Recipe: Palak Paneer

By Denise Fernie

This is a spinach and cheese curry. We have also on occasion substituted warrigal greens for spinach, which works really well.

Ingredients

• 2 bunches spinach
• 2 tbsn oil, butter or ghee
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
• 2cm piece of ginger, crushed
• 6 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 200g chopped tomatoes (fresh or tinned)
• salt to taste
• 225g paneer, cubed
• ½ cup pouring cream
• 1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
• pinch of garam masala

Method

1. Blanch the spinach (or warrigal greens) in boiling water for a few minutes, then drain and squeeze out the excess water.  Chop finely.

2. Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, ginger, garlic and onion and fry until golden brown.

3. Add the tomatoes and cook until it becomes a soft paste.

4. Stir in the chopped spinach and season with salt.  Add the paneer and cream, stir and heat through.

5. Lastly, add the dried fenugreek leaves and garam masala.  Stir through gently.  Turn off the heat and leave to sit for 5 or so minutes for the flavours to do their thing, and then serve.