Friday, January 12, 2007

Aloo Palak Paneer



Preparation time: 45 Mins

Ingredients:

2 small potatoes
1 bunch of spinach
Paneer cut into cubes ( abt 10-15 pieces)
2 tbsp oil 1 small cut onion
5-6 green chilies
2 tbsp curry power
1 tbsp garam masala power
2 tbsp jeera
1 tbsp Garlic ginger paste

1 cup water
100ml of tomato paste or puree
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Chili Powder


Method:

1. Cut and wash the spinach and boil it in a pressure cooker without the weight for about 15 mins.

2. In the meantime, cut the 2 small potatoes into cubes and boil them. Once they are boiled set them aside.

3. Heat a pan, add oil, then garlic/ginger paste, jeera, green chilies and onions and fry them till they are golden brown . Set aside and let it cool

4. Once it is cooled, add curry powder and garam masala powder to the onions and blend the mixture in a blender to make it a paste.

5. After 15 mins, take out the spinach from the cooker and let it cool. Once it's cooled, blend the spinach to make it like a paste.

6. Now in a pan, add some oil, and fry the paneer on a low flame (paneer can be cut into cubes or any shape as desired).
7. Once the paneer is fried, add the tomato paste and let it fry for a few mins. Then add to it the spinach paste along with 1 cup of water.

8. Mix it for a while and then add the boiled potatoes to this as well.

9. Add salt and chili powder as desired and cook this on low flame for another 15 mins.

10. Ready to serve and eat!

Note:

1. While boiling the potatoes, try to boil them in as little water as possible. So that they stay as cubes and dont smudge.

2. To prepare paneer at home, boil milk in a vessel, and let it cool for a while. Once it's cooled, squeez one whole lemon into the milk. The milk should have become a bit hard, then take a cotton cloth ( make sure the cloth is neat!!) and pour the milk into it, and tie it tightly at the ends. The liquid should be drained and only the solid to remain inside. Store this cloth away for about 4-6 hours or overnight in the fridge ( in the fridge, so that it becomes hard and solid and can be cut in shapes easily). After 4-6 hours take it out of the fridge and wash it and it should be ready to use.