Palak Paneer with Toasted Cumin and Ginger

Ingredients

• 500 g fresh spinach
• 350 g paneer, cubed
• 3 tbsp ghee
• 1 cup yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
• 1 unit green chili
• 1 cup tomato, chopped
• 1,5 tsp ground coriander
• 0,5 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 0,25 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 unit dried red chili

Instructions

1. 1

   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.

2. 2

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

3. 3

   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.

4. 4

   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.

5. 5

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

6. 6

   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.

7. 7

   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.

8. 8

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

9. 9

   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.