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5 from 63 votes

HEALTHY PALAK PANEER | HOW TO MAKE PALAK PANEER | TOFU IN SPINACH GRAVY

Palak Paneer is a rich and popular Indian delicacy where the paneer or Indian cottage cheese is cooked in the spicy and aromatic, onion tomato spinach gravy.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Indian, north indian, punjabi, South Indian
Servings: 4
Calories: 107kcal
Author: Kushi

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 Medium bunch, Fresh Palak or Spinach
  • 10 to 12 Cashews
  • 1 block (14 oz) Paneer or Tofu cut into cubes
  • 2 tablespoon Cooking oil or Butter
  • 1 Onion, medium sized finely chopped
  • 7 to 8 Garlic cloves , finely chopped
  • 2 Green chilies, chopped finely or slit
  • 1 inch Ginger grated
  • 1 Tomato, chopped
  • ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
  • ½ teaspoon Red chile powder or cayenne powder (adjust to taste)
  • ½ to ¾ teaspoon Garam masala powder or Curry powder (adjust to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon Coriander powder
  • 1 tablespoon Tomato ketchup or tomato sauce
  • Salt, to taste
  • ¼ cup Milk or cream (Use coconut milk for vegan version)
  • ½ teaspoon Dried kasuri methi or fenugreek leaves (optional)
  • 1 inch Ginger julienne
  • 1 tablespoon Cilantro or Coriander leaves finely chopped

Whole spices used (I use those available in my pantry. Use any combination or all of them given below or simply skip it)

  • 1 Bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
  • 2 Cloves
  • 3 cardamom seeds
  • 1 Star anise
  • 1 Marati Moggu

Instructions

Step I

  • Nicely Wash and cook the spinach in boiling water for 2 minutes and transfer to a bowl with cold water to stop the cooking process.
    1 Medium bunch, Fresh Palak or Spinach
  • After about a minute, remove the spinach from cold water, drain any excess water and transfer to a blender or grinder along with cashews and blend it to form a smooth paste.
    10 to 12 Cashews
  • You may add little water while blending if required.

Step II

  • Heat vegetable oil in pan. Add whole spices - cumin seeds, clove, cardamom seeds, bay leaf, star anise, marati moggu and saute for few seconds.
    1 Bay leaf, 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds, 2 Cloves, 3 cardamom seeds, 1 Star anise, 1 Marati Moggu
  • Now add onion along with some salt and sauté until it turns translucent.
    1 Onion, medium sized finely chopped, 2 tablespoon Cooking oil or Butter
  • Next, add garlic cloves, ginger, green chilies and continue sautéing till onion becomes light golden in color or until you get that nice smell out of these.
    7 to 8 Garlic cloves , finely chopped, 2 Green chilies, chopped finely or slit, 1 inch Ginger grated
  • Add tomatoes and cook until they are softened and become mushy
    1 Tomato, chopped

Step III

  • Add turmeric powder, red chile powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder and saute for 2 minutes.
    ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon Red chile powder or cayenne powder, ½ to ¾ teaspoon Garam masala powder or Curry powder, ½ teaspoon Coriander powder
  • Add tomato ketchup, blended spinach paste, and milk and simmer it uncovered on medium-high flame  for about 5 minutes. Taste the dish and adjust salt and spice powders here.
    1 tablespoon Tomato ketchup or tomato sauce, ¼ cup Milk or cream (Use coconut milk for vegan version), Salt, to taste
  • Finally add cubes of paneer (or tofu) and continue simmering on medium flame for another 3 to 5 minutes.
    1 block (14 oz) Paneer or Tofu cut into cubes
  • You may garnish the dish with crushed kasuri methi, ginger julienne, coriander leaves and a dollop of butter if desired.
    ½ teaspoon Dried kasuri methi or fenugreek leaves (optional), 1 inch Ginger julienne, 1 tablespoon Cilantro or Coriander leaves finely chopped
  • Palak Paneer is now ready. Serve hot with wheat naan or your favorite bread and enjoy.

Notes

  • To retain the green color of spinach, make sure spinach is cooked uncovered and do not overcook the dish. Plus the brand and quantity  of red chile powder and garam masala  will also change the color of the dish.
  • Do not add too much water to this dish. It should be thick.
  • Marinate and pan fry the paneer or tofu cubes or simply shallow fry and add the paneer cubes to the gravy if desired. The taste may vary accordingly. I like the soft cubes and thus not fried them.
  • I generally use either cashews or cream. The creaminess from cashews is sufficient in the dish. You can simply skip adding milk or cream mentioned in the recipe.
  • I use only those whole spices readily available in my pantry. You can add few of them for flavor or completely skip them.
  • Use fresh tender spinach or palak leaves in the recipe. If using the larger leaves, discard the stalks to avoid from making your dish bitter.
  • You can even substitute paneer with aloo (potatoes) or koftas.
  • If preparing this for kids, simply skip green chilies and red chile powder.
  • Very versatile dish. Vary the spices to taste. 

Nutrition

Calories: 107kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 144mg | Potassium: 189mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 605IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg