Palak Paneer (Quick and easy)

Palak paneer would be the most loved green leafy dish! This famous restaurant/dhaba dish can be made very easily at home. I went through a lot of recipes for palak paneer and incorporated the useful tips from various blogs and sites. If these simple tips are followed, then we can make this at home just like how it is served at a restaurant or dhaba! So why wait? let's hop on directly to the recipe

INGREDIENTS: (Serves 2)

• Paneer - 10 cubes
• Spinach/Palak - 1 big bunch
• Green chilli - 3
• Ginger - 1 Tsp, chopped
• Garlic - 2 Tsp, finely chopped
• Onion - 1 medium sized, finely chopped
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 Tsp
• Garam Masala powder - 1/2 Tsp
• Kasoori methi - 1 Tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 Tsp
• Curd - 1/2 cup
• Fresh cream - 3-4 Tbsp (optional)
• Lemon juice - 2 Tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 2 Tbsp

METHOD:

1. Wash and drain spinach thoroughly
2. Add spinach to salted boiling water and cook for 2 minutes *
3. Drain the spinach and immediately refresh it with cold water. Strain the excess water
4. Allow it to cool for a while and then blend it along with green chillis into a smooth paste without adding any water. Keep aside
5. In a pan, heat oil and add cumin seeds. Once the seeds splutter, add chopped ginger and garlic. Saute it for a minute and add the onions. Saute it for 3-4 minutes till the onions become translucent *
6. Add turmeric powder and curds, mix well
7. Once it starts to boil, add the spinach puree and mix well
8. Add salt, garam masala powder and crushed kasoori methi
9. If you wanted a rich texture to the gravy, add fresh cream and give it a mix
10. Now add the paneer cubes and mix very gently so that they do not break
11. Finally add lime juice and mix gently *
12. Serve hot with roti/naan/kulcha/ghee rice/jeera pulao

That's it! A restaurant style gravy is ready at home!!

*NOTES:

* Make sure not to over cook the spinach, it will lose its colour. Also never close and cook spinach. Just cook it for 2 minutes in boiling water. Refreshing it immediately with cold water is also to ensure that the spinach retains its lovely green color

* As we are using lesser oil, in order to cook the onions faster, you can add a pinch of salt or sugar while frying them

* Adding lemon juice at the end, not only enhances the flavor of the dish but also helps in easier digestion of spinach