Spinach with cottage cheese is one of the healthiest option of Indian curries. It is the most popular North Indian side dish and goes well with any flavoured rice as well flat breads. We all know the goodness of spinach or paneer. Both are very nutritious- spinach is iron rich, and on the other hand paneer is rich in calcium.
This curry which I make is light, low calorie and creamy without adding any cream or deep fry.
Cottage cheese or paneer is soaked in warm milk and cooked with spinach paste with the added mild spice. This recipe is easy to cook and works just fine as a toddler’s food or for the tiffin box.
How I proceed –
Ingredients:
Palak – 1 big punch
Paneer – 200 or 400 grams
Milk – 1 cup
Tomatoes – 2
Salt
Sugar – ½ tea spoon
Oil – 2 table spoons
Hing – one pinch
Cumin – 1 tea spoon
Garlic – 10 -12 cloves (sliced)
Ginger – 1” (julienne)
Turmeric – ½ tea spoon
Red chilli powder – 1 tea spoon
Cumin powder – 1 tea spoon
Garam masala powder – ½ tea spoon
Method:
-Chop Tomato, spinach and make chunks of paneer and keep it ready. Chop garlic and ginger as well.
-Heat milk, add chunks of paneer and keep aside by closing the lid.
-Grind tomato in the mixer jar and keep aside.
-Take one kadai, add chopped spinach, sprinkle sugar, little salt and cook until wilts.
– Sugar will help to retain the colour green and salt will help spinach to leave its water to cook.
-Cool this wilted spinach, grind into rough paste and keep it aside.
-Now keep one tawa for seasoning, pour oil, when it is hot, add cumin, hing, ginger and garlic. Fry for 2 minutes.
-Add tomato paste, turmeric, red chilli powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder and fry until oil oozes from the sides.
-Now add spinach paste, milk-soaked paneer content and give a stir. Check for the salt and add the required amount.
-After boiling it for some time, you will see a layer of oil or dark coloured layer at the top. Now it is ready.
-Serve this rich gravy with your choice main dish. We always prefer jeera rice as a main dish for this curry.
Senguttuvan August 13, 2018
Prepared as per your recipe with Paneer in boiled milk and paneer came out very soft. Tha Palak tasted awesome. Quick and easy way of preparation. Thanks Shri. 😃🙏💐
Shrikripa U August 17, 2018
Thank you so much for trying as well as your feedback in my page.
Sumana September 4, 2020
Tried this today. Soaking paneer in hot milk gives good texture to paneer and makes the dish very tasty. Loved it.
Shrikripa U September 5, 2020
Thank you so much Sumana.
Sumana November 28, 2021
I have tried this recipe before too and did it again. Its a hit in my family. Thank you
Shrikripa U December 7, 2021
I am delighted to know; thank you for trying and letting me know, Sumana.