It’s probably been 2 years since my first request for a Palak Paneer recipe, and I am now delivering in a timely manner… LOL. Trust me – it was worth the wait because you guys now, finally, have my Mom’s Palak Paneer right at your fingertips!! This recipe is definitely one of those that you need to follow exactly as I’ve written down. Please do not cut down on cooking time or cut any corners, because I promise it will be SO WORTH IT in the end!!

Always blanch your spinach!

Blanching obviously takes a few minutes longer and requires a couple of more dishes to wash, but make this is a dishwasher recipe. You have to blanch and add baking soda to your spinach so you get that perfect BRIGHT green Palak Paneer color!! I’ve tried to make it without doing this, and it was literally like brown mush, so please do not make that mistake lol.

Heavy Cream

I usually shy away from heavy cream, but I always make exceptions for Punjabi dishes. If you do want to keep it on the lighter side, you can add half and half, 2% milk, or even some fat free yogurt! My mom typically uses healthy ingredients in her cooking, so this is one of her splurge dishes! If you are interested in any of my mom’s other recipes, check out her Spicy Vada Pav and Patuda No Lot recipes!!

Prepping in advance / freezing

In my opinion, my Mom’s Palak Paneer ALWAYS tastes better the next day. If you are making this for your family or even for a party, make it the night before! The flavors are always enhanced the next day, making it even tastier. We LOVE to make big batches of this and freeze it. If you’re going through the effort of making it, might as well make extra! You can freeze this for up to 3 months and it will still be super fresh 🙂

If you make my Mom’s Palak Paneer, please be sure to tag @chocolateandcheeseplease in any Instagram stories! I would also love it if you could comment below and rate this recipe with your honest thoughts!  If you haven’t seen me on Instagram yet, be sure to follow me  ENJOY!

Mom’s Palak Paneer

Megha Patel

 

prep time:20 minutes mins

cook time:40 minutes mins

total time:1 hour hr

I'm sorry, but my Mom's Palak Paneer beats all of them 🙂

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

• 14 tightly packed cups spinach (washed)
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1.5 large white onion
• 1 dry kashmiri chili pepper
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 3-5 tbsp oil
• 8 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1/4 tsp garam masala
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1/8 tsp clove powder
• 1 tbsp ginger paste
• 1/2 cup cilantro
• 6 serrano peppers
• 3 tbsp heavy cream
• 6 oz. paneer

Instructions

 

• First, prepare your onion. Add it to a blender and puree until it is completely broken up and almost liquidy.
• Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a large pot. Once hot, add in the kashmiri chili pepper, cinnamon stick, and cumin seeds. Let them cook for 30 seconds and then add in your pureed onion.
• Let this cook for about 5 minutes on medium heat, until the onion is soft and translucent. At any point, add another 1 tbsp of oil if it seems dry.
• Add in salt per taste and your minced garlic. Let this cook for another 5 minutes. Keep heat on lowest possible.
• In the meantime, take a large pot of water, add salt, 1 tsp of baking soda, and let it come to a simmer. At this point, add in your spinach and give it a mix.
• When the water is bubbling, add in another tsp of baking soda and mix. Immediately fill another large pot with ice cold water.
• Take a strainer and start scooping out the spinach and putting it in the ice cold water. Mix it and leave in the water for 2-3 minutes.
• Now, add in your garam masala, cinnamon powder, clove powder, and ginger paste to the onions and mix well. Once again, add in another tbsp of oil if it seems too dry. (I ended up using 5 tbsp in total at this point).
• In a large blender, add your spinach, cilantro, and serrano peppers. Puree everything until it is your desired texture for palak paneer. Add this directly into your onions, followed by 1/2 cup of water. If it is still too thick, add a little bit more water until it's right for you. (I used 3/4 cup in total)
• Taste for seasoning, and adjust per your liking. Let this warm up for about 10 minutes, and then add in your heavy cream and mix well.
• Heat up some oil for frying the paneer.
• While it's heating, cut up your paneer in cubes, however big you like them.
• Fry the paneer until golden brown, and then place on a paper towel to get rid of the extra oil. Once it's ready, add to the pot of palak and mix well.
• Serve with a side of your favorite naan or paratha, sliced onion, thai chili pepper, and some jeera rice!

Notes

• The trick to getting the perfect green color is blanching the spinach and adding baking soda. Do not skip that part!!
• My mom ends up making LARGE batches of this, and it stays really well in the freezer. I recommend doubling this recipe and then freezing it so you don’t have to go through the process again for a long time!!
• I was too lazy to go to the Indian store, so I went to Shop Rite and bought the Stonefire Naan. I ended up mincing garlic and thai chili peppers right on top of it, added some oil, and popped it in the toaster. Perfect / easy way to eat chili garlic naan!