Palak Paneer

Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh spinach (or 10 oz frozen, thawed)
• 1 small green chile (optional)
• 2 tbsp ghee or oil, divided
• 12 oz paneer, cut in 3/4-inch cubes
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp grated ginger
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Roma tomato, chopped
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/4 cup heavy cream or 2 tbsp cashew cream
• 1 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves), optional
• rice or naan, to serve

Steps

1. Blanch the spinach in boiling water 1 minute, then plunge into ice water. Squeeze lightly and blend with the chile and a splash of water until smooth.
2. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a large skillet and brown the paneer on a few sides, 4 minutes. Set aside.
3. Add the remaining ghee and the cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add the onion and cook until golden, 8 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic for 1 minute.
4. Add the tomato, coriander, turmeric, chili powder and salt and cook until the tomato breaks down, 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Stir in the spinach puree and water and simmer 5 minutes. Add the paneer, garam masala, cream and kasuri methi and simmer 3 minutes more. Serve with rice or naan.

TipBlanching the spinach quickly and chilling it in ice water keeps the sauce a vivid green instead of turning olive-drab.