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I have heard that the spiciness of Palak paneer is regional, but I don't have any historical or geographical facts to confirm this. So, is there anybody around here that knows if a proper, old-school traditional Palak paneer is hot spicy, medium or mild, and which are the various regional traditions?

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Palak paneer is originally a North Indian dish- what you get in South India has been adapted to local tastes. If you want an absolute answer - it is quite mild compared to other paneer dishes. North Indian dishes have a base gravy made of tomatos and onions with red chilli powder and garam masala - this dish is an exception.

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Hot, medium and mild are very subjective terms, which is why it is difficult to qualify regional variations in India. I have had palak paneer in north India and south India. Generally, this dish is hotter in south India. I am a south Indian, but have lived in north India for most of my life, and would call the north Indian (traditional) variety medium. Again, what I consider medium may be mild for some people, whereas for others it may be hot.

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    I don't see why the subjectiveness of the terms would make it difficult to qualify regional variations, in relative terms. Clearly your experience is that the southern variety is hotter than the northen varitey, and that the northern variety could potentially have been served even milder (while still being spicy). That said, thank you for your answer! Oct 31, 2011 at 19:57
  • @LudvigANorin: Your question didn't just ask about regional variation; it asked how hot it traditionally is - it sounded like you wanted an absolute answer too.
    – Cascabel
    Oct 31, 2011 at 21:23
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Most of the north Indian dishes are mildly spicy. I have tasted palak paneer in some dhabas in north India and each one varied in flavor. But mostly it is a mildly spiced curry!

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