Bhatura Recipe
Palak Paneer
Palak Paneer is a dish I have relished since childhood, as I love Palak and Paneer both. This dish is popular in North India and is one of the most popular Paneer dishes. It is usually served with Roti, Parathas, and other Indian Bread. It goes really well with Plain Rice, Jeera rice and Pulav too. In this dish, the Palak is pureed and made into a thick gravy with spices and the Paneer pieces are cooked in it. This dish is a great way to add Palak to your diet.
Spinach/Palak is loaded with Iron and fibre and the Paneer is rich in proteins and so this makes it a healthy recipe.
Well, there are loads of Palak Paneer recipes that recommend using cashewnuts or cream for a thicker or creamier gravy, I feel that this makes the dish heavy. Palak by itself when pureed after blanching has volume, plus the onions and tomatoes sauteed and ground also adds body to the dish, so adding cashew paste or cream is not absolutely necessary, though if one likes the taste of it, then no harm in adding them too. That said it does not make much of a difference to the dish. I usually use the cream only as a garnish, that too around 1 tsp.
There are many other Palak recipes from different cuisines and I will try and bring them to you over a period of time. While you are here please go through my recipes of other Subjis like Drumstick curry, Brinjal pepper masala, Kadai Paneer, Mixed vegetable curry, Gutti vankaya Kura, Matar Paneer, Paneer palak steamed Koftas, Arbi masala and Lauki Kaddu ke Kofthey.
Please do try out my Dal recipes like Rajma masala, Dal Makhni, Choley, Pakodewali Dal and Hari Moong ki dal.
Here is the recipe of Palak paneer for you—
PREP TIME: 15 Mins COOK TIME: 25 Mins
TOTAL TIME: 40Mins COURSE: MAIN
CUISINE: NORTH INDIAN SERVINGS: 4
AUTHOR: Rajni Ram
Ingredients
Palak 1 bunch
Paneer 200 gm
Onion 1 large or 2 small
Green chillies 2
Tomato 2 large to medium size
Ginger- garlic paste 1 tsp
Cloves 2
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Salt as required
Garam masala powder 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder 2 tsp
Fennel Powder 1 tsp
red chilli powder 1 ts
Oil for sauteeing
Directions:
Chop the Palak roughly and blanch them, I usually put them in the microwave for 2 mins. Alternately just put them in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain the water and pour cold water over the Palak, this helps in keeping the green colour intact. Puree the Palak and keep ready.
Now in a karahi pour some oil and heat. Add 2 cloves followed by Cumin seeds and drop in the chopped onions. Saute for a minute, add the green chillies and continue to saute for 30 seconds, finally add the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes turn mushy. Cool them. Now blend the onion-tomato mixture to a puree. In the same karahi take another 2 tsp of oil and heat. Add the cumin seeds followed by turmeric powder and pour the onion-tomato mixture. Fry it nicely in the oil, now add the Palak puree and stir. Cook for about 3 minutes on medium flame and add salt, followed by coriander powder, red chilli powder, fennel powder and continue to cook. Be careful as the palak splutters a lot while cooking, you can keep the karahi partially covered. After about 3-4 minutes of cooking the Palak and tomato mixture will come together, at that stage add the cubed paneer and cook for another 2 minutes on medium flame so that the Paneer absorbs the masala. The delicious Palak Paneer is ready to serve.
Serving suggestions: with Rotis, Parathas, Kulcha, with rice varieties like Jeera rice, Mayar Pulav,
Flavoured rice, vegetable pilaf etc;
STEPWISE RECIPE FOLLOWS:
1. Assemble all ingredients. Blanch the Palak, cube the Paneer, chop onion and tomatoes.
2. Puree the Palak and set aside. In a karahi take oil and heat. Put in the cloves and cumin seeds, and as the cumin splutters add turmeric powder followed by onions and sauté for a minute. Add the green chillies and sauté for 30 seconds and now add the tomatoes and sauté until mushy. Cool and grind to a purée, along with 1 tsp ginger garlic paste.
3. In the same karahi take 2 tsp oil and heat. Now add the cumin seeds and pour in the tomato and onion paste and fry nicely in the oil.
4. Now pour the Palak purée and stir nicely. Add the salt, red chilli powder, coriander powder, fennel powder and stir. Cook on medium flame until combined, approximately 4 minutes.
5. Now add the cubed Paneer pieces to the gravy and cook covered for 2 minutes. Finally, add garam masala powder and turn off the flame. The delicious Palak Paneer is ready.
