Palak Paneer – Indian Spinach Curry with Homemade Fresh Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 batch homemade Paneer (Indian fresh cheese; recipe linked below)
• 30g / 2 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter (for pan frying, Note 2)
• 30g/2 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter (Note 2)
• 1 1/2 onions (, finely chopped (brown or yellow)
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds (whole) (Note 3)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 3/4 tsp salt (, kosher/cooking salt (if using table salt, reduce by 1/4 tsp)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves (, finely chopped)
• 2 tsp ginger (, finely grated (20g)
• 2 tomatoes (, peeled, seeded and diced (Note 4)
• 1 green chilli (, finely sliced (cayenne, Note 5)
• 700g/ 1.4lb fresh spinach leaves (English spinach) (, thoroughly washed and roughly chopped (~9 cups very tightly packed) (Note 6)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp cream (pure, heavy or thickened)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

1. 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.
2. Add garlic and ginger, cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add the tomato and chilli, cook for 3 minutes on a medium heat.
4. 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.
5. Cook 10 minutes: Cook, stirring every now and then, for 10 minutes still on a medium heat.
6. Cream & lemon: Add the cream and lemon juice. Cook, stirring gently, for 3 minutes.
7. 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.
8. Add Pan Fried Paneer: Gently stir in golden pan-fried paneer (see below). Stir gently to mix through.
9. Serve over basmati rice with fluffy, chewy homemade naan on the side!
10. Golden Pan-Fried Paneer (Note 8):
11. Cut paneer into 1.25cm / ½" thick slices. Then cut each slice into 2.5cm x 2 x 1.25cm thick pieces / 1 x ⅘" x ½" pieces – approximately!
12. Melt half the ghee or butter in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
13. Place half the paneer in the pan and cook for 1 - 1 1/2 minutes until light golden - I tend to make it deep golden because colour = more flavour, but traditional is just a hint of gold Turn, then cook the other side until light golden.
14. Remove onto paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with remaining butter and paneer. Use per recipe.