Palak Paneer

Palak (Indian Spinach) is one of the favorite leafy vegetable in North India. I south India few years back only we introduced to palak and paneer. A creamy, rich green gravy with delicious white paneer cubes looks very appetising. Now we start getting fresh palak in the market. My mother always says that do not buy green leafy vegetables in the rainy season. So we used to wait for the season for green leafy vegetables like gongura, palakura(palak), chukkakura and other green leafy vegetables. Normally we in Andhra pradesh use palak to make dal and stir fry. This Palak paneer we adopted from Punjabi cuisine and now This become a favorite and also famous dish so let's check how I made this popular dish..
INGREDIENTS:---
Palak (spinach)   ----  2 bunches
Paneer (Indian cottage cheese) ---  100 gms cut in to 1/2 inch cubes
Onions  ---  3/4 cup finely chopped
Garlic  --- 5 cloves
Ginger  ---  1 inch piece
Green chillies  ---- 3 cut in to small pieces
Tomato puree  ----  3/4 cup
Turmeric powder  ---- 1/4 tea sp
Kasuri methi --- 1/4 tea sp
Salt to taste
Garam masala  ---  1 teasp
Oil --- 1 tab sp
Butter  -- 1tabsp
Fresh cream  --- 2 tab sp
                                                 

METHOD:--
1. Remove stems and wash spinach thoroughly in running water.
2. Blanch spinach in salted water for two minutes, refresh in chilled water. Squeeze out the extra water.
3. Add green chillies, garlic cloves, ginger pieces to blanched spinach and make a puree.
4. Heat oil in a pan and fry paneer pieces till they turn in to light pink color remove and set aside.
5. Add cumin seeds to the same oil, add chopped onions and fry till translucent, add turmeric powder stir for a while.
6. Now add spinach puree, butter give a good stir and cook in a very low heat till oil leaves from the sides.
7. Add tomato puree and half cup water and mix well to combine every thing and cook in medium heat till the gravy leaves oil from the sides.
8. Add salt to taste, garam masala, kasuri methi, paneer cubes mix gently and keep the flame in low, cook for five more minutes. Add fresh cream mix gently and remove from heat.
Serve hot with roti or rice.
This is my second recipe for Blogging Marathon 27th edition under Seasonal recipes theme let's check other BM members recipes here