Palak Paneer / Indian Cottage Cheese in Spinach Gravy

Palak Paneer is a big favorite in my home. It is very rich in antioxidants and has a creamy texture to it. Addition of Indian Cottage Cheese / Paneer makes this dish very exotic. This dish goes very well with any  Indian flat bread like Roti, Naan, Kulcha or even with any simple rice dish. This recipe includes authentic  but simple spices in its preparation and is very colorful with red, white, green colors with a little bit of yellow hue to it. It is a very easy recipe to make and requires very few ingredients in its preparation.

Ingredients:

Spinach - 2 Cups
Tomatoes - Diced - 1 Cup
Paneer / Indian Cottage Cheese - 1 Cup (Cubed)
Butter - 2 Tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 Tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 Tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 Tsp
Cumin powder - 1 Tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 Tsp
Salt - To Taste

Method:

• Take the spinach leaves and wash it well to remove any mud from the leaves. Baby spinach comes prewashed and tastes the best when used for this dish.

• Take a pan and add some water  and heat it. Now add the spinach leaves to it.

• Let the Spinach wilt for sometime and turn off heat.

• Drain the spinach well and blend it into a fine puree.

• In a pan, melt 2 Tbsp of butter.

• Now add the cumin seeds.

• Add the Paneer cubes and saute it well until it gets a light golden crust.

• Now add the diced tomatoes to this and mix it well and cook for about 3-4 minutes. 

• To this add turmeric powder and red chilli powder.

• Then some add cumin powder and coriander powder.

• Now add the Spinach puree to this and mix well.

• Mix all the ingredients well and cover and cook for about 7-8 minutes.
• Keep stirring in between once or twice so that it does not burn at the bottom.

• Serve hot with any Indian bread of your choice and enjoy. 

Q & A on Kitchen on Its Last Legs

Q.

Hello Peggy

I saw your invitation to ask questions on the web so here goes.

We have done things backwards when it comes to kitchen renovating. Our 1989 2500 sq. ft. home had sheet vinyl we replaced in 2002, and in 2004 we upgraded the white formica with dark green silestone and new knobs and pulls to the builder grade oak recessed panel cabinets I spruced up with sand paper and polyurethane. We also had a two toned green and beige tile backsplash installed with stainless appliances. I now hate the cabinets and they are showing their age. My husband is handy and has made a few pull out storage drawers in some cabinets to keep me happy.

We are locked in by the floor plan since the new wood floors butt up against the cabinets, as well as the Silestone.

Our compromise is to paint the frames of the cabinets and purchase new doors in a off white/beige glazed finish.

We are also locked in to the floor plan as we do not want added square footage and we have an antique oak table and hutch in the adjoining eat in part of the kitchen. There is an adjoining family I hope to tie in with the same paint color.

Any suggestions on how to best handle this remodel, particularly the paint on the cabinet frames? I know I need to use a filler for the pores in the oak if I want it to be smooth. The slider, computer armoire are also staying. Your suggestions would be greatly appreciated. I want under cabinet lighting, a few pendants over the peninsula and one over the sink. A few cabinets in their entirety can be replaced like the upper ones to the right of the sink and maybe by the fridge.

Francine

A.

Well Francine, this is a tall order. The images you sent show a really cheap set of kitchen cabinets. Your instincts are right: to paint them. But your layout is really outdated for living in the 21st Century.

We discovered long ago that a compact U-shaped kitchen was great for a single cook with no helpers - Very efficient in its day, but it doesn't work at all for the way we live and cook today.

My advice to you is this: Because your layout is outdated, you will not long be content with painting your cabinets to save your countertops and flooring investments.

Your hardwood floors can easily be patched and nobody will ever know the difference between old and new. You can even reuse your Silestone countertops if the color is still available. If not, at least part of your countertops could be redone with the old Silestone. It can be seamed together in a new configuration by any good solid surface fabricator.

I suggest you reconfigure your new kitchen in an L shape with an island. Choose a new counter surface for the island that complements your existing Silestone and you're all set. With a little hardwood patching, some good countertop fabrication, nice new quality made cabinets in your choice of finish, and your new lighting; I'm very sure that you will have a kitchen that will last you as long as you're in your home and give you years of joy.

Heck. You already have your knobs and pulls. And those old cabinets would go great in the garage or basement. And, lucky you, the craftspeople you need to do this work are just panting for it (unlike a few years ago).

If your husband is truly handy, he can even do the installation and save big bucks.

Think about it.

Peggy

Buttermilk sponge dosa and Peas Mint Wale

Buttermilk dosa is a spongy version of the verumarisi adai, for which only boiled rice is used. In this dosa, aval or beaten rice is also added and rice and aval is soaked in buttermilk. Since its soaked in buttermilk, no fermentation is required for the batter before making dosas. You get super soft dosa. This is a great hit among my relatives and friends who has tasted this at home.  Thanks to Mallika Bhadrinath for a super breakfast recipe.

 

 

 

You need

 

•  Idli rice /boiled rice - 2 cups 
• Aval/beaten rice - 1/4 cup
• Buttermilk - Around 3 cups, enough to soak the rice.
• Cooking soda - a pinch

Method

Wash and soak rice and aval together in buttermilk for 5 hours. I usually soak it overnight. The buttermilk will be almost absorbed by the rice and aval. You will not require to add extra water while grinding. Grind it to a smooth batter and add salt.The batter should be slightly thicker than the usual dosa batter. 

 

Before making dosa, add a pinch of  cooking soda and leave it for 5  minutes for it to act.  Heat the dosa tawa. Take a ladle of  batter and pour it on the tawa.  Slightly spread it and it will spread on its own.  The dosa should be slightly thick so that you get the pores well. Cover and cook for a minute. Flip and cook the other side also by covering. Enjoy hot with a spicy side.

 

 Peas mint wale

 

Peas mint wale is adapted from Nita Mehta's Mattar dhaniya wale.  The recipe calls for fresh peas. I think this should work with dried peas also. This is a one pot gravy except for grinding the paste, its a breeze. I liked this no-onion recipe. In the original, there was garlic flakes which I omitted.

 

 

 You need

 

• Fresh, shelled peas - 2 cups
• Tomato - 1 no, chopped into pieces
• Oil - 1 tbspn
• Hing - few shakes
• Cumin/Jeera-1/2 tspn
• Kalonji - 1/4 tspn

 For mint paste

•  Mint leaves - 2 cups
•  Ginger - 1" piece
•  Green chillies - 2 nos
•  Tomato - 1 tspn
•  Tamarind paste - 1 tblspn or juice of 1 lemon

 

 

 

 Method

 

Grind together the ingredients for the paste.  Heat 1 tbspn of oil in the pressure cooker. Add hing, jeera and kalonji. When jeera turns brown, add peas. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the mint paste to the peas and mix well.  Pressure cook for 2 whistles. Open the cooker when the pressure drops. Add salt and chopped tomato and cook for a minute or two.