September 2, 2011

Palak (Saag) Paneer / Cottage Cheese in Creamy Spinach Sauce


Palak Paneer is a very common Indian side dish. It is a beautiful combination of Paneer (Indian Cottage cheese) in a creamy spinach sauce. You can make it in a million different ways but apparently I like the 'Non-fried Paneer' version. 

Serves 6
Ingredients
1/2 Cup - Onion, chopped
4 cloves - Garlic
1/2 inch - Ginger
3/4 Teaspoon - Red Chilly Powder
1/2 Teaspoon - Jeera powder / Cumin Powder
1/8 Teaspoon - Turmeric powder
1/4 Cup - Tomato, chopped
2.2Lbs / 1Kg - Fresh Spinach
7 oz (200gm) - Paneer / Indian Cottage Cheese, cubed
1 1/2 Cup - Whole Milk (more if needed)
1/4 Teaspoon - Dry Mint leaves
2 Tablespoon - Dry Kasoori Methi leaves
1/2 Teaspoon - Chat Masala
Juice of 1/2 Lime
Salt to taste
Oil or Ghee

Directions
  • Heat the oil in a pan and add garlic, ginger and onions. 
  • Saute until the onions are translucent. 
  • Add chilly powder, jeera powder and turmeric powder. Saute for 1-2 minutes and add tomatoes. 
  • Add spinach and saute for 8-10 minutes or until almost all the water has been absorbed. Make sure that you don't overcook the spinach otherwise you might loose the green color. 
  • Transfer this mixture into a blender after cooling. 
  • Add milk and blend it into a fine paste. If you find the sauce too thick add more milk to achieve the desired consistency  
  • Empty the contents from the blender into the same pan and season with salt
  • Add chat masala and paneer.
  • Crush the Methi and Mint leaves between your palms and add it to the pan. Cook for 5 mins. 
  • Remove from heat and add the lime juice. 
Note and Tips
  • If using frozen spinach, thaw the frozen spinach and squeeze excess water out.
  • Add more paneer if you like
  • Do not overcook the spinach otherwise you might loose the green color.
  • If you find the sauce too thick add more milk to achieve the desired consistency  
  • If you prefer fired paneer, you can fry the paneer before adding it to the spinach gravy.
  •  Serve it with Rice, Naan or Roti.

No comments :

Post a Comment

First of all thanks a lot for stopping by my space. I would be very happy to hear from you and would love to see your comments and feedback :)
Thanks a bunch,
Shema

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...