Palak Paneer — Spinach and Cheese Technique (पालक पनीर)

Ingredients

• 500 g fresh spinach, roughly chopped
• 250 g paneer cheese, cut into 1.5 cm cubes
• 30 ml ghee
• 1 large onion, finely diced
• 15 g fresh ginger, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 green chilies, minced
• 200 g heavy cream
• 3 g garam masala
• 2 g ground cumin
• 1 g red chili powder
• 4 g sea salt
• 1 g cracked black pepper
• 3 g fresh cilantro, chopped

Method

1. 1
   Blanch spinach in boiling salted water for 2 minutes; drain, squeeze dry, and blend with 60 ml water until smooth puree.
2. 2
   Heat 15 ml ghee in large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat; cook diced onion until soft and translucent, 5 minutes.
3. 3
   Add ginger, garlic, and green chilies; cook 1 minute until fragrant.
4. 4
   Stir in spinach puree and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. 5
   Pour in heavy cream and bring to simmer; add garam masala, cumin, chili powder, and salt; cook 5 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
6. 6
   Heat remaining 15 ml ghee in separate small skillet over medium heat; gently fry paneer cubes until golden on all sides, 4 minutes. Drain on paper towel.
7. 7
   Fold fried paneer into spinach sauce; simmer 3 minutes until heated through.
8. 8
   Season with black pepper; garnish with fresh cilantro and serve with steamed basmati rice or naan.