Palak Paneer

This was the second recipe I tried out of my high school cookbook.  Even though I'd never had it before, I was pretty sure it was supposed to have more than four ingredients.  Yes, the title literally translates to "Spinach and Paneer", but just onion and a touch of ginger to spice it up?  Even I know better than that.

What surprised me was that there's tomato in it.  The taste is overwhelmingly that of spinach.  The tomato is treated kind of like an herb.  It's like when you use a touch of tomato paste in something but it doesn't overwhelm.  The tomato here becomes part of the spice mix.

I gave this a label of "soups", even though it's really closer to a stew.  If you need to put it in a bowl and use a spoon, I consider it soup.

Not that you really need to know this, but three Indian dishes in an afternoon left an appalling amount of dishes.  I do pride myself on how quickly I can clean up the kitchen after a dinner party.  This menu came close to tidying up from a tea, and it was only four servings.  I need to be more careful.


3 Tb olive oil, divided
8 oz Indian Palak or regular fresh spinach
6-8 oz paneer (or feta if unavailable)
6 black peppercorns
1 green cardamom pod
*2 whole cloves
3/4 C diced red onion
1 Tb grated ginger
*2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Thai chili, optional
1 Roma tomato, diced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika (or chili powder for spicier)
1/4 C cream for serving (optional)

1.  Wash and remove stems from spinach.  I kept reminding myself this was the hardest part of the recipe.  Drain.

2.  Drizzle 1 Tb oil into a large skillet or saucepan with a lid.  Add spinach, cover, and cook until wilted.  Stir every few minutes to avoid over cooking the bottom.  Once spinach has cooled slightly, run through the blender or food processor into a purée.  Set aside.

3.  Cut paneer into 1" cubes and soak in boiling water.  Do not do this step if using feta.

4.  Crush peppercorns and cardamom pod in a mortar and pestle.  Discard cardamom skin, or save for chai.  And this recipe is serious about only 6 peppercorns.  I used a few more than that and no chili, and it was still spicy.

5.  Rinse off the skillet you used for the spinach and add remaining oil.  Add onions and cook over medium until soft.  Add spices and cook into a paste.  Add chili, if using, and diced tomato.  Cook until everything breaks down into a mush, about 10 minutes.

6.  Add spinach, salt to taste, and water as needed for desired consistency.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and add drained paneer.  Allow to simmer for 10 minutes, checking for consistency and adding water as needed.

7.  Serve hot, with a drizzle of cream if desired.

Difficulty  :)