Kanta’s Kitchen: Palak Paneer

Image Credits: BetterButter.in

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 250gm paneer (cottage cheese) cubed and soaked in hot water
• 600gm fresh baby spinach
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp hing
• 1-2 bayleaves
• 1/8 tsp finely crushed cinnamon sticks
• 2 fresh green chillies chopped
• 1.5 inch ginger finely sliced
• 4 garlic pods crushed
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 4 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp dhaniya (coriander) powder
• 1 tsp jeera (cumin) powder
• ½ tsp chilli powder
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• ½ cup water
• Fresh cream to garnish (optional)

Method:

1. In a pan, add hot water to all the spinach with a few strands of ginger and cook till spinach has fully wilted
2. Add cold water to the spinach to ensure the green colour of the spinach stays
3. Drain the spinach and blend to get a rich spinach paste
4. In a wok, heat the oil and ghee, and saute the cumin and cinnamon sticks for 30 seconds
5. Add the hing and bayleaves, and then saute the green chilli, ginger and garlic until the ginger and garlic are light brown
6. Add the onions and saute until golden brown
7. Add the tomato puree, salt, garam masala, dhaniya powder, jeera powder, chilli powder and turmeric powder and cook until the oil splutters
8. Now add in the paneer and cook on low heat for 10 minutes
9. Garnish with fresh cream and serve hot