Palak Paneer Recipe | Cottage Cheese In Spinach Gravy

Ingredients

• 200 grams Paneer (Homemade Cottage Cheese) cut into cubes
• 500 grams Spinach Leaves (Palak) washed and chopped
• 1 tablespoon Ghee
• 2 cloves Garlic finely chopped
• 1 inch Ginger finely chopped
• 1 Tomato chopped
• 2 Green Chillies slit
• 1 teaspoon Cumin powder (Jeera)
• 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)
• 1 teaspoon Garam masala powder
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
• 1 Bay leaf (tej patta)
• 1 inch Cinnamon Stick (Dalchini)
• 2 tablespoons Fresh cream
• 1 tablespoon Butter (Salted)

Steps

1. To begin making the Palak Paneer Recipe, first pick the palak leaves and wash them thrice. Chop the washed leaves and keep them aside.
2. Heat ghee Into the pressure cooker over medium heat; add the ginger, garlic, tomatoes, green chillies, cumin powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder. Saute for a few seconds until the tomatoes turn slightly soft.
3. Add the chopped spinach, salt to taste – give it a stir and add one tablespoon of water.
4. Cover the pressure cooker and cook the palak for just one whistle. After one whistle, turn off the heat and release the pressure immediately by using a fork and lifting the weight or by placing the cooker under cold running water.
5. We release the pressure immediately, so that we retain the fresh green colour of palak. Open the cooker and allow the palak to cool completely
6. Once cooled, pulse the palak in the blender to make a smooth pure. You can also choose to mash the spinach with a masher to give it a different texture as well.
7. Melt the butter in a frying pan on medium heat; add cumin seeds, cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Saute the ingredients for a few seconds. Next stir in the palak, cream and the diced paneer. Check the salt and adjust accordingly to taste.
8. When you are ready to serve, give the palak paneer a brisk boil for 3 to 4 minutes and turn off the heat. Transfer the Palak Paneer to a serving dish and serve hot.
9. Serve the Palak Paneer Recipe along with hot Phulkas, Jeera pulao and Dal Makhani for a delicious lunch or dinner.