This palak paneer recipe takes the simple-is-best approach: Frozen spinach leaves blended with hot water, paneer pan-fried in ghee, and very few add-ins to get in the way. If you’re looking to make a home-cooked version of the North Indian restaurant-style classic for the first time, this is a great place to start.
The technique that makes this version so special is crisping the paneer cubes before adding them to the puréed spinach, giving them a caramelized golden-brown crust, with a soft interior texture that holds up well in the cooked spinach. To get the crispiest paneer, look for the more common store-bought paneer brands, like Gopi or Nanak (most well-stocked grocery stores or South Asian markets will carry at least one). Higher-end and homemade paneers tend to crumble when you sauté them, so they aren’t recommended here.
Wondering how this dish differs from saag paneer? Saag can refer to any leafy green—think mustard greens, fresh spinach, turnip greens, or a mixture. Palak translates to “spinach” in Hindi, so you know exactly what you’re getting. Simply: All palak paneer is saag paneer, but not all saag paneer is palak paneer. Here I rely on frozen spinach for ease. Don’t be tempted to swap in fresh mature or baby spinach, which must be blanched and chopped before starting the recipe. Serve with a pot of basmati rice or with roti, chapati, or naan.