Punjab, northern India. Palak paneer is a Punjabi dish that became nationally and internationally known through the restaurant diaspora. Paneer itself (fresh acid-set cow's milk cheese) appears in Indian cooking from at least the 16th century.
Palak paneer (spinach and fresh cheese) is the most internationally known vegetarian Indian dish — a thick, green sauce of blanched spinach blended with cream, ginger, and spices, with cubes of paneer that have been lightly fried until golden. The spinach sauce should be vibrant green, not dark and muddy — this requires blanching the spinach in boiling water for exactly 30 seconds and immediately icing it to preserve the colour.
- Saag paneer (broader category — saag refers to any leafy green, not specifically spinach; palak = spinach specifically); Moroccan spinach with preserved lemon (cooked spinach with North African flavours — a parallel green dish); Greek spanakopita (spinach with cheese — the Mediterranean parallel).
A dry, fragrant rosé from Provence or a Grenache-based rose from Tavel — the herbal, slightly earthy character of these wines mirrors the spinach without competing with the spices. Or cold Kingfisher lager.