Palak Panner

Recipe Ingredients :

1 bunch spinach

4-5 green chillies

1 medium onion

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

 1-2 cinnamon stick

 150-200grams paneer

 1 tbsp garam masala powder

 1 tbsp turmeric power

 1 tbsp red chili powder

 1 tbsp cumin seeds 

 2 tbsp oil/ghee

 salt (according to taste)

 1 cup yogurt 

 water-for boiling

How to prepare: 

Wash spinach with cold water and boil spinach in pressure cooker untill one-two whistles on medium flame. Drain the water and keep aside. Blend in a mixer along with green chillies into a thick paste. Do not add water. 

Meanwhile chop paneer into cubes. Boil paneer in water with little salt for about 10-15 minutes. In a medium sized pan add oil and fry paneer on both sides till golden brown in colour, drain paneer from oil and keep it aside untill needed. In the same oil add cumin seeds, cinamon stick and finely chopped onions. Saute till onions turn golden brown.

Add ginger garlic paste and stir for a minute. To this paste add garam masala, turmeric and red chili powder. Add spinach paste and stir for a minute or two. Pour some water to get  gravy consistency. Add salt and yogurt let the gravy boil by stirring from time to time and cover with lid. Add the paneer to palak gravy, remove from heat and serve hot. 

Serving Suggestions:

Serve with naan/chapati.

Paneer Butter Masala

Recipe Ingredients:

250 gm paneer, chopped into 1-inch cubes

1 onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

2 tomatoes, finely chopped

1 tbsp red chilli powder

1/2 cup tomato puree

2 tbsp tomato sauce

40 gm butter

1/2 cup fresh cream

1/2 tbsp garam masala powder

125 ml water

2 tbsp oil

salt (according to taste)

How to Prepare:

Melt 2 tbsp of butter in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add paneer cubes and cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes, or untill evenly browned. Paneer tends to splatter in hot oil, so be careful. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Soak these paneer cubes in salted hot water for about 1/2 hour.

Add oil to the same saucepan over low heat add onions and cook, stirring frequently for 4 - 5 minutes or untill onions are soft. Add ginger garlic paste, tomatoes, salt and water and stir in the tomato puree.

Bring the mixture to boil, stirring, then reduce the heat to very low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, untill the mixture thickens.

Stir in the remaining butter, garam masala, red chilli powder and tomato sauce. Add the paneer pieces and stir around untill they are well coated with gravy. Simmer for a further 10 minutes, or untill the paneer is hot. Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary.

Lightly beat the cream in a small bowl. Stir the cream into the paneer gravy and cook untill the gravy thickens. Garnish with mint spring. Serve hot.

Serving Suggestions:

It goes well with butter naan or chapati or pulka or chapati.