This month, I’m returning to one of my favorite winter comforts: Palak Paneer, made slowly and thoughtfully, and gently spiced with my Kashmiri and Garam masalas.
Growing up in India, my mom made different kinds of greens for us. But this dish was my all-time favorite, and I loved taking it as a packed lunch to school with some rotis (and carrot halwa for dessert!).
It combines aromatics, spices, chopped tomatoes, and pureed spinach with a protein. Add chicken, and the dish is called Palak Chicken. Use paneer, and it’s Palak Paneer. And with chickpeas, it’s the restaurant-favorite Chana Saag—but with so much more flavor!
I love how my Kashmiri Masala adds warmth to the dish, without heat. Instead, soft notes of chili, fennel, and spice deepen the greens rather than overpower them. It gives the dish a quiet richness—a kind of glow. I finish it with just a touch of Garam Masala not for intensity, but for lift—a final layer that wakes everything up and brings the dish together.
It’s simple, nourishing food that feels familiar and new at the same time—exactly what I crave at the start of the year.
Personally, I like a rough chop on the leaves, as it gives the final dish a hearty texture. If you want a fine, smooth feel, puree the leaves after blanching and cooling them.
Like most Indian food, you can make this dish a day or two in advance and then slowly reheat the pot on the stove. (It doesn’t come together the same if heated in the microwave.) With the extra time, the flavors deepen, and the paneer absorbs more flavor, too!
This recipe was originally written up to go in my cookbook, With Love & Masalas, and our recipe testers loved it! But given the versatility of ingredients and how many steps there were to share, it was a bit too complicated to put into the book. I’m so excited to offer it now to my newsletter subscribers. If you have my book, you’ll find a recipe for roti on page
If you make it, please let me know what you think!
