A very easy and tasty recipe of Jain Palak Paneer that is made without onions, garlic, ginger and cream. This smooth, creamy and flavorful spinach gravy or sauce is made with of course fresh spinach, cashews, asafoetida, spices and ghee.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 30 minutes
  • Cook time: 10 minutes
  • Total time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Jain

Ingredients

  • 4 cups spinach (- tightly packed leaves,185 grams (palak))
  • 3.5 cups hot water (- for blanching spinach)
  • 1 green chili (- chopped)
  • 10 to 12 cashews
  • ¼ cup hot water (- for soaking cashews)
  • 2 tablespoons ghee (or oil)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 tej patta ((Indian bay leaf))
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 4 cloves
  • 2 green cardamoms
  • 1 to 2 single strands of mace
  • 1 dry red chili (- seeds removed)
  • 1 generous pinch asafoetida ((hing))
  • ¼ teaspoon dry fenugreek leaves ((kasuri methi))
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ¼ teaspoon red chili powder
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon sugar (or add as required)
  • ½ to ⅔ cup water (or add as required)
  • salt (as required)
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon lemon juice (- optional)
  • 200 grams paneer (- chopped in cubes)
  • ¼ teaspoon garam masala

Method

Blanching and making spinach puree

  1. First soak cashews in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. After the soaking time is complete, drain the water and set soaked cashews aside.
  2. Meanwhile rinse 4 cups tightly packed spinach very well and then drain the excess water.Only take the leaves and tender stems. Do not use the stems if they are stringy or woody.
  3. In a pan heat 3.5 cups water till it starts boiling. Turn off the heat and then add the spinach leaves. Let the spinach leaves blanch in the hot water for 2 minutes.
  4. Then with the help of tongs remove the leaves and place them in a blender or grinder. You can even strain the blanched leaves in a colander/strainer and then add them to the blender or mixer-grinder.
  5. Next add chopped green chilies and the soaked cashews in the grinder or blender.
  6. Grind to a smooth and fine puree without adding any water. There should be no bits of cashews in the puree. Set aside.

Making Jain Palak Paneer

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons ghee or oil in a pan. Keep the heat to a low when adding spices, so that they do not get burnt.
  2. Add cumin seeds and let them crackle.
  3. Then add tej patta, cinnamon, cloves, green cardamoms, single strands of mace, dry red chili and a generous pinch of asafoetida.
  4. Stir and mix well but take care that these spices do not burn. Either keep the heat to low or turn off the heat.
  5. Then add crushed dry fenugreek leaves or kasuri methi. Mix well.
  6. Next add turmeric powder and red chili powder. Mix well.
  7. Now add the prepared spinach and cashew puree mixture. Stir and mix very well.
  8. Season with salt as per taste. Also add ¼ to ½ teaspoon sugar.
  9. Add ½ to ⅔ cup water or add as required. Mix again very well.
  10. On a low to medium heat simmer the gravy for 6 to 7 minutes. Stir at intervals.
  11. Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon lemon juice. ½ teaspoon lemon juice makes the spinach sauce or gravy slightly sour and the tang is felt. Mix well.So you can add according to your taste preferences.
  12. Then add paneer cubes and garam masala powder. if you want you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons cream at this step.
  13. Stir to combine and turn off the heat.
  14. Serve Jain Palak Paneer hot or warm with steamed rice, peas pulao, jeera rice or with chapatis, phulka or naan.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.