Palak Paneer
Palak Paneer (cottage cheese in spiced pureed spinach)
Such a nutritious dish and so simple to prepare. A great source of iron and protein for vegetarians! It is a family favourite and we have it every other week accompanied with either rice or some form of Indian bread.
For a vegan alternative, you can use hard tofu and oil instead of ghee.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10-15 minutes
Serving size: 4 (side dish)
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
250g paneer, cubed
4 handfuls of spinach leaves (I use 2x80g packets washed spinach leaves)
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1 tomato, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon ginger, grated
1 teaspoon garlic, grated
3 green chillies, chopped
2 pinches of garam masala
1 tablespoon ghee or oil
1 tablespoon oil (for paneer)
salt to taste
Method
Paneer
Heat a medium-sized pan on medium heat
Grease the pan with oil, and shallow fry the cubed paneer for one minute on each side (make sure each side is coated evenly in oil to avoid sticking to the pan)
Keep aside till ready to serve with palak gravy
Palak (spinach) gravy
Heat the ghee/oil in a wok or medium-sized pan
Add cumin seeds. When they start to crackle add the chopped onion
Saute for 2-3 minutes, till the onions are soft. Add the ginger, garlic, turmeric and green chilli and saute for an additional minute
Add the tomatoes. Cover the pan for 3-5 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft
Add all the spinach leaves and cover until the leaves have wilted
Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Once cooled, blend (you can use a blender or immersion stick) until it becomes a smooth puree
note: you may need to add a few tablespoons of water to blend to a smooth consistency
Place the mixture back into the saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in the garam masala and salt to taste.
Add the paneer pieces and serve hot