Palak Paneer - Popeye's Favorite :-)

I was thinking hard about how to introduce my next recipe and I suddenly remember my 2+ year old son watching Popeye's the sailor cartoon and going nuts over it. 

He reminded me of my childhood when my younger brother and I used to see and wonder how Popeye quickly ate a whole big jar of spinach when in trouble and quickly gained strength. Why wouldn't he, now I say. After all Spinach comes on top of the list of world's healthiest vegetables!

Spinach is rich source of Iron, Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Vitamin B2, Potassium, Copper, and the list goes on and on.

I think everyone should eat this vegetable at least twice a week especially the kids. 

Today I will show you my first hand attempt on cooking a very popular Indian dish Palak Paneer (Spinach and Cottage Cheese).

Here is how the whole process go.

Ingredients

• Fresh Spinach, roughly 400 gms. Rinse it through clean water.
• 2 tsp ginger paste.
• 3 tsp garlic paste.
• 1 tsp cumin seeds. 
• Cottage Cheese 200 gms cut into small cubes.
• 1 onion finely chopped.
• 1 tomato finely chopped.
• 2 tsp red chili powder (adjust as per taste).
• 4 green chili finely chopped.
• 1 tsp garam masala.
• 1 tsp black pepper.
• Salt to taste.
• Butter or Cilantro leaves to garnish.

Cooking Process

• Take water into a deep pan. Bring it to a running boil.
• Pour spinach and boil it for 2-3 minutes.
• Take spinach out and make a fine paste of boiled spinach in a mixer. Take it out and keep it aside.
• Chop onion and green chilies in a chopper.
• Take a separate pan on medium heat.
• Add olive oil, or refined oil, or butter or desi ghee.
• Add cumin seeds. Let them crackle.
• Add finely chopped onion and chilies. Saute till onion change its color.
• Add ginger and garlic paste.
• Mix them. Saute them well.
• Toss the finely chopped tomato. 
• Add salt and red chili. Mix them well.
• Cover the pan and let it cook on slow heat. Keep giving them a gentle mix in between.
• Once oil separates out, add the spinach puree into it.
• Mix them well.
• Add garam masala and black pepper.
• Add cottage cheese cubes.
• Mix them well.
• Cover the pan and cook it for 10 minutes.
• And that's it.

Let's Plate up

Hey I am no expert, but I do hope you will like this dish. Please give it a try. As always your comments and suggestions are welcome.

Cheers