Palak Paneer

Indian cottage cheese in a smooth creamy delicious spinach gravy, Palak Paneer is an all time popular North Indian gravy served along roti, paratha, naan, jeera rice etc. It is very easy to prepare and tastes awesome and enjoyed by everyone.

INGREDIENTS:

• 250 gms palak or spinach leaves, blanched
• 2 green chillies
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 inch ginger
• 1 medium onion, pureed
• 1 medium tomato, blanched and pureed
• 1/2 tsp jeera
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
• 200 gms paneer or cottage cheese, cubed
• 1 tbsp fresh cream
• 2 tbsp oil or ghee
• 1 tsp kasoori methi
• Salt as required

METHOD:

1. In a mixer jar add blanched spinach leaves, green chillies, garlic and ginger. Grind into a smooth paste by adding required amount of water. Keep aside.
2. In a pan or kadai, heat oil or ghee.
3. Add jeera and let it splutter.
4. Add onion paste and saute it on a medium flame until the raw smell is gone.
5. Add tomato puree and saute it until the raw smell disappears. 
6. Now add ground spinach paste and saute it on a medium flame.
7. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and garam masala powder and mix well. Add little water and adjust consistency of the gravy.
8. Add required amount of salt and let the gravy cook until raw flavours are gone.
9. Now add kasuri methi and fresh cream to the gravy and mix well. Switch off the flame.
10. Meanwhile heat ghee on a tawa and fry the paneer cubes on both sides until light golden brown.
11. Put the fried paneer cubes into the gravy before serving.
12. Serve the gravy with any Indian breads or flavoured rice.