Palak Paneer(Cottage Cheese In Spinach Gravy)

Traditional dishes like Palak paneer,Matar paneer, Paneer makhni , Paneer tikka have become internationally famous and recipes are available everywhere easily.

Now a days everything is available all around the year and so its easy to prepare spinach dishes in summer too but the really fresh, hand picked spinach leaves are available in the winter months in my city .... kolkata. Winter months, I look forward to cooking various North Indian dishes like sarson ka saag, Makai ki roti, misi roti, mooli ka paratha, gajar ka halwa etc....

In my earlier posts I had written this recipe but with times, I have added and substracted some ingredients and come up with different tastes to the same recipe. All of you who have been following me must have tried the old one  but as my friend, Shilpa wished here it is again.....

Ingredients :

Spinach (palak)...............................................................500 grams

Cottage cheese(Paneer)...................................................100 grams

Tomato, finely chopped....................................................2

Ghee / Oil........................................................................3 tbsp

Brown Cardamom............................................................1

Cloves..............................................................................2

Peppercorns......................................................................4

Onions, chopped...............................................................3

Ginger, roughlychopped.....................................................1/2 inch piece

Garlic,roughly chopped......................................................4-6 flakes

Green Chilly, roughly chopped...........................................2 or as per taste

Dry Fenugreek Leaves (Kasoori Methi).............................1 tbsp

Garam Masala Powder.....................................................3/4 tsp

Red Chilly Powder............................................................1/2 tsp

Mango Powder(Amchur Powder)......................................1/4 tsp

Salt.....................................................................................as per taste

Sugar.................................................................................1/2 tsp

Milk/Water........................................................................1 cup

Method :

Choose a bundle of smaller spinach leaves.

Break the spinach leaves from the stem and wash thoroughly under running water.

Now in a large bowl of boiling water drop the leaves. After 10 minutes drain the hot water and soak the leaves in chilly fridge water to retain the bright green color of the leaves.

Now put in a blender and grind to a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Grind the roughly chopped garlic, ginger, green chilly in a food processor and grind to paste. 

Heat Ghee( Oil if you are health conscious )in a wok/deep pan. Add the brown cardamom, cloves, whole peppercorns and cook till brown.

Add chopped onions and cook till transparent.

Add the ginger, garlic and green chilly pastes. Also add the chopped tomatoes. Stir fry on low heat. 

Add the powdered spices one by one.....garam masala powder, red chilly powder, amchoor powder, salt, sugar and kasoori methi powder. Cook for 5 minutes till all are well blended.

Dry roast the kasoori methi leaves till crisp, cool a little and then rub against your palm to crush to powder.

Add the spinach paste and cook for 5 minutes more.

Then take off the fire and cool. Add 1/2 cup of milk and mix. 

Now put back on low gas flame and mix in the paneer pieces,cut into1"cubes.After 5 minutes ,turn the flame off and transfer to a serving bowl.

Serve with paratha or roti.

Tips :
I prepare Garam Masala with 2 tbsp Coriander seeds,2 tbsp cumin seeds, 1/2 Jaiphal,1 tbsp Javetri,6 green cardamom, 6 cloves,1 inch cinnamon, 4 brown cardamom seeds and 6 peppercorns.
Dry roast on low flame in a griddle and then dry grind to powder. Keep stored in an airtight box.

Palak Paneer