Easy Spinach And Paneer Cheese Curry No Onion Or Garlic Recipes

PALAK PANEER RECIPE | SPINACH PANEER

Steps:

• Pluck only the young & tender spinach leaves and discard the stems as they may leave a bitter taste. If using baby spinach you can use the stems as well.
• Add them to a large pot of water. Rinse them well few times & drain to a colander.
• Allow the water to drain completely otherwise it will let out lot of moisture while cooking.
• Heat half tablespoon oil in a pan. Saute green chilies, cashews and spinach for 3 to 4 mins until the leaves wilt off thoroughly & raw smell of spinach has gone away. [OR another option is to blanch the palak in 4 cups of hot water with ¼ tsp salt for 2 mins. Then immerse in ice cold water. Drain completely.]
• Cool this completely. Blend this along with ¼ cup water to a smooth puree. The puree should be smooth and thick. You may add 1 to 2 tbsps more water to help in blending.
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter and half tablespoon oil to the same pan, Once they melt, add cinnamon, cardamoms, cloves & cumin seeds.
• When the spices begin to sizzle, add onions and fry till they turn transparent to golden.
• Next saute ginger garlic paste for 1 to 2 minutes or until you begin to smell it nice.
• Then add tomatoes with salt. Saute until they break down and turn mushy.
• Add garam masala & saute until the masala smells good. This may take 2 mins. (for a smoother curry refer notes)
• Pour ¾ cup water and cook covered until onions are completely soft. There should be some water left in the pan. (for consistency check video)
• Lower the flame, add kasuri methi and pureed spinach. Mix well and cook until it begins to bubble for about 2 to 3 mins. If the curry is too thick you may add a few tbsps of hot water.
• Avoid overcooking. Add paneer & mix well. Turn off and remove to a serving bowl. Optionally garnish with cream.
• Serve palak paneer with naan, roti or Jeera rice.

PALAK PANEER - INDIAN SPINACH CURRY WITH HOMEMADE FRESH CHEESE

Steps:

• Saute onion & spices: Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, fenugreek, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes until onion is softened but not golden.
• Add garlic and ginger, cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the tomato and chilli, cook for 3 minutes on a medium heat.
• Add spinach: Add about 1/3 of the spinach - or as much as you can handle in the pot (!) - and stir until wilted. Then add more spinach along with the water, cook again until wilted. Repeat until all the spinach is wilted.
• Cook 10 minutes: Cook, stirring every now and then, for 10 minutes still on a medium heat.
• Cream & lemon: Add the cream and lemon juice. Cook, stirring gently, for 3 minutes.
• Puree half spinach: Remove half the spinach into a tall container and blend it to a puree using a stick blender. Pour pureed spinach back into the pot, and stir to combine.
• Add Pan Fried Paneer: Gently stir in golden pan-fried paneer (see below). Stir gently to mix through.
• Serve over basmati rice with fluffy, chewy homemade naan on the side!

EASY SPINACH AND PANEER CHEESE CURRY (NO ONION OR GARLIC)

Steps:

• Thaw the frozen spinach in the microwave for 7 minutes on high, or until well thawed. Let cool for about 10 minutes.
• Put the thawed spinach into a food processor. Add the tomato, flour, ginger, ground coriander, cayenne powder and turmeric. Puree.
• In a large nonstick frying pan put the oil and heat over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the cubed paneer cheese and cook until well browned. Place the cheese on paper towels to drain and set aside.
• Remove half the remaining oil in the frying pan. Reheat the pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the spinach mixture and stir-fry for about 10 minutes until everything is well cooked.
• Add the salt and garam masala (optional) and stir to blend.
• Remove pan from the heat and stir in half the cream, milk or yogurt (or a combination, or leave out entirely). When well blended, add the rest of the cream, milk or yogurt and mix again. Add extra dairy if you like it creamier.
• Put the frying pan back on the heat. Stir in the fried cheese and cook just until the curry is heated through.
• Good served with either rice or Indian bread. Also delicious adding a bit of it to an omelet.
• Variations: Instead of paneer cheese, you could add diced potatoes, chickpeas, or frozen green peas stirred in at the end. You may also serve the spinach plain without the cheese, potatoes, chickpeas or peas.

AUTHENTIC SAAG PANEER

Steps:

• Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook spinach and fenugreek in the boiling water until wilted, about 3 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a food processor. Puree until finely chopped, about 5 pulses.
• Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry paneer cubes, stirring constantly, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in the skillet and fry the cumin seeds until lightly toasted and aromatic, about 3 minutes. Add onion; cook and stir until onion begins to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in ginger, garlic, tomato, garam masala, turmeric, and cayenne pepper; cook and stir until tomatoes break down and onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in spinach and fenugreek, cream, paneer cubes, and salt to taste. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

PALAK PANEER (SPINACH CURRY)

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir spinach in hot oil until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer spinach to a blender or food processor; puree until spinach becomes a coarse paste.
• Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a saucepan over medium heat; cook cumin in hot oil until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add onion, green chile peppers, and garlic. Cook and stir until onion is tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and cover saucepan. Simmer for 1 minute and add blended spinach paste, water, ground coriander, red chile powder, and salt. Continue to cook until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Stir paneer into spinach mixture and simmer until hot, 1 to 2 minutes more.