Spinach Paneer
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 4
-
250 g (8 oz) paneer
-
375 g (12 oz) young leaf spinach, washed
and patted dry
-
2 tablespoons vegetable ghee
-
1 large onion, chopped
-
2 garlic cloves, crushed
-
1 large green chili, deseeded and sliced
-
1 tablespoon grated fresh root ginger
-
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
-
1 teaspoon ground coriander
-
1 teaspoon chili powder
-
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
-
Salt
-
Cut the paneer into 2.5 cm (1 inch) cubes
and set it aside. Steam the spinach for 3-4 minutes until it has
wilted, leave it to cool and then place it in a food processor and
process briefly to puree it. Set aside.
-
Heat the ghee in a heavy-based saucepan
and fry the paneer cubes, turning occasionally, for 10 minutes or until
they are golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.
-
Add the onion, garlic, chili and ginger
to the hot ghee and fry gently over a low heat, stirring constantly,
for 5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the turmeric, coriander, chili
powder and cumin, and fry for 1 minute more. Stir in the fried paneer
and cook, covered, for a further 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt,
if necessary, and serve immediately.
Note: Paneer is Indian curd cheese
and it is available from good Indian grocers. Once the main fat used in
India, ghee is clarified butter, but vegetable ghee is now more popular
as it is lower in fat. Both are available from supermarkets and Indian
food stores. |