Kale Paneer Curry (Half Kale, Half Spinach)
Palak paneer with equal parts kale and spinach, pan-fried paneer, and a bright green gravy. No heavy cream.
Equipment
- Heavy-bottomed pan or kadhai Indian wok
- Blender or immersion blender
- Large pot for blanching
- Bowl of ice water
Ingredients
For the greens
- 150 g destemmed kale curly or lacinato, roughly chopped
- 150 g fresh spinach thoroughly washed
- 1-2 green chilies to taste
- pinch salt for the blanching water
For the masala
- 2 tablespoons oil or ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 medium onion roughly chopped
- 4-5 cloves garlic
- 1 inch fresh ginger
- 2 medium tomatoes roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- salt to taste
For the paneer
- 250 g paneer cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon oil or ghee for pan-frying
Optional
- 2 tablespoons cashew paste or 3 tablespoons whole-milk yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon kasuri methi crushed
- 1 lemon wedge to finish
- fresh cream for garnish, optional
Instructions
Blanch the greens
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add a generous pinch of salt.
- Add the destemmed kale. Blanch for 1 minute.
- Add the spinach. Blanch both together for 2 more minutes. Kale should be a shade darker and no longer raw-tasting. Spinach should be just wilted.
- Drain and plunge into ice water for 2 minutes.
- Drain again. Squeeze out as much water as you can. Set aside.
Blend the greens
- Add the squeezed greens, green chili, and 2 to 3 tablespoons of fresh water to a blender.
- Blend until mostly smooth, with tiny green flecks left. You want body, not threads. If you still see kale ribs, destem more next time and blend 15 seconds longer.
Build the masala
- Heat oil or ghee in a heavy pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 30 seconds.
- Add onion. Cook 7 to 8 minutes, stirring, until golden and soft.
- Add ginger and garlic. Cook 1 to 2 minutes until the raw smell goes.
- Add tomatoes, turmeric, coriander powder, and cumin powder. Cook 5 to 6 minutes until the tomatoes break down and the oil starts to separate.
- Cool slightly, blend smooth, and return to the pan.
Bring it together
- Over medium-low heat, stir the green puree into the masala.
- Add cashew paste or yogurt if using. Simmer 4 to 5 minutes. Taste for salt. Keep the flame low so the color stays green.
- Meanwhile, pan-fry paneer cubes in a little ghee until golden on two sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side.
- Add paneer to the gravy. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes, just to warm through.
- Finish with garam masala and crushed kasuri methi. A squeeze of lemon if the kale still tastes sharp. Turn off the heat.
Notes
Destem kale fully. Thick ribs stay fibrous after blending.
Blanch kale 1 minute, then spinach 2 minutes. Ice bath both. Same color trick as palak paneer.
Store-bought paneer: soak cubes in warm salted water for 10 minutes so they stay soft.
Frozen kale: thaw, squeeze dry, skip the kale-only blanch. Still blanch and ice-bath fresh spinach.
All kale is possible, but the puree is less silky. Blanch 3 full minutes and blend longer.
Vegan: firm pressed tofu, pan-fried, and oil instead of ghee. Cashew paste for body.
Dairy-free creaminess: coconut milk (1/4 cup) instead of yogurt or cashew. It reads more fusion than palak paneer.
Jain: skip onion and garlic. Bloom a pinch of hing in the ghee with the cumin, and add extra ginger.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freeze the gravy without paneer for up to 1 month.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!