Palak Paneer- Spinach with cottage cheese

Paneer is something I have taken an interest recently. I guess it's also because of the soft paneer we get to buy these days from the mall next to our  place. I am even planning to start making myself. We have cut down milk in tea and seldom have curd so paneer is the only form of milk I consume these days and it's an exclusive component I get to make when we have guests or on a weekend we decide not to have meat . 

Now when it comes to spinach I have comes across three kinds of spinach. The first one is red or green and consumed a lot in the South. The second one is palak which my hubby hates because it tastes muddy at times. The third one is a palak again minus the mud feeling. And that's the one I used for palak paneer these days. 

 

I get them from Total mall but there are times I don't find them so I stick to making a paneer butter masala. I love the combination of the palak I use so much I would rather not waste my paneer on any other spinach. This spinach I am talking off is the one ideal for lasagne , pasta and sandwiches. Now having blabbered  a lot on palak let me get back to the recipe. This is the simplest recipe I have ever come across. I am also trying to cook  North Indian food the way the North Indians would. I don't over spice or break the traditional rules to appropriate my dishes to the style we Keralites cook. And in fact I have started cooking rajma, arbi and alu baingan without onion and garlic. Initially though this felt weird to us who dumped garam masala into everything we have become accustomed to this style and it comes in handy when you are in no mood to cut and chop garlic or onions.

Ingredients for Palak Paneer

Paneer- 200g

Palak- 3 bunches

Garlic- 4-5 pods

Cumin seeds- 1 tsp

Green chillies - 3-4

Ginger- 1 inch piece.

Cream- 50ml

Salt- to taste.

Turmeric powder- a pinch

Directions

Puree the spinach. I add the ginger when I puree. In a pan heat some oil, I use mustard oil for North Indian dishes these days but any oil would do. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Saute the green chillies and garlic followed by the turmeric powder. 

 

Now add the pureed paneer and saute for ten minutes before adding the purred spinach.

 Let the curry simmer for fifteen minutes and then add some fresh cream before taking the curry off the fire. Serve with rice or rotis. These days I make rolls, wraps or sandwiches with Indian dishes modifying them with some seasonings. Will share some of these fusion dishes soon. Till then stay tuned for more from Oonu ready.