Palak Paneer

Palak paneer (spinach with cottage cheese)
Wednesday, April 4, 2007


Courtesy of BN.com and Kyle Books

Vegetarian recipes from recently released cookbooks:

"India's Vegetarian Cooking," by Monisha Bharadwaj (Kyle Books, 2007)

Not all food in India is vegetarian, but a long cultural history of vegetarianism has produced a treasure trove of meatless cuisine. Monisha Bharadwaj breaks down the recipes by region, introducing the special ingredients and culinary practices for each locale. If you need a reason to go veggie, she even includes a preface that explains the philosophy and history of vegetarianism in India -- as if the mouthwatering food weren't reason enough. Estimated preparation and cooking times accompany each recipe. -- Evelyn Shih

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Palak paneer (spinach with cottage cheese)
Courtesy of Sailusfood.com

18 ounces fresh spinach, washed and drained
3 tablespoons sunflower oil
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
6 ounces onions, grated (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste (see note); save some ginger slivers for garnish
2 large tomatoes, chopped
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon garam masala
Salt, to taste
8 ounces paneer, cubed (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoons light cream
Put the spinach with some water in a heavy pan and cook, uncovered, over high heat until done, for about 5 minutes. Cool slightly and grind, along with enough of the cooking water, to a thick puree in a blender. Set it aside.

Heat the oil in a heavy pan and fry the cumin seeds until they turn dark. Add the onions and fry until soft. Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and tomatoes and cook over low heat until mushy, about five minutes.

Pour in the spinach puree, sprinkle in the chili powder, garam masala and salt, and stir well. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and gently add the paneer. Simmer for 1 minute, and remove from the heat. The paneer will soften in the heat.

Serve hot, swirled with the cream and sprinkled with slivers of ginger.

Servings: 4.

Note: To make the paste, blend equal amounts of garlic and ginger in a blender until smooth. You can freeze any extra in thin sheets between plastic wrap.


Copyright © 2007 North Jersey Media Group Inc.