Note: Original from Aarti Sequieira at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aarti-sequeira/saag-paneer-spinach-with-indian-cheese-recipe.html
Ingredients
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper (a bit more if you like it spicier)
1 tsp Kosher salt
3 Tbps vegetable oil
12-14 ounces paneer, cut into 1/2" cubes
2 (16-oz) bags of frozen chopped spinach (ratio is 2x spinach as paneer). (OK to thaw in fridge overnight before making the Palak Paneer the next day, to save the microwaving step)
Optional additional 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil, if needed
1 medium white onion,
1" thumb fresh ginger, peeled and minced/grated (about 1 Tblsp), or 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
4 cloves garlic, peeled, and then minced or pressed
1 large green serrano chile, finely chopped (seeds removed to reduce heat)
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Additional salt to taste
1/2 cup of plain yogurt (Dahi or Greek)
Instructions
1. In a bowl, whisk together the first 4 ingredients to make a marinade for the paneer.
2. Cut paneer into 1/2" cubes . Separate the cubes and gently toss into the marinade to cover all sides of each cube. Allow to marinate while preparing the rest of the dish. Be careful not to break the cubes of cheese. Set aside.
3. If you didn't already the thaw the spinach overnight, thaw spinach in a large microwave-safe bowl, 5-8 minutes on High in the microwave. Stir every 2 minutes to break up clumps. Use a potato masher to remove as much water as possible, but SAVE THE GREEN WATER to use later. Puree the spinach with an immersion blender or food processor. Set aside.
4. In a large skillet over Medium heat, add the marinated paneer as the pan warms. In a couple of minutes, toss. Each piece of paneer should be browned on at least one side. Fry another minute or so, and then remove the paneer from the pan into the original bowl where it had marinated.
5. Depending on how much oil is left after you removed the paneer, you can add the remaining 1.5 Tbps. vegetable oil to the pan. (Might not be needed.) Saute' the onions, grated ginger, minced garlic, and serrano chile until everything is evenly toffee-colored, at least 10 minutes but ideally 15 minutes. DON'T SKIP THIS STEP; it's critical to getting all of the flavors to meld and the final dish to really taste right. Add a few tablespoons of green water if the mixture seems too dry.
6. Add garam masala, coriander, and cumin. Add some of the saved green water if needed to prevent the mixture from burning. Cook, stirring often, until the raw scent of the spices cooks out, about 3-5 minutes.
7. Add spinach and stir well, incorporating the spiced aromatics mixture evenly into the spinach. Add salt and 1/2 cup more of the green water. Stir and cook ~5 minutes without the lid.
8. Turn the heat off and remove the pan from any hot surface. Add the yogurt, a little at a time to keep it from curdling. Once the yogurt is well-mixed into the spinach, gently fold in the paneer cubes. Turn the heat back on Medium, cover, and cook until everything is warmed through, about 5 minutes.
9. Serve with basmati rice or naan.
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