook, stirring gently, for 3 minutes.
• Puree half spinach: Remove half the spinach into a tall container and blend it to a puree using a stick blender. Pour pureed spinach back into the pot, and stir to combine.
• Add Pan Fried Paneer: Gently stir in golden pan-fried paneer (see below). Stir gently to mix through.
• Serve over basmati rice with fluffy, chewy homemade naan on the side!

EASY INDIAN CREAMED SPINACH

Steps:

• In a large skillet, sauté spinach in ¼ cup water over medium-high heat until wilted, about 5 minutes. Remove cooked spinach from the pan and set aside to cool. **Skip this pre-cooking step if using frozen spinach**
• In the same pan, add the olive oil and reduce heat to medium, then add the tomato, garlic powder, onion powder, garam masala, jalapeño, turmeric, ginger, and salt. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes or until tomato is soft. Using the back of a wooden spoon, smash the tomato into the bottom of the pan to break it up.
• Once the pre-cooked spinach has completely cooled, squeeze out any excess water and run a knife through it to chop it up. (If using frozen chopped spinach, thaw it and squeeze all the water out of it).
• Add the chopped spinach to the pan with the spiced tomato mixture, stir well to combine, and heat through. Reduce heat to low.
• Add the heavy cream to the spinach mixture and stir well. Simmer over low heat until mixture is heated through, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

PALAK PANEER (INDIAN SPINACH AND PANEER)

Steps:

• Heat a skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat; fry paneer cubes until lightly browned on each side, about 5 minutes. Transfer paneer to a bowl.
• Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in the same skillet used to cook paneer over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and cook until seeds are slightly red. Stir water, spinach, tomato, garlic, chile peppers, ginger, curry powder, ground coriander, and ground turmeric into cumin seeds. Season with salt.
• Bring spinach mixture to a boil and simmer until garlic is very soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool.
• Transfer spinach mixture to a blender or food processor; puree until smooth.
• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil in a saucepan over medium heat; add spinach puree and paneer cubes. Simmer until hot, about 5 minutes.

EASY PALAK PANEER RECIPE - INSTANT POT

Steps:

• Place the cubed Paneer in a pot of Hot water. This step ensures that the paneer stays soft and creamy.
• Start the instant pot in SAUTE mode. Heat oil and add cumin seeds. When cumin seeds start to brown, add ginger, garlic, green chili and onions. Sprinkle some salt. Sauté for 2 minutes.
• Add tomato and spices. Stir and let it cook for 2 minutes. Add water and scrap the bottom of the pot (deglaze the pot ) Add in the spinach. Press cancel and close the instant pot lid with vent in sealing position.
• Choose MANUAL or PRESSURE COOK mode on high pressure for 2 minutes. Once the instant pot finishes cooking and goes to keep warm timer, wait for 5 minute and then release the leftover pressure by moving the valve from SEALING to VENTING. After the silver pin drops, open the lid.
• Using an immersion blender, blend the cooked ingredients to smooth puree. Add the cubed paneer and garam masala. Cover and let it sit for 5 minutes, so the paneer soaks in the flavors.
• In the meantime, on the stove, make additional tadka. Heat up the ghee in small fry pan. Add chopped garlic and let it fry till golden brown. Turn off the heat. Add whole red chilies and give it a good stir. Pour the sizzling tadka (additional flavor tempering) over the Palak Paneer. Gently stir so everything mixes well. Palak Paneer is ready to be served. Serve warm.
• Place the cubed Paneer in a pot of Hot water. This step is essential to keep the paneer soft.
• Heat oil in a deep bottom pan, add finely chopped onions, ginger & garlic and a pinch of salt. Sauté them together until translucent. Add chopped tomato and sauté until they mix well. Allow the tomato to cook for another 3-4 minutes until it softens.
• Add all the spices and mix well. Add the Spinach and water. Mix well. Cover and cook on medium flame for 5-7 minutes until the spinach is wilted. Turn off the heat.
• Using immersion blender, blend the mixture into smooth puree. Add little water if needed. Turn the heat back on. Stir in Paneer and cook for just 2 minutes. Turn off the flame.
• In the meantime, make additional tadka. Heat up the ghee / oil in small fry pan. Add chopped garlic and let it fry till golden brown. Turn off the heat. Add whole red chilies and give it a good stir.
• Pour the sizzling tadka over the Palak Paneer. Crush some kasuri methi on your palm and sprinkle it over the curry. Gently stir so everything mixes well. Serve hot Palak Paneer with naan or steaming hot Basmati Rice. A side of fresh cut onions and lemon wedges adds extra rustic charm to this meal. Enjoy !

INDIAN CREAMED SPINACH - PALAK NOT PANEER

Steps:

• Boil about a quart of water and add salt liberally. Once the water comes to a rolling boil, add the spinach and reduce heat to medium . Cook for 8 minutes, then drain and set aside. Chop when cooled.
• In a medium saucepan, add 1 tablespoon butter or ghee. Sautee shallots and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes.
• Add the spinach and cook for two minutes or until the juices release. Then add the spices and the rest of the butter and stir, allowing about 30 seconds to a minute for them to begin releasing their flavor into the mixture. Add the cream and raise the heat, continuing to stir. Reduce the liquid to half so the mixture has a creamy rather than soupy consistency.
• Allow to cool, pour into bowls and sprinkle with the cheese. Then enjoy. Or just throw it in the trash or see if your dog will eat it.

INSTANT POT PALAK PANEER

Steps:

• Chop the onion and tomato.
• Mince the ginger and garlic.
• Cut the paneer in cubes.
• Press the saute button on your instant pot and wait for it to display the 'hot' sign. Add the oil and onions. Saute for 2 minutes until the onions are softened.
• Add the rest of the ingredients except the spinach and cream.
• Cook for 5 minutes, adding splashes of water to keep the masala from burning.
• Add the spinach and press down. The leaves will get wilted in 1 or 2 minutes. Now, cancel the saute mode and press the pressure cooking button. Secure the lid and make sure the vent is in the sealing position. Set the timer to 0 minutes.
• When the timer beeps, release the pressure immediately and open the cooker.
• Using an immersion blender, puree the spinach.
• Add the paneer and cream and mix well.
• Heat 1 tbsp ghee or oil in a small frypan and add the chopped garlic. Saute until it starts turning brown.
• Add the cumin seeds.
• Tip the oil, garlic and cumin gently over the palak paneer curry.