Tasty Palak Paneer And Crispy Palak Pakora
Green, fresh, spicy and aromatic Palak Paneer and crunchy Palak Pakora are definitely a mouth-watering treat for taste buds.
Palak Paneer is one of the most popular Indian vegetarian dishes in the world. Made with all fresh ingredients, Palak Paneer tastes great with Naan roti or Jeera Rice. Originally from North India, this dish is one of the “must-have†items for special occasion menus allover India. Rich in iron, calcium, vitamins and minerals, spinach is good for eyesight. It is also considered to be good for blood pressure, cardiovascular system and skin health. Where spinach can make smooth and satisfying gravy, it can also make crunchy and tempting fritters. Palak Pakora is an appetizer that no one can eat just one.
Paneer is a non-melting homemade cheese commonly made by curdling hot milk with lemon juice or vinegar. It is a rich source of protein. It is healthy and kids love to eat paneer. It can be used to prepare range of starters, curries and desserts. Some other popular paneer dishes are Paneer Tikka, Mutter Paneer, Paneer Pakora (fritter) and Paneer Butter Masala. Here are simple recipes for Palak Paneer and Palak Pakora.
Palak Paneer (Cottage Cheese in Spinach Gravy)
Ingredients
2 bunches of spinach
250 grams paneer (cottage cheese)
2 green chillies
1 teaspoon garlic paste
1 tbsp ghee
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander powder
2 tbsp whipping cream
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
Vegetable oil
Salt
Water
Procedure
1. Remove stems and wash spinach leaves carefully to ensure there is no soil at all.
2. Boil enough water in a big pan to blanch spinach for 4-5 minutes. Transfer spinach to a strainer to remove excess water.
3. Grind spinach with green chillies to make a fine paste.
4. Make one inch cubes of cottage cheese.
5. Heat 4-5 tbsp oil in a pan. Fry paneer cubes till golden brown. Transfer fried paneer cubes to salted warm water so that excess oil is removed and the softness is locked inside.
6. Heat ghee in a pan. Add cumin seeds and allow them to splutter. Add turmeric powder, garlic paste and coriander powder and stir for half minute.
7. Add Spinach puree and stir well. Add some water if required. Add salt and let the gravy boil.
8. Add paneer and mix well.
9. Remove from heat and stir in whipping cream retaining some for garnishing. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with a drizzle of cream. Serve hot with warm Naan roti or jeera rice.
Note – Turmeric powder is optional. 1-2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice can be added while serving.
Palak Pakora (Spinach Fritter)
Ingredients
1 bunch of spinach (preferably large leaves)
1 cup chickpea flour
1 tbsp rice flour
1 teaspoon green chilly paste
1 teaspoon garlic paste
1 teaspoon coriander powder
½ teaspoon ajwain
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 tbsp oil for mixing in batter
Water
Salt to taste
Vegetable oil for frying
Procedure
1. Remove steams and wash spinach leaves. Separate the leaves to dry on a paper towel.
2. Combine chickpea flour, rice flour, salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder and ajwain in a bowl and mix well. Add green chilly paste and garlic paste.
3. Heat oil and add it to flour mixture and keep aside the mixture for 2 minutes
4. . Mix the ingredients well using your fingers. Add water slowly while braking lumps if any. Make the batter adding enough of water.
5. Heat oil in a frying pan. Remove a drop of batter into the oil. If it starts frying making the drop lighter and come on the surface, your oil is hot enough.
6. Dip every single spinach leaf in the batter and remove gently in the oil. 4-5 fritters can be fried at a time.
7. Fry the fritters until they become nice golden brown. Remove on a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Serve with tomato ketchup.
Note – Proportion of chilly can be altered. If the batter feels too sticky, add some water. If it is too liquid, add chickpea flower.
