Non-Traditional Paneer Palak

Whole Spinach Paneer Palak (could look better)

This evening we decided to go vegetarian so I made an Aloo Gobi and a Paneer Palak. Both being "dry" curries I also made a rich butter rice to eat them with, but I should have ignored the Hub and made a wet curry as well. I didn't make the Paneer Palak the usual way (e.g. boiling and then chopping/mixing the spinach) which would give a rather smooth dish - as I prefer to eat my spinach not too cooked and with the leaves intact. Not having paneer, I substitued with Ricotta. Don't ask me how it tasted, I don't like most cheeses (except Cheddar, Beaufort, Cantal...) so I only picked out the spinach, but Hub said it was good.

My Paneer Palak :

Spinach washed and drained

Ricotta Cheese

Onion

Ginger

Garlic

Chilli

Cumin Seeds

Mustard Seeds

Ground Coriander

Ground Turmeric

Tomato

Salt and Pepper

Butter

Fresh Coriander Leaves

I put the spinach in a big bowl with some salt and microwaved it on high for 4 minutes. Mix well and set aside. If you want to, you can chop up/mix the spinach till you get a smooth paste. If you're boiling the spinach, you'll need to squeeze out the excess liquid.

In a pan, melt some butter and fry the cheese (cut into cubes) till all sides are golden. Set aside.

Heat up a wok with some oil and brown the onions, garlic and ginger. Add in the other spices and cook till fragrant.

Chop up the tomato and add into the spice paste. Add in the cooked spinach (do not add more salt). Mix well, add in the cheese, more butter and the fresh coriander. Toss well and serve hot with rice, naan or chapati.