Preparation steps 1 Rinse the basmati rice in cold water until the water runs clear. 2 Leave the rice to soak for 20 min in plenty of cold water. 3 Wash the spinach thoroughly. 4 Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. 5 Plunge the spinach into the boiling water for 2 min. 6 Drain the spinach. 7 Immediately plunge the spinach into a bowl of iced water to set its green colour. 8 Drain the spinach, pressing it lightly. 9 Remove the stalk from the chilli. 10 Blend the spinach and the chilli into a smooth purée with a splash of cold water. 11 Cut the paneer into 2 cm cubes. 12 Heat half the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. 13 Brown the paneer cubes for 3 to 4 min, turning them. 14 Drop the browned paneer into a bowl of warm salted water to keep it soft. 15 Finely slice the onion. 16 Mince the garlic. 17 Grate the ginger. 18 Finely chop the tomatoes. 19 Heat the rest of the oil with the butter in a sauté pan. 20 Let the cumin sizzle for 30 seconds. 21 Add the onion and cook for 8 min over medium heat until golden. 22 Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 min, stirring. 23 Add the tomatoes and cook for 6 min until they break down and the fat glistens on the surface. 24 Stir in the garam masala and salt. 25 Pour in the spinach purée and simmer for 5 min over low heat, uncovered. 26 Meanwhile, bring a pan of salted water to the boil for the rice. 27 Drain the soaked rice. 28 Cook the rice for 9 min at a gentle boil. 29 Drain the rice. 30 Leave the rice to rest, covered, for 5 min. 31 Drain the paneer and add it to the sauce. 32 Stir in the cream and heat through for 2 min. 33 Squeeze the lemon over the palak paneer. 34 Serve the palak paneer with the basmati rice. 