NOTES:
1. Blanching ( putting the Palak in hot water) is a critical step followed by dipping it in cold water.
2. I don’t usually fry the paneer before adding it to a subji or gravy unless the recipe demands it. While you are readying the gravy just put the cubed paneer in fresh water until it’s time to put it in the gravy. It will absorb the flavours better.
3. Don’t overcook the Palak, it loses its colour and taste.
If you tried this recipe and liked it please comment below. I would love to hear from you.
In case you wish to receive recipes as email, please leave your id in the homepage near the mail icon. Whenever Rajjo’s Kitchen has a new post the recipe will be mailed to you. Your privacy is important to us and we will not share your id with anyone.
Dal Makhni 2 ways
Dal Makhni or Dal Makhani is one of the all-time favourite dishes of my family, whenever we are at a North Indian joint. So I have tasted many versions of it and used to make this recipe at one point in time with cream, as most recipes suggest. I found the dal to be heavy when made this way and then I chanced upon the recipe for Dal Makhni that I’m blogging now on a spice packet, I tried it and it tasted almost like the restaurant ones, so have been following this recipe for a long time now.
Dal Makhni is a dish from Punjab and the main ingredients are black lentils( Black Urad dal whole) Rajma, butter and other spices and condiments. It gets the creamy texture and taste from butter and slow cooking. The longer you cook it on low fire, the tastier. That said, this dal can be made without butter/ cream too. And it tastes all the same.
While you are here please checkout my other recipes like Choley, Pakode wali Dal,
Hari Moong Dal, Rajma and more…
Here is the recipe of Dal Makhni for you–
PREP TIME: 10Mins+soak time(8hrs) COOK TIME: 1 hour
TOTAL TIME: 1 hr 10 Mins COURSE: MAIN
CUISINE: NORTH INDIAN SERVINGS: 4
AUTHOR: Rajni Ram
Ingredients:
Black Whole Urad 200 gm ( black lentils) Soaked overnight
Rajma 1 handful (soaked overnight)
Chana dal 1 tbsp.
Garlic 8 pods (finely chopped)
ginger 1-inch piece chopped
Butter 2 tbsp
Tomato 3 medium pureed
Salt as per taste
Red chilli powder 1 tsp( more if you like it spicy)
Dal makhani masala 1.5 tbsp
Kasoori Methi 1 tsp crushed
Directions: Soak the Black Urad, Rajma and Chana dal overnight. Once soaked put them in a pressure cooker with 2 pods of garlic and the ginger and cook for 6 to 8 whistles. Heat 1 tbsp butter in a pan and heat. Put in the Cinnamon stick and garlic and fry don’t brown them. Add in the Kasoori Methi and fry for half a minute. Now add the tomato puree and cook for 3 minutes. Add in the Dal Makhni masala, Red chilli powder, salt and cook until the butter floats. Lightly mash the cooked dals and add them to the tomato mixture. Stir nicely and add 2 cups water and reduce the heat and cook on low fire for about 25 to 30 minutes. Switch off the stove and add another tablespoon of butter and garnish with finely chopped coriander. Creamy Dal Makhni is ready to serve. This Dal goes really well with Parathas, Roti, Jeera rice and other Indian bread. Enjoy and Bon Appetit.
STEPWISE RECIPE FOLLOWS:
1. Assemble all ingredients. Soak the dals overnight.
2. Cook the soaked dal in a pressure cooker along with some garlic and the ginger and a piece of cinnamon stick for 8 to 10 whistles.
3. Take some butter in a pan and heat. Put in the Cinnamon stick and garlic and fry for 1/2 a minute. The garlic must not turn brown. Add in the crushed Kasoori Methi and fry for a minute.
4. Now add in the pureed tomatoes followed by salt, red chilli powder and Dal Makhani masala and cook. Cook until the butter floats/ forms a layer on top.
5. Now add the cooked dal, stir nicely and add 2 cups of water and cook on low fire for 25 to 30 minutes.
6. After 30 mins put off the stove and add a tablespoon( or more)of butter to the dal and garnish with chopped coriander.
NOTES:
1. The Chana dal gives the creaminess to this dish, so don’t do away with it, at the same time don’t put too much of it or the taste may vary.
2. If you don’t have Dal Makhni Masala, use a small quantity of garam masala. For the measures that are given above 2 tsp garam masala should be sufficient.
3. Adding Kashmiri red chilli powder will give the dish a good colour. I have added a mix of both regular red chilli powder and Kashmiri red chilli powder, so that spice and colour are balanced.
If you tried this recipe and liked it please comment below. I would love to hear from you.
