This is one of India's favorite vegetarian dishes. Paneer or cottage cheese as its also known, can be used fresh or frozen for this recipe. It is a simple quick version packed with a lot of flavor.
Ingredients:
1 packet 250 gms of frozen paneer cubes (I used Amul)
2 bundles of spinach leaves
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
2 tsps of coriander powder
1 tsp of cumin powder
1 tsp of garam masala
3 tbsps of cream
salt to taste
1 tsp of kashmiri chili powder
1 large onion chopped fine
2 green chilies coarsely chopped
2' piece of ginger chopped fine.
Method:
Defrost the paneer by leaving it out on the counter for an hour or so.
Wash the spinach leaves carefully, and remove any thick stringy stems. Blanch in hot water for a minute. (Blanching means quickly immersing the spinach in a big pot of boiling hot water and then immediately removing).
Keep another bowl of cold water with a few ice cubes ready. Once the spinach has been in the boiling water for a minute, then add it into the cold water. This will help preserve the green colour of the paneer, and stop it from cooking any further.
Blitz it in a mixer or food processor till you get a puree. You can add a bit of water if the puree is too thick. Reserve and set aside.
Saute the onions in a casserole. When it turns translucent, add the ginger and green chilies. Add your spice powders, i.e. the turmeric powder, coriander, cumin, garam and chili powder. Add salt to taste.
Add in the pureed spinach and cook for about 10 mins on a medium low heat. Add in the cream. You can add a little cream and some milk instead of all cream, if you would like to keep the calories on the dish low.
Gently add in the defrosted paneer cubes and give it a stir. Cook for a further 5 mins and once the paneer has softened turn off the heat. Check for seasoning and serve.
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