Spinach Leaves, known as palak in most UAE kitchens, are the backbone of classic dishes like palak paneer, dal palak and simple garlic-sautéed saag, prized for their mild, slightly earthy flavour that takes on spices and cream easily. Fresh leaves should look a deep, even green with no yellowing at the edges or a slimy feel to the stems, both signs that the batch has been sitting too long since harvest. Spinach loses volume dramatically once it hits a hot pan, often reducing to a fraction of its raw bulk within a couple of minutes, simply because the leaves are almost entirely water and collapse as that water cooks off, so a recipe that looks like too much raw spinach usually turns out to be just the right amount cooked.

For palak paneer specifically, a quick blanch in boiling water for a minute followed by an ice bath helps the leaves keep their bright green colour instead of turning a dull olive when blended into the gravy. To store spinach at home, wash it, pat it dry thoroughly, and wrap it loosely in a paper towel before refrigerating in a perforated bag, which keeps it from wilting for several extra days. Cooking spinach does reduce certain heat-sensitive nutrients somewhat, though it also makes others easier for the body to absorb.

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