Palak Paneer

Palak Paneer is everybody's favoruite and here we go for the yummy recipe..

Ingredients

• 500 gm /4 bunches / 7 cups Spinach Leaves(Palak)
• 2 Tomatoes, cut into halves  (Optional)
• 500 gm Paneer, cut into 1” pieces
• 2 tbsp Oil (Olive Oil preferably)
• 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 3/4 tsp Asafoetida
• 1 tsp fresh Ginger, grated
• 2 Green chilies
• 2 Cardamom
• 1" piece Cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• 2 tsp Coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp Cumin seed powder
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp Red Chili powder (Optional)
• 1 tbsp Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek leaves), crushed
• 1 tsp Salt (Adjust to taste)

Method

1. Wash the spinach leaves and microwave it along with tomatoes, green chilli, ginger and 1 tbsp water in a microwave safe bowl on high for 8-9 min or till the tomato and spinach are cooked. 
2. Cool them and remove the skin of the tomatoes and puree the spinach tomato mixture in a blender along with the cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and keep aside.
3. Heat the oil in a wok and add the cumin seeds and asafoetida. When the cumin seeds turn brown add the blended spinach mixture. Add the coriander, cumin, turmeric and red chili powders and cook for 5-10 min till the raw smell of the Spinach is gone.
4. Add the kasuri methi, paneer cubes and salt and cook for 10 more minutes till it attains the desired consistency.
5. Turn off the heat and stir in the milk or cream. Serve hot with roti/naan/parata.

Suggestions/ Notes

• If you don't want to add the Tomatoes along with Spinach you may skip that but adding tomatoes add more flavour in this dish.

Sending this to  Show Me Your HITS series #4 Iron Rich foods event hosted at Erivumpuliyumm.