Easy stir fry made with paneer (Indian cottage cheese) and spinach. It comes together in less than 30 minutes and makes a wholesome dish.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes
  • Total time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Side Dish
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon oil (15 ml)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon hing
  • 1 small red onion (finely chopped)
  • 3-4 large garlic cloves (finely chopped)
  • 1 green chili (finely chopped, adjust to taste)
  • 8-10 curry leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (divided)
  • 6 oz paneer (170 grams, chopped into very small cubes)
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
  • 2-3 tablespoons water (30-45 ml)
  • 6 oz spinach (170 grams, finely chopped)
  • 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (crushed)

Method

  1. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Add hing and sauté few seconds.
  2. Then add chopped onion, garlic, green chili and curry leaves. Also add 1/4 teaspoon of salt here (this helps in cooking the onions faster). Stir and cook for 3 minutes until the onions soften and become translucent. Add finely chopped paneer (you can cut paneer in whatever way you like, I like to cut them really small for this recipe).
  3. Then add 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, 1/4 teaspoon garam masala and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water and cook the spices for 1 minute.
  4. Now add all of the finely chopped spinach into the pan. Stir to combine, the spinach will begin to wilt. Once mixed, cover the pan with a lid, set the heat to low-medium and cook for around 4 minutes.
  5. Remove lid, most of the water must have dried by now. If you prefer the stir-fry to be super dry, you can cook it for few more minutes. I like it to be little bit moist. Add crushed kasuri methi, stir and turn off heat.
  6. Serve with rotis or with rice and dal.

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.