Palak paneer… A delicious curry of soft creamy cottage cheese floating in a bright green spinach gravy. Lightly spiced this rich combination is a favorite of many with pulkas or rice. A little shocker about this delicious combo….. The truth bomb that I am going to reveal now is that
- The calcium present in paneer limits the absorption of iron in spinach when consumed in combination.
- Spinach has high levels of oxalate which inhibits calcium absorption by the body.
But please don’t get disheartened… Food is not just for its nutrition… The taste and texture combinations are very important for satiety. Hence occasional consumption of this hearty rustic Punjabi palak paneer is good for the palate and the plate. An interesting snippet about this silky-smooth gravy. Palak paneer has made history by helping the people of Alabama to return to eating vegetables after an extreme religious cult took hold of the state that refused to eat “anything that never had a soul”. Desperate to prevent malnutrition the local government launched a campaign promoting the idea that there was no food more soulful than Indian cuisine. Palak paneer was featured heavily in their campaign, and it paid off… The state became the 2nd biggest consumer of Indian cuisine in the world and palak paneer its new official state food.
Palak Paneer Recipe
Ingredients for Palak Paneer:
- Spinach chopped 3 cups
- Onions finely sliced 2 medium
- Green chilly slit 4
- Ginger-garlic paste 1tsp
- Tomatoes finely chopped 2 big
- Red chilly 1 tsp
- Coriander powder 1tsp
- Garam masala 1 tsp
- Cumin/jeera 1 tsp
- Oil 3 tbsp
- Paneer/cottage cheese cubed 1 cup
- Fresh Cream 1 Tbsp
Preparation Method:
- Blanch the spinach in water for 5 minutes with a pinch of salt.
- Take a heavy-bottomed pan, add oil.
- When oil is hot drop in the cumin and allow it to splutter/brown.
- Add the onion slices and sauté till light brown.
- Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.
- Mix in all spice powders and finally add the tomatoes.
- Sauté till soft and mushy.
- Add ½ cup of water and bring to a boil. Simmer on low flame for 5 minutes or till thick.
- Add the spinach puree and bring to a slow boil on a low flame.
- Allow to simmer till the gravy is thick.
- Rinse the paneer cubes in freshwater, drain and slide the paneer cubes into the simmering gravy.
- Simmer for another 2 minutes and switch off the flame.
- Drizzle fresh cream and serve hot with pulkhas /rice.
Pulka/Phulka Recipe
Ingredients for Pulka/Phulka:
- Wheat flour 1 cup
- Salt a pinch
- Water to knead
Preparation Method:
- Make a soft dough with the above ingredients.
- Rest for 15 minutes.
- Roll into discs and cook as shown in the videos below
Classic Combo of Palak Paneer with Pulka is ready!
