Kale Paneer

Kale Paneer

One thing about moving back to California that has been really amazing is living close to my family again. I grew up in San Diego, and my parents, my oldest brother, my sister-in-law, and my niece (along with aunts and uncles and cousins) still live there. My youngest brother, as well as aunts and uncles and cousins, live here in the Bay Area. So I get to see family a lot more often than I did when I was entrenched in the snow on the other side of the country. About a month ago, my youngest brother graduated from college, and a mess of family drove up to celebrate. We had a weekend full of laughter and, as always when Kriers are involved, great food. Including this home cooked Indian food dinner on Saturday night.

I posted photos from this meal the day after and got more requests for the kale paneer recipe than I think I’ve ever received before. So I feel like kind of an ass for taking so long to share it, but life, it does get in the way.

We decided to use kale instead of the more traditional spinach in saag paneer because of our morning trip to the farmer’s market. I was eager to bring the family to the Grand Lake Farmer’s Market in our neighborhood, because it’s so lively and fun, and I remember going to the market in February and being blown away by the beautiful winter produce. My niece has a book about the farmer’s market, and one of the foods mentioned in this book is kale, which, in her three years on this earth she had yet to eat. She was very excited about the kale, and we knew we had to incorporate it into our meal, so kale paneer was born.

Eli and Papa

My niece Eliana stood on a chair next to the counter while I cleaned the kale. She carefully tucked her hands behind her back while I chopped it onto thin green ribbons. Her papa snagged her a small bite of raw kale to taste, which she chewed on for a minute before she decided she was done with kale, jumped down from the chair, and ran into the living room to watch some more Yo Gabba Gabba. I’m not sure she tasted the finished dish, but I’m glad she got to have her first kale experience with us in Oakland, even if memories of dancing to music at the market long outlast anything related to the kale.

Kale Paneer and Chicken Makhani

Kale Paneer

Adapted from Serious Eats
There was only one option for paneer in our market, and I didn’t want to buy multiple packages, so I didn’t use a full 16 ounces. Use however much you prefer, and just add more butter or oil to adjust. I also used a hot curry powder, because it’s what I had on hand. The heat of the curry powder and amount of chiles you add can easily be adjusted for taste.

  • about 6 cups of chopped kale
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 2 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1/2 medium onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 inch piece of ginger, minced
  • 1 small green chile, minced (you can use more depending on your spice preference; this was pretty mild)
  • 1 teaspoon hot curry powder (again, use to your taste)
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
  • 12-16 ounces fresh paneer
  • salt to taste
  • chopped cilantro (optional)

Heat a tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the kale in bunches and saute until it wilts completely. You can splash some water on it to aid the wilting process. Set the kale aside.

Add one tablespoon of the butter and another tablespoon of the oil to the skillet. When it’s hot, add the onion, ginger, garlic, and chiles. Saute until the onions are soft, then stir in the curry and cumin. Add the cooked kale back to the pan and saute until the kale is heated through.

Transfer the kale mixture to a food processor or blender, and stir in the yogurt. Blend until the mixture is as smooth as you prefer.

Cut the paneer into half-inch cubes. Heat the remaining butter and oil in the skillet, and once it’s hot, add the paneer. Cook until the paneer is browned, flipping the pieces occasionally. Once the paneer is gently browned and warm through, stir the kale mixture back into the skillet. Season to taste with salt, and stir in cilantro if you like it.

Serve with rice or naan.

Kale Panner

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