palak paneer recipe dhaba style | palak paneer recipe
Blanch & puree spinach leaves before hand decreases the cook-time.
Servings: 4
Equipment
- Sieve
- Blender
- kadai/frying pan
Ingredients
- 400 grams cottage cheese
- 250 grams spinach leaves about 1 large bunch
- amaranth or fenugreek leaves optional, if adding extra greens to the spinach
- 5-6 tablespoon ghee or oil; quantity is used across the optional frying/cooking steps and curry — exact split needs confirmation
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoon ginger paste
- 2-3 green chillies optional
- 1 medium onion
- 2-3 tomatoes diced
- 2 tablespoon curd or yogurt
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder increase if you like it extra spicy
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 2 cups water for the curry
- salt as per taste
Instructions
For the cottage cheese:
- Cut the cottage cheese into small cubes.
- You may fry/saute them slightly in 2-3 tablespoon oil.
- Keep it aside.
For the spinach sauce:
- Blanch the spinach and greens(if using amaranth and fenugreek).
- Blend the spinach coarsely using a stick blender/mixer.
- Optionally ,heat 2-3 tbsp. ghee in a pan, cook the spinach puree in the pan for 5-10 minutes or until it starts boiling,keep it aside.
For curry:
- Heat a pan and add ghee to it.
- Add cumin seeds,green chillies, ginger paste to it and saute.
- Now add the onions and saute' till they turn pink.
- Add tomatoes and stir 2-3 times until they soften.
- Add the spices and let it cook for 5mins.(you may choose to turn off the gas,let the mix cool down and puree it).
- Add spinach sauce to the tomato/onion mix and let it come to a boil.
- Add 2 cups of water and let it boil.
- Now, add fried cottage cheese to this puree and let it simmer for 5-6 minutes or gravy thickens.
- Serve hot with jeera rice /steamed rice or naan.
Notes
Heat ghee in a pan and add cumin seeds, pureed tomatoes before proceeding with spinach puree.
You can also use 2 bunches of spinach instead of Amaranth leaves if they are not available easily.
Replace paneer with tofu and ghee with oil to make it vegan. Do not add onions and garlic to the recipe to make Jain 'palak paneer' . You may skip the different spices and use curry powder instead,add garam masala if you like it spicy.
You can also use 2 bunches of spinach instead of Amaranth leaves if they are not available easily.
Replace paneer with tofu and ghee with oil to make it vegan. Do not add onions and garlic to the recipe to make Jain 'palak paneer' . You may skip the different spices and use curry powder instead,add garam masala if you like it spicy.
Nutrition
Serving: 4g