Palak Paneer (Cottage cheese in a creamy spinach gravy)

Here's another Paneer dish that I really like... but rarely make cause when the word spinach is mentioned at home I get looks of revulsion. My mom in law brought home some beautiful spinach from the market and they were too pretty to chop up and cook into a coconut induced coma (that's what happens to most of the vegetables cooked in a south indian household... people have a thing for coconuts here). Anyway, getting back to this awesome palak paneer... my sister liked it, which says a lot cause she was the one who gave me this dirty look when I mentioned I was gonna make palak paneer for lunch.

First off, wash the pretty spinach leaves.

Take little water in a vessel, drop the leaves inside and let them cook for a few minutes. Spinach cooks really soon, and it gives off water too... so make sure you take little water while you cook the spinach. Here they are nicely cooked... drop only the leaves into a food processor and blend them to form a vivid green paste.

Chop up your paneer and shallow fry them till they get brown tinted all over. Then drop them in warm water.

Heat a little oil in a pan and throw in some cumin (jeera) seeds, hear their robust crackling.

Now drop in some chopped garlic and stir it around...

Add some finely chopped onions and garam masala, stir them around.

Drop in some giner & garlic paste, stir everything around.

Add some chopped tomatoes and stir this around till...

You get a nicely cooked mixture like this.

Now add the masala powders, turmeric, chillie, cumin and coriander powders, stir them around.

Now add the spianch puree to this and mix it well.

If you have the left over water that the spinach was boiled in, you can add that too, cover and cook for a few minutes.

This is how it looks when the curry slowly starts coming together. I know, it might look yucky... nobody really likes green gravy. But don't be fooled by looks, by the time you are done with this dish, it won't taste anything like spinach. If you have kasuri meethi (fenugreek leaves) , sprinkle a few strands on top and let it cook for a while.

After a few minutes add fresh cream (use milk if you haven't got fresh cream). While adding fresh cream or milk, reduce the flame and add cream slowly, mixing as you add... so that the cream doesn't curdle. Finally, add the paneer pieces that were soaking in warm water. Check the consistency of the gravy, if it requires more water just add the water that the paneer has been soaking it or just add the paneer peices... upto you. Cover and cook for a few minutes and that's it... your palak paneer is ready.

Looks nice right... a healthy curry, tastes great with chapathi.

A blob of butter and its ready to go on the table. Now how can you resist digging into this... its healthy and delightful at the same time.