Spinach with Indian Cheese (Palak Paneer)

Palak paneer is a most popular velvet like Indian dish with fresh cubes of paneer and a thick curry sauce based on puréed spinach. This delicious curry goes very well with some basmati rice or any Indian flatbreads. It's usually a mild and creamy curry. Increase the amount of green chillies if you want a spicy curry.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

500 grams spinach
2 tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
1" ginger
3 large cloves of garlic
2 green chillies
1 tbsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
1 med. sized tomato (optional)
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1/4 tsp kasoori methi /dried fenugreek leaves
400 gms paneer cut into cubes
2 tbsp cream or 4 tbsp of whole milk
1-2 tsp lemon juice or to taste
Ginger juliennes for garnishing

Directions:

Wash and blanch the spinach leaves in boiling water for 3 minutes until well wilted. Drain the excess water and allow the spinach to cool down. ( you can reserve the excess liquid and use it while adjusting the consistency of the sauce). Blend to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
Dice the tomatoes and blend it to a smooth purée by adding some water. Keep it aside.
Grind ginger, garlic and green chillies to smooth paste by adding some water. Keep it aside.
Heat the oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds. Once they start to sizzle, add onions and fry it over moderate heat until soft and slightly golden.
Add the ginger, garlic and green chilli paste and cook for 1 minute or until the raw smell is lost.
Add coriander powder, red chilli powder and turmeric powder, salt and combine. Add puréed tomatoes and mix well. Cook until the oil leaves on the sides of the pan and most of the moisture evaporates.
Add spinach purée and some water. The mixture should not be watery. Bring it to a boil and simmer for 5-6 minutes.
Add paneer cubes, garam masala powder, kasoori methi and milk or cream. Stir gently (as the delicate paneer tends to break) and cook for another 5-6 minutes until the spinach is creamy and paneer is soft.
Garnish with ginger juliennes. Add in the lemon juice to taste just before serving.



Parboiled Rice Pancake (Ukde Tandla Bhakri / Akki Rotti)

Ukde tandla bhakri/parboiled rice Pancake / akki rotti is very tasty and nutritious breakfast recipe.  It goes well with any curry, chutney, pickle or simply, with a knob of butter. Traditionally it was made using a greased banana leaf. But I don't get banana leaves easily here, so I made it directly on the tawa. Alternatively you can use plastic bags or wax paper instead of banana leaves.

Prep time: 15 minutes (excludes soaking time)

Cook time: 5 minutes

Serves: 3

Ingredients:

1 cup parboiled rice/Ukdo rice (I used palakkadan matta rice available in the indian grocery stores)

Salt to taste
2 tbsp. fresh/frozen grated coconut
1 small onion, finely chopped
1-2 green chillies, chopped
Oil for making rotti

Directions:

Soak rice overnight. Next morning, wash the rice in several changes of water until the water runs clear.
Put it in a blender along with salt to taste and some water and grind to a coarse paste (add little water at a time as the batter needs to be very thick)
Transfer the batter in a bowl and add grated coconut, onions and green chillies. Mix well. Keep it aside for 10 minutes. (You can add coconut to the rice while grinding or you can mix it once  the batter is ready).
Heat the tawa (preferably cast iron) in moderate heat and grease it lightly. Once it's hot enough, simmer the heat to lowest.
Place a handful of batter on the tawa and gently start flattening the batter to form a disk with the help of your fingers. Dip your fingers in the water to prevent the batter from sticking and continue to form the rotti not too thick not too thin. Bring the heat back to medium.
Drizzle some oil and cook for 1-2 minutes and flip it carefully as it tends to break very easily.
Cook for another 1 minute until slightly golden.
Serve hot.

Note:



You can also make plain rotti without adding onions and chillies.

Green Peas in Coconut Gravy (Batani Ambat)

Batani, which means green peas and ambat, which means mildly spiced coconut based gravy seasoned with fried onions in konkani. It's a delicious curry which goes really well with steamed rice.

Prep time:10 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh/frozen green peas
1 small yellow cucumber/magge
1 med. potato
2 med. onions
3/4 cup fresh/frozen grated coconut
6-8 roasted dry red chillies
1/2 tsp tamarind pulp
Salt to taste
1 tbsp oil (preferably coconut oil)

Directions:

Roughly chop 1/2 an onion and finely chop the remaining onions.
Peel and dice yellow cucumber and potato. Pressure cook along with peas and roughly chopped onions for 1 whistle.
Put grated coconut, chillies, tamarind, salt and some warm water in a blender and grind it to a smooth paste. Add it to the cooked peas and mix well.
Bring it to a boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a small pan and add chopped onions. Fry until golden brown. Pour it over the curry and mix well. Continue to cook for 2 more minutes. Adjust the salt and switch off the flame.
Serve it with some steamed rice.


Cucumber Yogurt Salad

A crunchy, light and refreshing cucumber yogurt salad goes well with most of the main course Indian dishes. It can also be served as a healthy afternoon snack. It's an easy to make salad which is great in the hot summer.

 

 

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Serves: 3

Ingredients:

1/2 cup finely chopped cucumber
5 tbsp. Thick yogurt
Salt to taste
1/3 cup crushed roasted peanuts
1 tbsp. oil
1/4 tsp. mustard seeds
1/4 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. urad dal (optional)
1 dry red chilli, broken into pieces
1 spring curry leaves

Directions

Whisk yogurt until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding some water if the yogurt is too thick.
Add salt and cucumber to the yogurt and mix well.
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add cumin seeds and urad dal. Fry until golden.
Add red chilli pieces and curry leaves and mix well. Keep it aside to cool down.
Pour it over the yogurt mixture and combine well.
Add in the peanuts just before serving.