Palak Paneer / Spinach Gravy with Indian Cottage Cheese

While making a north indian dinner or lunch, including Palak always make the menu more colourful and healthy. My family loves Palak Paneer a lot, whether its Palak Paneer, Methi Paneer, Saag Paneer for that matter. Paneer coated with this yummy green gravy steals the show. And that too, if its homemade paneer then the taste will be amazing. Well, this is the most frequently made dish at my home for my rotis and I have been forgetting to blog this recipe for long.  This version is pretty simple, easy and retains the colour, flavour and taste of the Palak / Spinach.

Ingredients

Spinach Leaves - 6 cups

Tomato - 1 

Red Onion - 1 Medium

Green Chillies - 2 Small

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Kashmiri Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp

Coriander Cumin Powder - 2 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp ( I used Kitchen King Garam Masala ).

Salt - To Taste

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 1/2 tbsp

Ghee or butter - 1/2 tbsp

Paneer cubes - 15 Squares or less ( As you like )

Ginger Garlic Paste - 3 tsp

Water - As required for getting the gravy consistency. 

Ginger Julians - 6 or 7 julians to garnish.

My Homemade Paneer

Method

• Wash the Spinach Leaves thoroughly without any sand. Wash the other veggies and keep them ready.
• Fine cut one green chilli, red onion into tiny pieces and keep them ready.
• In a kadai / cooking pan, on a medium heat, steam cook the spinach leaves and tomato with the lid open. After its cooled, drain the water and keep it aside. You can add the water into the gravy. 
• Grind the cooked spinach, tomato along with cumin seeds, green chili into a smooth paste.
• Cut the paneer into small squares and keep them ready. You can shallow fry them on a flat pan if you wish with little oil. 
• In the cooking pan / kadai, add half the amount of ghee and oil first. When its heated, add the ginger garlic paste, shredded red onion, green chili and fry them till the raw smell vanishes.
• To that add the grinded paste along with all other powders and sugar and fry them till the spices blend well with the gravy. Add the cooked water that you kept on the side.
• Add required amount of salt and cook for another minute. Add the Paneer cubes into the gravy and let the Palak Paneer cook on a medium flame for 2-3 minutes with the lid closed.
• Add the remaining ghee/butter on its top and some finely shredded ginger julians on its top.
• Serve the tasty Palak Paneer along with rotis or hot basmati rice.

Tips / Suggestions 

• Don't over cook the Spinach / Palak as it might lose its colour. 
• Try to have the right consistency for the gravy, neither thick nor watery.
• Make this dish with fresh ginger garlic paste and notice the difference in the taste.
• Homemade Paneer definitely uplifts the taste of Palak Paneer.
• Generously add some butter on its top just before serving. 
• Dont forget to serve them in a fancy, restaurant style container finally.!!!!