Sunday, December 25, 2011

(Not so Christmassy) Palak Paneer - so green, so tasty!

Merry Christmas!
At this time of year, I miss my family back in England. I remember parties with fruit punch and party hats, crackers, Hunt the Thimble, screaming & shouting, chocolate cornflake cake, Coca Cola, homemade Baileys, and so much more...
My choice of food to write about today isn't particularly Christmassy and definitely doesn't remind me of Christmas' long gone... but it is festive green!


As a vegetarian, living in a hot country, with no oven, it's really quite difficult to make the traditional Christmas roast of my childhood... chicken (or nut roast), stuffing, potatoes (boiled and roast), parsnips, brussel sprouts, carrots, peas, Yorkshire puddings, gravy... my mouth is watering at the thought of it!
Last year I wrote about some of my favourite chefs Christmas recipes, so if Palak Paneer isn't your thing then check out my entry on Christmas Foooooooooooooooooooooood.

I'm sure, however, that this recipe won't disappoint. This is a rich and warming dish. I chose to write about this, as this is what I'll be eating for dinner tonight!

I make mine less spicy, but you can easily add more kick to it with more chilli powder or you can make some chilli paste and add alongside the garlic and ginger paste.

Palak Paneer
3-4 bunches palak (spinach)
200g fresh paneer, cubed and soaked in water
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp jeera seeds
2 onions, minced
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp garlic paste
2 large tomatoes, pureed
1/4 tsp haldi
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp dhaniya powder
1 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste
Enough water
Cream / Milk to taste (optional)

1. Cook spinach in a little water, drain and cool
2. Blend to the desired consistency (I puree mine and make a very smooth Palak gravy)
3. Heat oil in a pan, add jeera and crackle
4. Add onion and saute until starting to turn brown
5. Add ginger & garlic paste and cook for a further few minutes until onions are golden brown
6. Add tomatoes, salt and all spices then cover and cook until oil separates
7. Add spinach and loosen mixture with a little water or milk or cream and cook for a few minutes
8. Add paneer, mix well, cook for 1 minute then serve

I usually don't bother with milk or cream, the dish is rich enough without it. Serve with roti and rice and scoff!
Because it's Christmas, I'll push the boat out a little and add some cream today. I'll also be enjoying a few Goan Christmas delicacies like Guava cheese and Plum cake along with a nice glass of plonk.


I hope you all enjoy a nice, relaxed Christmas day. May Peace be with you...

1 comment:

  1. Hi Claire,

    I'm hosting a giveaway over at my blog and would love for you to stop by and participate.

    http://www.myhobbielobbie.com/2012/05/my-200th-blog-post-and-my-1st-ever.html

    Looking forward to seeing you there.

    ReplyDelete