palak paneer

It's one of my favorite dishes to have at an Indian restaurant. Palak Paneer is basically creamed spinach cooked in a creamy onion/tomato-based masala and paneer (Indian cheese) mixed in. When I tried this recipe, it didn't taste as good as I had hoped. But I let it sit for a bit as I waited for my husband to get back from work. And I tried it then again with rice - It turned out delicious!!! Just like it tastes in the restaurant!

Ingredients

• Paneer - 7 oz or 200 g, cut up into cubes
• Oil - 2 tbsp for sauteeing paneer + another 2 tbsp for the gravy (I used coconut oil for a relatively healthier version)
• Salt - to taste
• Red chilli powder - a few pinches for paneer + 1 tsp for gravy
• Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1.5 tsp
• Cumin seeds
• Onions - 1/2 cup chopped
• Garlic - 1 tbsp minced
• Green chili - 1 chopped
• Tomato paste - 2 tbsps
• Cashew paste - about 3 tbsp cashews soaked in hot water for 10-15 minutes and pureed into a smooth paste (It's okay if it's a little runny!)
• Spinach - About 3/4 pack of frozen or ~363 grams
• Cream - 1/4 cup
• Dried fenugreek leaves - 2-3 tbsps crushed
• Garam masala - 1 tbsp
• Sugar - 2 tsps

Steps

1. First, in a non-stick pan, sautee paneer cubes in about 2 tbsp oil with some salt and red chilli powder and keep aside.
2. Next in about 2 tbsps of oil, in the same pan if you like, add in cumin seeds. When they nearly begin to change color, add in onions and sautee for about 4-5 minutes and throw in the minced garlic and cut up chili and sautee some more.
3. When the onions have turned brown, add in tomato paste, red chilli powder, turmeric, and coriander powder and mix until the tomato paste has been spiced well and cooked through a bit.
4. Next add in the cashew paste and mix until the mixture comes together and does not stick to your pan.
5. Throw in the pureed spinach and salt at this point to your liking. If needed, add a little bit of water and cook for 9-10 minutes, or however long it takes for the spinach to get cooked through. Taste to ensure that there is no bitter taste.
6. When it's cooked, add in the cream, garam masala, sugar, crushed dried fenugreek leaves, and paneer, and cook for maybe another 2-3 minutes until everything has come together.
7. Serve next to soft whole wheat rotis or with a 1/2 cup of steamed rice!

Chettinad Masala Kuzhambu (Gravy)

As a tribute to my South Indian side (and also because I bought radishes from the farmer's market recently), I decided to give this new recipe a try. It's a gorgeous sauté of radishes in an onion/tomato gravy with undertones of coconut and fennel seeds. The gravy is different from the usual gravies that I have tried and it came out to be delicious! (Trust me on that, because I would never post anything that I don't find delicious!)

The original source of the recipe says you can use other vegetables too, but I am attempting to use other vegetables in our regular diet.

Recipe Courtesy: http://www.sharmispassions.com/2012/01/chettinad-masala-kuzhambu-masala-gravy.html

Ingredients

• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Bay leaf - 1
• Cinnamon - 1/4 inch piece
• Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Onion - 1/2 of a medium sized or 1/4 cup finely chopped
• Garlic - 3-4 cloves, finely chopped
• Curry leaves - 6

• Radish - 4, sliced thin
• Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
• Water - Keep about 2 cups on hand.
• Salt to taste
• Cilantro leaves - 1 tbsp chopped

For grinding:

• Coconut - 1/4 cup (I had desiccated coconut powder, but that works just as well in my opinion :) )
• Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Onion - 1, chopped finely
• Tomato - 1, chopped finely

Steps

1. We're starting with the ingredients under the grinding step. Heat 1 tbsp of oil and throw in your onions. Once the onions are sautéed well (I almost like them to brown a bit), throw in the chopped tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are well-softened.
2. Cool this mixture and grind into a smooth paste with the rest of the two ingredients under the grinding section: fennel seeds and coconut. Keep this paste aside.
3. Now let's head back to the rest of the ingredients. Heat the rest of the 1 tbsp of oil in the same pan and when the oil is hot, throw in the bay leaf, fennel seeds, and cinnamon stick. Mix for a few seconds.
4. Add the chopped onions and garlic and mix again for 1 minute or so. Now add in the curry leaves and sautee until the aroma from the curry leaves fills up your kitchen!
5. Now add in the radishes and sautee for 4-5 minutes.
6. Next, put in the coriander powder and red chili powder and mix for another few seconds until the masala powders coat the radishes well.
7. At this point add in a little more than a 1/4th cup of water and salt, and let the radishes boil in this mixture for another 5-6 minutes.
8. Once the radishes look somewhat cooked through, add in the paste made in step 2, and let the concoction boil on low heat for 10-15 minutes. I cut my radishes not so thin so I had to cook for longer. But you really just want to cook until the radishes are somewhat soft. Keep checking every 4-5 minutes or so and add more water as you may need to. My gravy kept drying up fast so I ended up adding a total of about 1.5 cups of water.
9.  Once finished, check for salt and other spices. Then garnish your finished product with ample amounts of chopped cilantro.
10. Serve hot with steaming basmati rice!