Indian · Authentic-ish Indian
Palak Paneer
501 kcal a serving, against 707 for the traditional version. That is 206 kcal off, or 29%, with 38.8g of protein. Serves 4. 45 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Cubes of paneer cheese deep-fried until blistered, then stirred into a thick puree of boiled spinach that has been heavily enriched with ghee and finished with a massive pour of double cream.
What changed, and what each change costs
60g of ghee and 150g of double cream for 15g of ghee and 150g of fat-free Greek yoghurt
Ghee and cream are calorie bulldozers. They flatten the subtle, metallic tang of the spinach and leave a greasy film on your palate. Fat-free Greek yoghurt stirred in right at the end gives you the exact same creamy visual appeal and a massive hit of dairy protein, but lets the spices actually speak.
What it costs you. You lose that ultra-rich, buttery mouthfeel that coats your tongue. The sauce feels a bit lighter and distinctly sharper, which might shock you if you're used to the takeaway version.
Deep-frying the paneer for a hard blast under a blazing hot grill
Paneer acts like a kitchen sponge in a deep-fat fryer, soaking up oil it frankly doesn't need. Tossing the cheese in a tiny bit of oil and grilling it hard gets you those brilliant blackened edges and a chewy texture without the staggering fat penalty.
What it costs you. Call it a solid cheese with serious chew rather than a melt-in-the-mouth experience anymore and you'll be about right. Grilled paneer has a slightly firmer, drier bite than the oil-soaked original.
Boiling the spinach for a quick wilt in a dry pan
Most restaurants boil spinach to death before blending it, which destroys the colour and leeches all the flavour into the cooking water. Wilting it fast in its own steam locks the vibrant green right in and keeps the earthy taste intact.
What it costs you. The sauce has a slightly rougher texture because the leaves retain more of their structure. You'll need to spend a few more seconds blending it to get it smooth.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 707 | 501 |
| Protein | 36.1g | 38.8g |
| Fat | 57.4g | 32.7g |
| Saturated fat | 35.2g | 19.8g |
| Carbohydrate | 16.2g | 16.4g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 5.1g | 7.8g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Indian prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. milk.
The method is in the book
This is a brilliant way to eat a mountain of greens. The heavy dairy fat is gone, leaving behind a sharp, deeply savoury spinach sauce that actually tastes of fresh vegetables. You'll get a massive pile of chewy, charred cheese in every bowl, backed up by a solid protein hit from the Greek yoghurt. It takes a bit of work at the blender, but the payoff is a wildly colourful dinner.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Indian, along with 54 more. Buy the paperback