Palak Paneer (Golden Paneer in Spinach Sauce)
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats and Food Network Kitchen.
Spinach wilted and blended smooth, golden fried paneer and a sizzling cumin, mustard seed and garlic tempering, finished with a little cream.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Wilt and blend. Put the spinach and water in the saucepan over high heat and bring to the boil. Cover, lower the heat to medium-low and cook for about 5 min until the leaves collapse completely. Blend with all the liquid for about 1 min until completely smooth; short cooking keeps the colour bright green.
- 2
Fry the paneer. Heat 2 tbsp of the ghee in the frying pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Fry the paneer in two batches for about 2 min, turning once, until golden on both sides, then lift onto a plate. Frying in batches keeps the pan hot, so the cubes brown instead of sweating.
- 3
Temper the spices. Add the last 1 tbsp ghee to the pan with the cumin and mustard seeds and cook for about 30 seconds, until they start to pop. Stir in the garlic and cook another 30 seconds until fragrant and just colouring. Hot fat draws the flavour out of whole spices and carries it through the whole sauce.
- 4
Bring it together. Pour the spinach purée into the pan, add the chilli powder and salt and stir until simmering. Fold in the paneer and cream and heat for 1-2 min, just until hot through. Serve with a swirl of cream on top.
Storage
Refrigerate covered up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a pan with a splash of water, stirring, until piping hot (74 °C). Freezing makes the paneer crumbly, so it is best avoided. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
Why this label?
18.1 g protein for 340 kcal = 5.3 g per 100 kcal, so protein gives about 21% of the energy. High Protein needs at least 20% (5 g per 100 kcal), the condition in the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
EU nutrition claims
- Low sugars: 1.9 g sugars per 100 g (limit ≤ 5 g)
Per 100 g of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 113 g a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
0 g per serving
0 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 0 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- medium saucepan with lid
- blender
- 25 cm non-stick frying pan
- slotted spatula
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 340 kcal |
| Protein | 18.1 g |
| Carbohydrate | 6 g |
| of which sugars | 2.2 g |
| of which free sugars | 0 g |
| Fat | 29.3 g |
| of which saturates | 18.3 g |
| Fibre | 1.6 g |
| Salt | 0.91 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
5.3 g meets High Protein (≥ 5 g, 20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
