Palak Paneer

Being a punju how can I not cook/like palak panner but as a kiddo I used to hate this since I did not like spinach but then now being a mom myself I try and find different ways to make my son eat his greens and well I end up making egg in spinach gravy, potatoes in spinach gravy and since SD loves shrimp, I even cook shrimps in spinach gravy.


Ingredients

1. 1 pack of baby Spinach (Sam's).
2. 1 onion
3. 2 tomatoes
4. Ginger about 1 teaspoon
5. 1 tablespoon oil
6. Pinch of hing
7. Salt as per taste
8. 1 teaspoon garam masala
9. Red chilly
10. ½ teaspoon Coriander powder
11. ½ teaspoon Amchur powder
12. Sugar a pinch
13. Paneer.
14. 1 cup chopped mustard leaves
15. 1 teaspoon Jeera

Optional

1. Besan
2. Heavy whipped cream.


For Paneer

1. 1/2 gallon Milk
2. ¼ cup Lemon juice.

Steps to make paneer

1. Boil the milk Keep stirring it to avoid burn. Let it cool. Once it is warm re-heat and keep adding the lemon juice till it curdles.
2. Wrap the curd in a cheese cloth or a clean white cloth. Squeeze well. Tie a knot and place something heavy on the paneer still wrapped in cloth. This will help squeeze out extra water and also give a shape to the paneer.
3. Let it stay for 30 min to an hour. Once done cut the paneer in your desire shape.
4. I prefer not to fry the paneer but AD likes it fried so for this recipe I fried the paneer.

Steps to cook the gravy

1. Boil the Spinach and mustard leaves. Drain excess water and make a paste of the greens.
2. Make a paste of Onion, ginger, tomatoes
3. Heat the oil.
4. Add hing, Jeera and the paste of onion, ginger, tomatoes
5. Once the puree leaves the oil. Add all the dry masalas expect for garam masala and sugar.
6. Add the spinach and let it boil
7. At this time if you think that the gravy is too watery then dry roast besan and add it to the gravy. (If you are using only spinach this might be the case but with mustard leaves generally the gravy is thicker).
8. Add paneer (or below substitutes) and let it simmer in the gravy, add a pinch of sugar and garam masala and leave for about 5 min.
9. If you like you could add heavy whip cream to it at this point of time. I did not.
10. Enjoy it with Nan’s or rotis.

You can also substitute Paneer with

1. Fried Potatoes to enjoy aloo saag.
2. Fry shrimps and add them to the spinach gravy. Marinate the shrimps with salt and turmeric before frying.
3. Boil eggs, cut them in halves and add them to the same gravy.

Besan wali Arbi

Ingredients

1. Jeera – 1 tbs
2. Ajwain – ½ tbs
3. Methi seeds – ½ tbs
4. Sauf – ½ tbs
5. Besan – 4 tbs
6. Oil
7. Salt
8. Turmeric a pinch
9. Red chilly powder
10. Dhaniya powder
11. Amchur
12. Hing
13. Arbi
14. Garam masala


Steps

1. Boil arbi, peel and cut and keep it aside
2. Heat oil in a kadai
3. Add hing, Jeera, sauf, ajwaain, Methi seeds.
4. Add the besan and keep stirring
5. Once the besan is brown in color
6. Add salt, dhaniya, amchur, turmeric and Arbi
7. Stir for sometime and keep it on low flame add in garam masala
8. Once the arbi is fried well t is ready to be served with dal and rotis.

Aloo gajar aur Methi ki sabzi

Potatoes – 1 large
Carrots – 3 medium
Methi (dry)
Salt
Tumeric – 1 teaspoon
Red chilly powder – 1 teaspoon
Dhaniya powder – 1 teaspoon
Amchur – ½ teaspoon
Jeera powder – 1 teaspoon
Garam masala – ½ teaspoon
Hing – a pinch
Oil

Steps

1. Heat oil in a kadai add hing
2. Add the potatoes, carrots, methi leaves
3. Add in the dry powders except garam masala and cover the kadai and leave it on low flame
4. In-between just keep stirring the sabzi
5. Once the potatoes and carrots are cooked add in the garam masala and let it cook on low flame for 2 more minute
6. Serve it with dal and rotis.

Black-eyed bean

Ingredients
--------------

Onion
Tomatoes
Ginger
Garlic
Green chilies
Salt to taste
Turmeric just a pinch
Amchur a pinch
Dhaniya powder
Jeera powder
Garam masala
Oil

Steps

1. Soak the black-eyed bean in hot water while you do the below steps
2. Puree the onion, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, green chilies.
3. In the pressure cooker pour oil and add in the puree
4. Once the masala is fried well, generally oil leaves the puree.
5. Add in salt, turmeric, dhaniya powder, Jeera powder and Amchur
6. Fry for a while on low flame.
7. Wash the soaked black-eyed bean and add them to the masala
8. Pour the water and close the lid
9. After one whistle lower the flame and 2-3 whistles later close the gas
10. Wait for sometime and open the lid add in some Garam masala and keep it for few min on low flame
11. Viola it is ready to be served with Rice, roti, parata.


Trivia - Black-eyed peas are traditionally eaten on New Year's Day in the American South and in some other parts of the U.S. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-eyed_peas

- Special thanks to 'B' for the pic, this is from her camera. Thank you 'B'