Palak Paneer (Cottage cheese cubes in spinach sauce)

Palak paneer is my husband's favorite dish. It is definitely yummy especially when paired with either peas pulao or chapatis. It is one of those dishes that comforts the palate as it is simple and flavorful without much of a fuss. A great dish to take to a potluck or to cook for a special occasion. It takes about 30 minutes to prepare. The quantity mentioned below will feed a family of 4-5 people.

Ingredients:

• Spinach - 1 packet of frozen spinach or 10oz of fresh spinach
• Onions - 1 onion chopped finely
• Ginger - 1 inch piece of ginger finely chopped 
• Garlic - 2 pods of garlic chopped finely
• Tomatoes - 2 medium sized tomatoes cubed
• Paneer - Indian cottage cheese (14oz) - cut into cubes
• Cumin seeds - a pinch
• Cloves - 2
• Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander (dhanya) powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - per your preference
• Ghee or butter - 1 tbsp
• Oil - 1-2 tbsp
• Optional: A dash of cream or milk to give an added richness
• Optional: If you are craving spice add in a green chilli when cooking the onions. 
• Food processor or mixie to grind the sauce. 

Steps:

1. Boil spinach separately in water. Drain the spinach leaves in a colander and set aside. 
2. Add oil to a cooking pan and put in the cumin seeds and cloves. 
3. When the oil get a little hot, add in the chopped onions (and optionally the green chilli).
4. Saute the onions till they become translucent. 
5. Add in the ginger and garlic and saute for a minute on lower flame.
6. Add in the spices (turmeric, chilli powder and coriander powder).
7. Add the tomatoes and salt. 
8. Cook the mixture on medium heat till the tomatoes become a paste. Turn off the flame. 
9. Cool the mixture before blending it along with the spinach in a food processor or mixie. Make sure to blend it into a smooth paste. 
10. Now, to the cooking pan, add in the butter or ghee. 
11. When the ghee/butter melts, add in the spinach-onion-tomato paste. 
12. Add a dash of cream and stir the sauce.
13. Add in the paneer.
14. Cover and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. 

The dish is all set to serve.