Paneer Paalak

No. of servings:  4-6
Preparation Time:  15 mins	Cook Time:  20 mins

Palak Paneer is a popular dish.  But ever heard of or tried 'Paneer Paalak'?  What's the difference?  Taste AND feel, both!  It looks and tastes completely different from the familiar palak paneer.  This parent-tested, kid-approved dish is a must-try!

Ingredients:

• Spinach (Paalak) - 2 cups full or 5 oz
• Paneer (or) Tofu - 0.5 lb
• Milk (vegan milk) - 1 cup
• Cashews - 15
• Ginger - 1 inch
• Garlic - 6 cloves
• Finely chopped onions - 1 medium
• Finely chopped tomatoes - 3 medium
• Green peas - 1 cup (optional)
• Dana-jeera powder (Coriander-cumin powder) - 1.5 tsp
• Garam masala - 0.5 tsp
• Red chili powder - 0.75 tsp
• Lemon juice 

Method:

• Chop the onions, garlic, ginger, and tomatoes
• Finely chop the spinach as well
• In a tbsp of oil/ghee, roast cashews ('Saute' mode in IP)
• To that, add chopped ginger, garlic 
• Add onions after a minute and saute for a couple of minutes
• Add frozen green peas and saute till they start wrinkling
• Add tomatoes and saute well
• Cover and cook on low flame for 5-7 minutes or until the tomatoes get cooked
• Add the chopped spinach and saute till the spinach changes color
• Add salt and mix well
• Add dana-jeera powder, garam masala, red chili powder
• Mix and cook well for a minute or two
• Break the paneer (or tofu) into big chunks and place in a blender jar
• Add milk (vegan milk) to it and grind it into a smooth paste 
• Pour this into the spinach and add a little water if needed (gravy should be a little runny at this time)
• Keep stirring on a low flame for 4-5 minutes
• Add lemon juice on top while serving and and enjoy with hot rotis or pooris

Tips and Tricks:

• Chopping the spinach into thin strips makes the dish look nicer 
• Spinach should always be consumed with something tart.  The iron in the leafy greens is better absorbed by the body in the presence of tomatoes, lemons, etc.  
• Covering the gravy and cooking until the oil separates gives a richer taste to the entree
• Doesn't mean we have to put too much oil.  Cooking it well allows even a tbsp of oil to separate
• Low flame and stirring after adding the paneer/milk paste are very important.  Milk will curdle otherwise

Pictures: 

Final Outcome: