Spinach with Cottage Cheese (Palak Paneer)

Yet another Spinach recipe! Do I like spinach so much? Not really. It’s just a little coincidental (and a small manifestation of my wish to eat more of healthy green vegetables!)

This recipe of Palak Paneer (Spinach with Cottage Cheese) comes from the Punjabi cuisine. A cuisine that’s full of - healthy, rich and heavy preparations - because it was made for the men-women doing exhaustive physical work in the farms (mostly wheat laden!). They wanted a diet that can help them keep up their energy levels in the farms or other places which required great amount of physical efforts. Most of the recipes in Punjabi cuisine make a generous use of white butter, ghee(Indian clarified butter) and paneer. The farms also gave them access to fresh ingredients all the time - eating mostly seasonal and fresh produce.

This recipe balances the salty-bitterness of Spinach with near-bland-to-lactic taste of Indian Cottage Cheese aka Paneer. The Spinach is a powerhouse packed with a lot of iron, calcium and good amount of dietary fibers. Spinach has a cooling effect on the body and makes a good vegetable for the hot summer in India. It should be definitely on the diet of people suffering from constipation, anemia, urinary diseases and night blindness. Paneer is packed with lot of proteins, minerals, carbs, and calcium and phosphorous.

I have cooked this recipe in a heavy bottom copper-clad narrow opening pan known as Handi in India. The narrow opening makes sure the flavors don’t escape and the heavy bottom helps in slow cooking. I am sure the cooking technique makes the different in how the recipe tastes!

For folks out there with lactose intolerance, substitute paneer with tofu.

OK let’s get busy cooking it!

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Ingredients:

• A bowl of cooked spinach (blanched)
• 100gm Indian cottage cheese (more if you like)
• 10-15 garlic cloves
• 3-4 red chilies
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp mustard seeds
• A pinch of asafetida
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• A pinch of nutmeg powder
• 2 tbsp white butter

Steps:

1. Heat oil in the pan
2. When the oil is real hot lower the heat
3. Add a pinch of asafetida and mustard seeds
4. When mustard seeds pop add the cumin seeds
5. Add the garlic cloves and fry them till they turn light brown
6. Then add the cubed paneer, turmeric powder, chili powder and the ginger garlic paste
7. Fry the paneer till it becomes a little golden brown on the edges
8. Stir in the pre-cooked spinach and mix it well with the other ingredients in the pan
9. Add white butter and mix it well
10. Cover and cook for 10 minutes
11. Turn of the heat - add the fresh cream, garam masala and pinch of nutmeg powder. Stir well and keep it covered till served.

Serve with Indian bread (makke di roti - corn flat bread or chapati - wheat flat bread). Add a little water during cooking to serve with rice.

Bon Appétit!

Batter Dipped Crispy Fried Spinach

Now that's the kind of title I was trying to work out for some time. Something that not just sounds different but tests different as well :)

One of the vegetable sellers near my house sells only leafy vegetables. I saw fresh bunches of Spinach on sell this evening and started to wonder what new recipe I can try out with it (something quick!). This idea of crisp frying the spinach was in my head since sometime now (cooking there!).

Here comes a recipe which is inspired from traditional Indian snack recipe - Bhajji or Pakoda. While the batter may be the same, it's unusual to crisp fry the spinach leaves. Traditionally the Spinach leaves will be shredded/chopped and added to a thick batter. And thick balls made from the batter mix would be fried. Instead of chopping the leaves, I have tried to use it whole!

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Ingredients:

* Fresh spinach leaves cleaned & washed (retain the stems )



* Batter:

• Gram flour
  
• Chilly powder
• Turmeric powder ( a pinch of)
• Asafoetida (a pinch of)
• Coriander and cumin seed powder
• Cumin seeds
• Salt to taste

* Oil for frying

Steps:

1. Wash and clean the spinach leaves. Retain the long stems, which can be used to hold the crispy hot leaves when served. It also makes the dish look great and different.
   
   
   
   
2. Mix the ingredients for the batter. Add a little water and stir it nicely. Make sure no lumps are formed. Taste the batter and adjust the ingredients accordingly. Maintain a semi-thick consistency.
   
   
   
   
3. Heat oil in a pan.
4. Dip the spinach leaf in the batter one at a time. Make sure the leaf is coated on the both sides with the batter.
   
   
   
   
5. Release the coated leaf in the hot oil for a crispy fry. Fry on both the sides for 20-30 seconds (depending on the temperature of the oil). If you fry in a small pan you can manage the leaf using the stem itself.
   
6. Set aside on a paper tissue for 3-4 minutes to soak the excess oil.
   
   
   
   
7. Serve with mint chutney or any sauce that you like.

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This recipe makes a good choice as a tea time snack or quick recipe for sudden guests!

Enjoy!

Keerai Sundal (Spinach Fry)

This recipe comes to you from the southern state of India known as Tamilnadu. Its easy to prepare, quick to cook, and healthy to eat!!!


Ingredients:

* A bunch of Spinach
* Mustard seeds, Turmeric powder, Asafoetida, Salt and Sambhar powder(optional)
* Vegetable oil




Steps:

* Wash and drain the spinach leaves.
* Chop them finely (Since we dont make paste or puree its good to chop finely)
* Stir in the chopped Spinach, Turmeric powder and Asafoetida in a non-stick pan




* Once the Spinach is tender and most of the water is gone, add a little salt (be careful as the Spinach has a salty taste naturally)




* In a separate pan, heat the oil
* Add Mustard seeds to the hot oil and let them pop
* Transfer the cooked Spinach in this pan and cook for 5-8 minutes (or till the Spinach is done)



* Serve with hot chapatis or fulkas (Indian bread made from wheat flour)





For complete step by step photos of this recipes - Keerai Sundal

(Taken from the book - Samayal by Viji Varadrajan)

Sarson da Saag (Mustard greens with Spinach)

Ingredients

* 2-3 bunches of Mustard greens - chopped



* 1 bunch of Spinach - chopped



* 2 tbsp of Ginger garlic paste
* 4-5 sliced cloves of Garlic



* 3-4 slit Green chillies
* 2 tbsp Corn flour
* 1 tsp Cumin seeds
* 4 tbsp Desi ghee (clarified butter)


Preparation:

* Cut & clean the Mustard greens and Spinach leaves.
* Cook in a pressure cooker or steamer - separately (use little water)
* Puree to thick consistency



Steps:

* Heat desi ghee in a non stick pan
* Add finely chopped onion and fry a for a little while
* Add the ginger-garlic paste, sliced garlic and the cumin seeds - fry for a little while
* Add the corn flour and mix it well with the other ingredients
* Add the slit green chillies and fry a little
* Add the Mustard greens & Spinach puree and mix well
* Let is cook for 15-20 minutes - keep stirring in between
* In a separate pan heat desi ghee and add red chili powder to it
* Spread it over the cooked green vegetable and cover for 2-3 minutes for the flavors to get trapped.
* Sarason da Saag is ready. Serve it with Makke di Roti (Indian bread made with corn flour).