Palak paneer also referred to as Saag paneer is the most relished dish in almost every Indian household. A tasty and delightful dish prepared with leafy green spinach, mild spices and Indian cottage cheese – intensely flavorful, loaded with nutrients and the delicious ingredients will set your taste buds tingling!
Loaded with good stuff!
This combo together takes care of your dietary needs – where spinach takes care of
iron, vitamin A, C, K, magnesium and many more nutrients.
On the other hand, paneer fills the dish with calcium and protein. Spinach and Paneer both complement each other flawlessly.
Now onto the recipe!
I begin the recipe by blanching palak/spinach in hot water. Later tossed in a blender to make a puree. To save some time – you can use frozen spinach instead of the fresh one. Because it is a no onion no garlic dish, I have used cabbage paste +coconut paste + homemade tomato puree + cashew paste as a base for my gravy. Saute and cook everything together until oil starts to separate. Do not overcook spinach/palak, as it may result in the change of color which may not look appetizing at all.
Mix in grilled paneer, adjust spices and take it off the flame. Just before serving, pour in the final tempering. As per taste, add cream to the final dish.
Add smoky flavor to No onion no garlic Palak Paneer!
If you would like to give this dish a smoky effect, then follow the step by step dhungar method below. A piece of burning charcoal is placed in a bowl, and ghee is poured on top of hot charcoal to create smoke. The bowl is then placed over palak paneer and is covered so that the smoky flavor is trapped and soaked up by the dish. The result is an intensely flavored scrumptious palak paneer!
Pair it with homemade tandoori roti or kulchas and malai kofta for a perfect restaurant-style dinner – but without onion and garlic. 🙂 While you are here, check out other No-onion-no-garlic recipes. For other lip-smacking recipes check out my friend’s blog! If you happen to make this recipe, then share your comments below. If you have any questions, I would be happy to answer them.
