Palak Paneer

This is not a dish we usually order at the restaurant unless my husband's foreign clients are joining us. It is a mild dish  celebrating spinach and Indian cheese.

I had never made this at home (as it was 'too mild') but when a friend asked for this recipe, I did some research on the web and talked to 2-3 people. Each recipe was different from the other.

One recipe involved raw onion, garlic, green chilli and ginger ground and then fried. Another one said  grind onion and garlic together, tomato and ginger together and grind the blanched spinach with chilli. And one I vetoed as it had garam masala, which I thought was against the mild taste. 

Finally I settled for a recipe given to me by Mrs.Rani Sethi. And we loved it.

Easy on the taste buds and having a rich flavour.

Palak - 2 bunches

Paneer - 200 gms

Ghee - 2 tbsp + 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp

Jeera - 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp

Onion - 1 medium

Ginger - 2 inch + 1 inch

Garlic - 10 small pods

Green chilli - 4 + 3 

Tomato - 4 large

Milk - 1/2 cup

Salt

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp + 1/2 tsp

Kasuri methi - 1/2 tsp

Clean the spinach bunch 2-3 times and remove all the grasses and grime.

Put it into a cooker without any water.

Add 4 green chilli and 2 inches of ginger to it.

Put on the weight and cook for 2 whistles. Turn off flame. No need to reduce flame and cook.

Chop the onion, garlic, rest of the ginger and green chilli.

Heat 2 tbsp of ghee. Splutter 1 tsp jeera and add the chopped ginger, garlic, green chilli and onion.

Cube the paneer and keep immersed in milk.

Once the onion turns pink add the salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder and 1/2 tsp chilli powder. 

Sauté for 1/2 minute and add the chopped tomatoes.

Sauté till tomato becomes mushy.

Grind this onion tomato mix.

Heat 2 tbsp of ghee and fry the purée on low flame covered for 15 minutes.

Purée the spinach with the green chilli and ginger.

Add this purée to the tomato gravy.

Mix well and add the paneer and the milk.

Add crushed Kasuri methi to this.

Mix well. Boil. Simmer. Cook covered for 10 minutes.

Heat 1 tbsp ghee and splutter 1/2 tsp jeera in it.

 Turn off flame and add 1/2 tsp chilli powder to this.

Add this tadka to the palak paneer.

Serve palak paneer with rice or chapathy.