This spinach and paneer curry is a twist on the classic palak paneer dish
Paneer is a type of fresh, unsalted cheese, commonly eaten in the Indian subcontinent. It has a fresh taste, a lovely crumbly soft texture and absorbs flavours very well, so is perfect for adding to curries. Paneer curries are often popular vegetarian dishes in Indian restaurants. Palak paneer is a traditional and well-known Indian dish, consisting of paneer served in a thick pureed spinach sauce. This paneer and spinach curry is a twist on the classic dish. The spinach is not pureed, and the sauce is made from coconut milk. The sweet coconut balances perfectly with tangy, slightly sour tamarind.
Buy paneer or make your own
Paneer is available in most supermarkets or delis. If you can’t find it though, it is easy to make at home. Quite simply, you curdle the milk with lemon juice, strain the curds from the whey, and then press the curds to shape. You can then cut it up and cook it as desired.
Don’t forget to finish your spinach and paneer curry with a flavourful tempering
The tempering or ‘tadka’ is a very important step in this paneer and spinach curry. In Indian cooking, tempering is a traditional method of frying whole or ground spices in oil and then adding them to a dish. You can do this either at the beginning or at the end of the cooking process, or at both stages. It is essential for developing flavour in a dish. When cooking curries, you usually add the tempering at the beginning. For daals, rasams or sambars, you typically add it at the end. For this spinach and paneer curry, the addition of the mustard seed, cumin seed and curry leaf tempering really brings the flavours together and finishes the dish off beautifully. Serve your curry with some freshly made whole wheat naan bread with garlic butter or some brown rice.
Paneer and Spinach Curry in Coconut Tamarind Sauce
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Ingredients
- CURRY:
- 2 ½ tbsp. coconut oil or ghee
- 300g paneer cheese, cut into 1.5-2cm cubes (for vegans, use tofu)
- 1 tsp. black mustard seeds
- 1 tsp. cumin seeds
- 8 fresh curry leaves
- 1 tbsp. ginger, finely diced
- 2 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
- 2 medium onions, sliced in half and into rings
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 medium tomatoes (approx. 300g), diced
- ½ tsp. turmeric
- 1 tbsp. tamarind paste
- 1 tsp. red chili powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 200ml coconut milk
- 200ml water
- 200g deveined Swiss chard or spinach, washed and roughly chopped
- TEMPERING:
- ½ tbsp. coconut oil or ghee
- ¼ tsp. mustard seeds
- ¼ tsp. cumin seeds
- 10 fresh curry leaves
- Whole-wheat naan bread or brown rice to serve
Instructions
CURRY:
- Add 1 tbsp. coconut oil to a large deep frying pan with a lid, and place on a medium heat.
- Fry the paneer till golden on all sides. Flip it over gently with a small palette knife or fork. Be gentle as it breaks easily. Remove, sprinkle with a little salt, and set aside.
- Add an additional 1 ½ tbsps. coconut oil to the pan and return to a medium heat.
- Add the mustard seeds and cover with a lid. Once they start to pop and crackle, quickly add the cumin seeds and curry leaves and replace the lid. Fry for 5-10 seconds shaking the pan to stir.
- Add the ginger and green chillies, and fry for 20-30 seconds, stirring often.
- Add the onions and garlic and turn the heat to low-medium. Sweat the onions till completely soft and slightly golden, stirring occasionally. This will take about 15-20 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and cook till they have broken down and are slightly jammy. This will take about 10-15 minutes.
- Add the turmeric, tamarind, chilli powder, salt and freshly ground black pepper, stir through and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk and water, bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer. Allow to cook till the liquid has reduced and the curry is a saucey consistency. This will take about 15 minutes. Taste the sauce and season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and more chilli powder, if needed.
- Stir through the Swiss chard and cook till wilted and soft, for about 2-3 minutes. Stir through the fried paneer. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
TEMPERING:
- Heat the coconut oil in a small pot with a lid.
- Add the mustard seeds and when they start to pop and crackle, quickly add the cumin and curry leaves. Fry for 5-10 seconds, shaking the pot to stir them. Remove from the heat and immediately pour over the curry.
- Serve the curry hot with whole-wheat naan breads or brown rice.
