PALAK PANEER RECIPE

Ingredients :

Spinach (palak)...............................................................500 grams

Cottage cheese(Paneer)...................................................100 grams
Tomato, finely chopped....................................................2
Ghee / Oil........................................................................3 tbsp
Brown Cardamom............................................................1
Cloves..............................................................................2
Peppercorns......................................................................4
Onions, chopped...............................................................3
Ginger, roughlychopped.....................................................1/2 inch piece
Garlic,roughly chopped......................................................4-6 flakes
Green Chilly, roughly chopped...........................................2 or as per taste
Dry Fenugreek Leaves (Kasoori Methi).............................1 tbsp
Garam Masala Powder.....................................................3/4 tsp
Red Chilly Powder............................................................1/2 tsp
Mango Powder(Amchur Powder)......................................1/4 tsp
Salt.....................................................................................as per taste
Sugar.................................................................................1/2 tsp
Milk/Water........................................................................1 cup

Method :

Choose a bundle of smaller spinach leaves.

Break the spinach leaves from the stem and wash thoroughly under running water.
Now in a large bowl of boiling water drop the leaves. After 10 minutes drain the hot water and
soak the leaves in chilly fridge water to retain the bright green color of the leaves.
Now put in a blender and grind to a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Grind the roughly chopped garlic, ginger, green chilly in a food processor and grind to paste.

Heat Ghee( Oil if you are health conscious )in a wok/deep pan. Add the brown cardamom,
cloves, whole peppercorns and cook till brown.

Add chopped onions and cook till transparent.

Add the ginger, garlic and green chilly pastes. Also add the chopped tomatoes. Stir fry on low
heat.

Add the powdered spices one by one.....garam masala powder, red chilly powder, amchoor
powder, salt, sugar and kasoori methi powder. Cook for 5 minutes till all are well blended.

Dry roast the kasoori methi leaves till crisp, cool a little and then rub against your palm to crush
to powder.

Add the spinach paste and cook for 5 minutes more.

Then take off the fire and cool. Add 1/2 cup of milk and mix.

Now put back on low gas flame and mix in the paneer pieces,cut into1"cubes. After 5 minutes,
turn the flame off and transfer to a serving bowl.

Serve with paratha or roti.

Tips :
I prepare Garam Masala with 2 tbsp Coriander seeds,2 tbsp cumin seeds, 1/2 Jaiphal,1 tbsp
Javetri,6 green cardamom, 6 cloves,1 inch cinnamon, 4 brown cardamom seeds and 6
peppercorns.
Dry roast on low flame in a griddle and then dry grind to powder. Keep stored in an airtight box.
 Palak Paneer

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX------------------------XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 NARKEL WITH CHOLAR DAL RECIPE
Ingredients:
Chola dal – 150 gms
Green Cardamom (whole)- 2 nos
Cloves (whole)- 2 nos
Cinnamon stick – ½ inch piece
Dry red chilli – 1no.
Bay leaves – 2 nos
Jeera (whole) – ¼ tsp
Kaju & raisin (kishmish) – 1 tsp each
Fresh coconut cut into small pieces – 1 tbsp
Jeera paste – ½ tsp
Ginger paste – ½ tsp
Ghee – 2 tsp
Garam masala powder – ½ tsp
Green chilli – 2 nos. slit length-wise
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Red chilli powder – ¼ tsp
Sugar – ¼ tsp
Salt – as per taste
Oil – 50 ml (sunflower oil)

Bhaja masala powder:

Dry red chilli – 2
Tej pata (bay leaves) – 1
Jeera (whole) – 1 tbsp

Roast the above ingredients on a tawa till it emits the beautiful aroma. Let it
cool and then dry grind to a coarse powder. Keep aside.
Procedure:
Boil dal with bay leaves, cinnamon stick, turmeric and salt. Do not overcook
the dal. They should be whole after having been boiled.

Heat oil and sauté kaju and kishmish and keep aside. Add jeera, cloves,
green cardamom, green chilli and dry red chilli. Sauté lightly and add the
coconut pieces, toss lightly till the coconut pieces turns golden. Now add the
ginger paste & jeera paste. Sauté for some time and add ½ cup water. Add
turmeric powder, chilli powder, kaju and kishmish and the boiled dal (slightly
mashed by hand). Let the dal thicken a bit and then add 1 tsp bhaja masala
powder, 1 tsp ghee, garam masala powder ½ tsp and let it come to a boil.
Let it stand in the pan for 5-7 min. Dish it out with 1 tsp ghee.

This dish is traditionally had with fulko luchi or kochuri. Goes well with roti
(chapatti) as well.
 Chilli Paneer Recipe
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes
Servings: 2-3

Ingredients:

 200 gms cottage cheese (paneer) cut in long slices

 1 capsicum/ bell pepper cut into slices
 1 tbsp cornflour
 1 tsp ground black pepper
 2-3 green chillies sliced
 2 tsp garlic chopped
 1 tsp ginger chopped
 1 cup spring onions (white part only) chopped
 1 normal onion, sliced
 2 tsp cornflour diluted in 1 cup of water
 1 tbsp dark Soy Sauce
 1 tbsp vinegar
 1 tps red chilli sauce (home made or bottled one)
 1/4 tsp ajinomoto
 1/2 tsp white pepper powder
 Cooking oil
 Salt to taste

How to make Chilli Paneer:

 In a mixing bowl add cornflour, salt, ground black pepper and 5-6 tsp water.
 Mix thoroughly and make a thin batter.
 Dip the long cubes of paneer into the batter and deep fry in the sufficient oil.
 Keep aside on tissue paper.
 Heat up a wok and add 1 tsp oil.
 In the hot oil add chopped garlic, saute well.
 Add chopped ginger and chopped green chillies.
 Add white part of spring onions along with normal sliced onion.
 Add slices of capsicum.
 Add salt, ajinomoto, white pepper powder, mix well and toss.
 Quickly add soy sauce, red chilli sauce and vinegar mix and toss.
 Add diluted cornflour and 2 cups of water.
 Add the fried paneer. Mix well and cook for a minute.

 Chilli Paneer is ready.

Chef Tip:

Be careful while making the cornflour batter, the consistency should be thin and not thick,
otherwise it will affect the taste of paneer.