Serves: 4
A traditional Paneer dish from North India, cooked in fresh spicy spinach gravy.
INGREDIENTS:
1. Paneer, cut into cubes, 200-250 grams.
2. Spinach, 250 grams.
3. Garlic, 7-8 cloves
4. Ginger, 1/2 inch
5. Green chilli
6. Cumin and Bay leaves.
7. Onion, chopped, 1
8. Tomato, chopped, 1.
9. Hing
10. Coriander powder, turmeric powder and garam masala.
METHOD:
1. The first step is to make the spinach purée. For that, wash the leaves thoroughly, and simultaneously heat water with a spoon of salt. Heat the water for 3-4 minutes and soak the leaves in the water. Turn off the heat. Keep for 2-3 minutes.
2. In a separate bowl, prepare an ice bath, using clod water and ice cubes. Transfer the spinach into the ice bath. This helps preserve the green colour.
3. After keeping the leaves in the ice bath for another few minutes, transfer them into a blender along with 2-3 cloves of garlic, the ginger and a green chilli. Blend to a fine paste.
4. In a kadai, heat oil or ghee. Add cumin seed and a bay leaf. After the cumin has stopped stuttering, add chopped garlic cloves and the onion. Fry till golden brown.
5. Add the tomato and stir. When the fat starts releasing from the tomato after a while, add turmeric powder, coriander powder and garam masala and salt to taste. Mix thoroughly.
6. Add the Paneer purée and mix with the tomato mixture. Check salt and add 1/3 teaspoon of hing. When the purée begins to thicken slightly, add a tablespoon of cream and mix.
7. Add the Paneer cubes after a while and mix it with the gravy. Add water if the purée starts to thicken too much. Cover and cook till paneer becomes soft.
8. Garnish with cream and julienned ginger and serve hot with parathas or rotis.
TIPS: the Paneer cubes can be fried lightly beforehand. Then it is not required to cook it for long towards the end.
Recipe by: Rohit Chakraborty