Kashmiri Palak Paneer

Ingredients

• Baby spinach - 1 whole
• Paneer (cottage cheese) - 500 g
• Cinnamon stick - 2 whole
• Garlic - 4 clove
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Kashmiri red chili powder - 2 tsp
• Dry ginger powder - 1 tsp
• Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
• Black pepper powder - 1 tsp
• Roasted cumin seed powder - 1 tsp
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Salt, to taste
• Water

Instructions

1. 1Bring a large pot of water to a boil, season it with a little salt, and add the baby spinach to blanch until wilted.
2. 2Drain the spinach and plunge it into a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking; squeeze out as much liquid as you can and roughly chop the leaves.
3. 3Cut the paneer into rectangular cubes.
4. 4Heat a little oil in a wide skillet and fry the paneer cubes until they are golden brown on the edges; transfer them to a bowl of cold water to keep them soft while you finish the spinach.
5. 5Heat 2 tbsp of oil in the same skillet, add the cinnamon sticks and the garlic (roughly chopped), and sauté until the garlic is fragrant and starting to color.
6. 6Add the chopped spinach to the pan and sauté briefly, then stir in the turmeric and Kashmiri red chili powder and continue to cook until the spices lose their raw aroma.
7. 7Add the roasted cumin seed powder, dry ginger powder, cardamom powder, and black pepper powder, and stir to combine so the spices coat the spinach.
8. 8Drain the water from the soaked paneer, add the cubes to the pan, season with salt, mix gently, and sauté for 2-3 minutes so the paneer picks up the flavors.
9. 9Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the palak paneer to a serving dish.
10. 10Serve warm with roti. Optional: finish with a drizzle of ghee or a squeeze of lemon for brightness.