When I go to an Indian restaurant, palak paneer is my first and favorite dish to order. It tastes so good and I always feel when I eat something green I bring some health in.
For the Vegans Out there: Palak Paneer can be made vegan, just remove the paneer cheese and substitute the heavy cream for coconut cream.
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THE RECIPE :
WHAT YOU NEED
- ¼ cup of ghee butter
- 1 big yellow or red onion
- 1 big ripe, sweet tomato
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 red serrano pepper (spicy)
- 2 tablespoons of ginger
- 2 packages of frozen spinach
- ¾ cup of heavy cream
- optional: cilantro leaves
The Spices
- 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds, or use 3/4 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons of garam masala
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons of salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons of black pepper
- ½ lemon juice
The Paneer (Cheese)
- 1 package of paneer (about 1 cup)
- 1 ½ tablespoon of ghee
HOW TO MAKE
- The Spices
In a small pan on medium heat, roast the coriander and cumin seeds (no oil!). Once seeds have a tint of gold, turn off the heat and let cool.
In a mortar, crush all the spices together: cumin seeds, coriander seeds, turmeric, garam masala, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper.
- On the Stove
Once your spices are ready and mixed, thinly chop the onion, garlic, and ginger. Separately, cute the tomato into squares and chop the serrano pepper.
Place a heavy pot on medium heat, add the ghee, chopped onion and garlic. Stir fry until the onion is soft. To your pot, add the minced ginger and all the spices from your mortar. Mix for about a minute or two (you don't want your spices to burn) and add the cut tomato and serrano pepper. Mix well for a few minutes. Now, add the frozen spinach and heavy cream. Cook for 7-10 minutes on medium low heat.
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Mix it
Now, pour the mixture into a food processor and grind it until you have an even texture. Once the ingredients are well mixed, pour them into the same pot, add the lemon juice and taste. If your taste buds need some more salt or garam masala, please add!
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The Paneer
On a cutting board, cut the paneer into small cubes (about ½ an inch).
In a large skillet, melt the ghee over medium heat. Add the paneer, and fry one side until golden
born (about 2-3 minutes). Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the paneer, and flip to cook the other side. Again, fry until golden brown.
Transfer the golden paneer to the spinach mixture and mix well. If you want, cut some green cilantro and sprinkle it on top to serve. I like it best on top of Basmati rice!
