Palkhani Paneer

 

I know the name sounds crazy, but I couldn’t think of anything else to call it. I wanted paneer butter masala. I also wanted palak paneer. So, what I did, was I combined the two dishes with additional spices to create Palkhani Paneer! Genius! Thank you, thank you. I just took a bow.

Alright, back to business. I absolutely loved this dish. I think it’s probably one of the best paneer dishes I have ever made. I’d eat it again in a heartbeat. I even froze leftovers for the boyfriend to enjoy when he comes back home after his last set of interviews, which is tomorrow, yay!

Here is the recipe, and I hope you love it as much as I did!

Ingredients:

• Paneer, cubed and pan fried on each side, or not
• 1.5 -2 cups tomato puree
• 2 cups spinach
• 1 large onion, roughly diced
• A very small handful of cashew pieces
• 3-4 methi seeds
• A dash of kalonji
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp garlic minced
• ½ tsp ginger paste
• ½ tsp turmeric
• ½ tsp red chili powder
• Small palm full of kasoori methi
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tsp sugar
• Salt to taste
• 1 heaping tsp of coriander powder
• 1 small tsp of cumin powder
• ½-1 tsp garam masala
• Dash of cream
• 1 cup water for thinning, + extra if needed/wanted
• 1-2 tbsp oil
• A few tbsp butter

To Make:

Heat the oil in a pan between medium and medium high.

Add the cashew pieces and sauté till starting to get golden

Add the kalonji, methi seeds, and cumin seeds

When the seeds start to crackle, add the onion

Cook till onions are translucent and then add the garlic, ginger, and turmeric

Stir, cook until raw smell goes away

Add the tomato puree and lower to medium, cook for a few minutes

Add the spinach, cook for 2-3 minutes

Add everything to a blender and add the cup of water

Blend until smooth

Add the butter to the pan, once melted add the tomato blended mixture

Add more water to thin it out as you like

Add the coriander, cumin, and red chili powders..kasoori methi, sugar, salt, and ketchup

Stir, lower heat, simmer for 10 minutes, add paneer and simmer for another 10 minutes

Add the garam masala and cream,stir

Done!