Palak Paneer
PAH-luck puh-NEER — 'Palak' means spinach, 'paneer' the fresh, unaged cheese cubed into it.
₹240
The dish that turns humble spinach into something restaurants build entire vegetarian menus around.
Palak paneer sits at the center of North Indian vegetarian cooking — a way of taking a plain, everyday green and turning it into something rich enough for a special occasion, without ever needing meat to get there. Its popularity outside India, especially as a default 'safe' vegetarian order, has made it one of the most internationally recognized Indian dishes by name alone.
What makes it taste like that
The spinach is blanched hard and fast, then shocked in ice water, which is what keeps the puree a bright, appetizing green instead of the dull, muddy color overcooked spinach turns. Cream softens the dish at the end without masking the greens.
Chef's note
Shock the spinach in ice water the moment it's blanched — even thirty extra seconds in the hot water dulls the color permanently.