Chits Kitchen

Palak Paneer is a popular North Indian recipe prepared from spinach (Palak) and fresh Paneer. It is very delicious and easy to prepare. Fresh cream and butter is used to make it even more tastier.  It can be served with Naan, plain parantha, lachha parantha, Roti, Plain Rice, Pulao or any other type of rice recipe. Paneer can be used in either way, by shallow frying it or plain. Serve it with a cube of butter in it. Palak can be boiled directly as a whole or by chopping it into small pieces. Cut or chopped Palak is easily available in the market.

Category: Main Course                                     Total Time: 40 minutes

Cuisine: North Indian                                        Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Serves: 2-3 servings                                           Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1. Chopped or Whole Spinach (Palak): 200 gm
2. Fresh Paneer Cubes: 150 gm
3. Chopped Onion: 2 medium
4. Chopped Tomatoes: 2 medium
5. Chopped Green Chilli: 2 medium
6. Cashew soaked in water: 10 pieces
7. Cloves (Laung): 2 small piece
8. Bay Leaves: 1 leaf
9. Garlic: 10-12 small piece
10. Chopped Ginger: 1 teaspoon
11. Cumin (Jeera) Seeds: 1/2 teaspoon
12. Cinnamon (Dalchini): 1 inch small piece
13. Cardamom: 3 piece
14. Black Pepper Powder: 1/2 teaspoon
15. Turmeric Powder: 1/2 teaspoon
16. Chilli Powder: 3/4 teaspoon
17. Kasuri Methi: 1/2 teaspoon
18. Fresh Cream: 2 tablespoon
19. Salt to taste
20. Oil: 2 tablespoon
21. Butter: 1 tablespoon

Directions:

1. Cut the palak into small pieces by removing the stems. Wash it with water continuously to remove the dirt in it.
2. Put the washed palak in a cooker. Add little bit of water and salt and cook it for 2 whistle in a medium flame.
3. After 2 whistles, turn off the stove and let the pressure of the cooker be released naturally. When the pressure is released take out the palak in a container and drain out the excess water. Allow it to cool down.
4. After the palak cools down, prepare a smooth paste of it in a mixer grinder. Keep it aside.
5. Now heat 2 tablespoon oil in a pan. Add Cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon (Dalchini), cardamom, bay leaves, garlic, chopped green chilli, chopped ginger and soaked cashew. Saute it for another 1 minute.
6. Then add chopped onion and fry it till light golden brown.
7. Now add chopped tomatoes and sauté for some time. When the tomatoes become soft and mushy, turn off the stove and allow it to cool down.
8. After it cools down, take out the mixture from the excess oil and make a smooth paste of it in a mixer grinder.
9. Now heat again the remaining oil. Add the prepared onion tomato paste and sauté for 2 minutes.
10. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, Kasuri methi and black pepper and cook for another 2 minutes.
11. Now add the spinach paste and mix it properly. Cook for 10 minutes. Add more salt if required.
12. Add the fresh cream and sauté for a minute.
13. Take and add the fresh plain paneer or fried paneer. Cover with a lid and cook for another 5 minutes in a low heat.
14. Switch off the flame after 5 minutes. Palak Paneer is ready. Garnish it with a cube of butter and grated paneer over it.
15. Serve it hot with Naan, Roti, Parantha or Rice.

Note:

1. To make a good and tastier Palak Paneer, add fresh cream as per you requirement. You can skip it if you don’t like cream in your dishes.
2. Palak Paneer tastes good when the paneer in it is soft. If you are frying the paneer cubes, do dip it in hot water to make it soft.
3. While boiling palak in cooker, do not add excess water. It will become watery as spinach leaves water on boiling.
4. To maintain the green colour of spinach, put the boiled spinach immediately in cold water and leave it for some time.
5. Tomatoes can be grated with spinach. If not you can directly cook it with onion until it becomes mushy and soft.
6. Fresh Cream can be added while cooking or while garnishing.