← Nouns Cooking · Indian

Ingredients

• 400 g fresh spinach, washed, thick stalks removed
• 2 Green chilli, deseeded
• 250 g Paneer, cut into 2 cm cubes
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp ghee or butter
• ½ tsp Cumin seeds
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• 2 cm piece Ginger, finely grated
• 1 Tomato, finely chopped
• 1 tsp Ground coriander
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ¾ tsp Garam masala
• ½ tsp Dried fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) (optional)
• 150 ml Water
• ¾ tsp salt, or to taste
• 3 tbsp Double (heavy) cream (optional)
• 1 tsp lemon juice (optional)

Method

1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Drop in the spinach for 1–2 minutes, just until wilted and bright green, then scoop it into a bowl of iced water. Squeeze out a little water and blend with the green chillies to a smooth purée.
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat and fry the paneer for 3–4 min, turning, until lightly golden. Tip into a bowl of warm water so it stays soft.
3. In a wide pan, heat the remaining oil and the ghee over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds for a few seconds, then the onion, and cook for 6–8 min until soft and golden.
4. Add the garlic and ginger for 1 minute, then the tomato, and cook for 4–5 min until soft. Stir in the ground coriander, cumin and salt.
5. Pour in the spinach purée and the water. Simmer gently for 3–4 min only: longer cooking turns the sauce dull and olive-coloured.
6. Drain the paneer and add it with the garam masala and crushed kasuri methi. Warm for 2 min, then swirl in the cream and a squeeze of lemon. Serve with roti or rice.

Tips

• Iced water after blanching is what keeps the sauce vivid green.
• Firm tofu works instead of paneer; use oil instead of ghee and skip the cream for a vegan version.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Swasthi's Recipes RecipeTin Eats