Palak Paneer + Roti

Name: Palak Paneer + Roti
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian (Punjab)
Ingredients: Fresh spinach: 600g; Paneer: 300g, cubed; Onion: 150g; Tomato: 150g; Garlic: 5 cloves; Ginger: 20g; Green chillies: 2; Fresh cream: 60ml; Desi ghee: 3 tbsp; Cumin seeds: 1 tsp; Garam masala: 0.5 tsp; Coriander powder: 1 tsp; Salt: to taste; The ice bath after blanching is essential to keep the saag brilliantly green.; Never overcook spinach after adding it — the colour turns army-green quickly.; Pan-frying paneer before adding creates a light crust that holds shape in the gravy.

🟢 Veg🌾 Gluten-free📊 Easy

Blanched-and-blended spinach gravy, brightened with green chillies and tempered with cream and paneer cubes — a pillars of Punjabi vegetarian cooking, made vibrant green by careful cooking.

⏱️15 minPrep

🔥30 minCook

🕒45 minTotal

🍽️4Serves

🧺 Ingredients

👩‍🍳 How to make Palak Paneer + Roti

Boil water, blanch spinach 2 minutes.
Transfer immediately to ice water to preserve colour.
Blend with green chillies to a smooth purée.
Heat ghee; add cumin.
Add onions; cook until translucent, 5 min.
Add garlic and ginger; cook 2 min.
Add tomatoes; cook until soft, 5 min.
Blend this base smooth.
Add spinach purée to blended base; cook 5 minutes stirring constantly.
Add coriander powder, salt, garam masala.
Stir in cream.
Lightly pan-fry paneer cubes in ghee until golden on two sides.
Add to gravy.
Simmer gently 3 minutes — do not overcook or paneer turns rubbery.

📖 Cultural notes

|---|---|---|---|---| | 380 kcal | 20g | 12g | 28g | 4g | Palak Paneer became a staple of Punjabi cooking partly due to Punjab's rich dairy tradition (fresh paneer) and its wheat-growing agriculture that made iron-rich greens a natural companion. It is a standard feature of Punjabi wedding menus and considered an everyday luxury dish in middle-class homes. ---

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