Palak Paneer with Toasted Cumin and Ginger

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Blanch the spinach for 90 seconds until vivid green, then plunge into ice water to lock in the colour.

Squeeze the spinach dry and blend to a coarse purée with the green chili and 2 tbsp water. Set aside.

Pat the paneer cubes dry. Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and sear the paneer 2 minutes per side until golden. Transfer to warm salted water to keep tender.

In the same pan, melt the remaining ghee over medium heat. Add the finely diced onion and cook 6-8 minutes until soft and translucent.

Stir in ginger-garlic paste and cook 60 seconds. Add ground coriander and turmeric; toast 30 seconds.

Add the chopped tomato and 1/2 tsp salt. Cook 5 minutes, mashing, until it breaks down into a thick paste and the oil separates.

Lower heat and stir in the spinach purée with 1/4 cup water. Simmer gently 5 minutes: do not boil hard or the colour will dull.

Fold in the seared paneer, cream, and garam masala. Warm through 2 minutes.

For the tempering, heat 1 tbsp ghee in a small pan until shimmering. Add cumin seeds and a dried red chili; when they sizzle and darken (about 20 seconds), pour the tempering over the curry. Serve immediately.