Palak paneer or Paneer ka saag January 4, 2008

Palak or spinach is highly nutritious. Its rich with all the vitamins and minerals. Its best to completely boil it and never throw away the spinach water. It is loaded with nutrients. Here goes the recipe-

Ingredients

1 bunch of spinach – thouroughly washed and chopped
Paneer (cottage cheese)- 10 to 12 cubes
1 onion – finely chopped
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
5 green chillies
10 cashewnuts – roasted and grounded to powder
1 tomato – Boiled and mashed
Turmeric
Salt to taste
Jeera and Dhaniya powder (fennel and coriandar) - 2 tbs
Red chilli powder – 1 tbs
half cup of cold water

 

Method

Heat a tsp of oil in wide pan and add green chillies and then spinach leaves. saute until the leaves are wilted. Turn off the heat.Add half cup of cold water and keep it aside. It will help cool it off fast. Now add them to blender and add pinch of salt and blend to smooth paste.

Lightly saute panner cubes in one tsp of oil until they are golden brown and crispy.

Take another wide pan and add one tsp of oil. Fry the chopped onions and add ginger garlic paste and saute well. Add pureed spinach,tomato and cashew powder. Add a pinch of turmeric and salt to taste. Mix thouroughly. Cook it in low flame for about 5 to 10 minutes. Before turning off the heat, add the paneer cubes. Mix it well so that the cubes are completely coated with spinach. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes and then turn the gas off.

Serve the curry hot with chapatis! You can also add a bloack of unsalted butter on top. That is how it is served in a typical north indian dhaba!!

Spinach Dal December 8, 2007

 

This is my entry to JFI – Toor dal hosted by linda – http://outofthegarden.wordpress.com/

Ingredients

1 bunch spinach – shredded
1 onion – diced
2 green chillies
1 diced tomato
1 cup toor dal
2 tsp tamarind paste
Salt
Turmeric
1 tsp red chilli powder

For tempering
1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp chana dal
1 tsp jeera
1 tsp mustard seeds
3 red chillies
1 sprig curry leaves

Method

• Wash the toor dal and spinach thouroughly. Pressure cook it along with  diced onions and green chillies.
• Now take another pan, add some oil and add the tempering.
• Add tomatoes, salt, turmeric and cook. After the tomatoes are properly cooked add the tamarind and mix it well. Now add this whole mixture into the cooked spinach mixture and stir it well.
• Add red chilli powder and cook for a while.
• Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Spinach curry or Palakura pesarapappu kura November 29, 2007

Ingredients

Shredded spinach – 3 cups
Soaked yellow moong dal – 1/2 cup
1 cup diced onion
2 finely cut green chillies
curry leaves – a bunch
turmeric
salt to taste

Method

Take a pan and add half tsp of oil and add mustard and jeera. Add chopped onion green chilies and curry leaves and saute them. After onions turn pink, add spinach and cook on high for 5 minutes. Add salt and mix it well. When spinach gets reduced and add the soaked yellow moong dal and mix it well. Switch off the stove and serve hot with chapatis.

Note : Yellow moong dal is highly nutritious and gives a crunchy taste to this curry.