Palak Paneer (Spinach with Cottage Cheese Cubes)

Ingredients

200 g paneer (bought from an Indian sweet shop)
    or
To make paneer:
3/4 litre milk
lemon juice or vinegar
salt

1 green chilli, chopped
1 onion, grated
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 tomatoes, pureed
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
oil
250 g fresh spinach, washed thoroughly, stalks removed
1 tsp chopped fresh ginger for garnish
little butter
little cream for garnish (optional)

Method

If you have not bought the paneer then make it at home as follows: Bring milk to a boil. Add lemon juice or vinegar. Add salt. Boil for 5 minutes. Milk will curdle. Milk solids (cottage cheeese or paneer) will float over the whey. Using a fine strainer, drain the whey. Put the cottage cheese in a muslin cloth, squeeze out excess liquid and put a heavy weight over it. Leave for 1-2 hrs till a solid cheese block is formed. Cut this into cottage cheese cubes.

Cook spinach in an open pan with chillis and a little salt till it wilts. Do not cover spinach at all to retain it's bright green colour. Cool and puree in a blender.

Heat oil in a pan. Saute onions till brown. Add ginger garlic paste and fry. Add cumin and coriander powder and fry. Add a little water and fry till water dries up. Add tomatoes, little salt and fry till you see the oil on the sides (ie. liquid from tomatoes has evaporated).

Add curd cheese cubes. Add spinach. Cook till spinach bubbles. Taste and adjust salt.

Add a little butter and swirl it lightly. Garnish with chopped ginger. garnish with a swirl of cream, if desired.

Serve hot with Indian Bread.

[Home] [Party Food Themes] [Write to Iena] [Sign GuestBook] [View GuestBook]