Palak Paneer

I decided Palak Paneer sounded perfect for this Meatless Monday. I had planned on making my own paneer, but Val asked me to watch Ethan for the afternoon. I headed to one of my local Indian markets in the morning and found blocks of paneer just waiting to be used and so I went with that option.

I lightly steamed some fresh spinach and ran it through the food processor to chop it all up. I then cut up the paneer into cubes which I sauteed in vegetable oil to give it a little color. The paneer came out and in went the spices, whole coriander seeds, cumin seeds, whole cloves, whole allspice and a cinnamon stick and cooked for a few minutes. Next went in a couple of onions that had been thinly sliced and allowed to soften. I pureed fresh ginger with garlic cloves and a little water to make a paste which was added to the softened onions. This mixture was allowed to cook down until the liquid had evaporated. Peeled, chopped tomatoes went in next and cooked for a few minutes. Finally the pureed spinach was added back in and cooked down until the liquid was almost gone. A little heavy cream went in next and allowed to cook until slightly thickened. The browned paneer was added back in along with some salt and stirred to combine.

This yummy mixture was served over cumin-scented Rice Pilaf. It was not a pretty dish but a very flavorful dish.