Palak paneer

Palak paneer is a spinach based gravy with paneer ( cottage cheese ) cubes.

Ingredients :

Spinach : 2 bunches 

Paneer : 250 - 300 gms

Oil : 2 - 3 tblsp 

Cumin : 1 tsp

Onion : 1 big

Tomato : 1 big 

Indian garlic : 8 cloves 

Ginger : 1/2 inch piece 

Green chili : 1 or 2 depending on the spice

Coriander : handful 

Cashew nuts : 8

Milk : 1/2 cup

Water : 1 cup

Kasuri methi : 1 tsp

Salt : to taste 

Sweetener : a hint

Butter : 1 tsp (optional)

Parmesan cheese (grated) : 1 tsp (optional)

Procedure :

Separate the spinach leaves from the roots, discard the weeds if any, and wash the leaves thoroughly. Also make sure that the paneer is at room temperature so that you can cut it easily. 

Take a saucepan, heat oil, add cumin seeds, chopped onions and sauté them until they are translucent. 

Then add chopped tomatoes and sauté further over a medium flame until they are soft.

After they become soft take half of the sautéed onion and tomato mixture and keep it aside. To the remaining half in the pan add chopped green chili, ginger, garlic, tender coriander stems and cashew nuts and sauté them for another minute. 

Then add in some of the spinach leaves and mix it along with the sautéed ingredients so that they get wilted and you get space in the pot.

Finally put all the leaves and keep it covered for half a minute over a low flame.

After half a minute give it a stir so that the leaves are flipped and those on top are now at the bottom. Switch the flame off and keep it covered for another half minute. (You can also blanch the spinach in hot and cold water if you wish)

Then transfer the spinach along with other ingredients into a mixture jar, add half a cup chilled milk and grind it to make a smooth paste. 

Now transfer the paste back into the pot, add some water into the jar to get the remaining paste out and put it into the pot. Also add the reserved sautéed onion-tomato, powdered kasuri methi, and bring it to a boil. You may have to keep stirring so that it doesn't stick to the bottom and it doesn't splatter. 

Mean while cut the paneer into pieces, sprinkle with salt and keep aside. 

After the boil, lower the flame, add the paneer pieces, chopped coriander leaves and give it a mix.

Add salt and sweetener to taste. You may add in some butter or grate some parmesan cheese over it to intensify the flavour.

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