Creamy Spinach Curry Food

PALAK PANEER - INDIAN SPINACH CURRY WITH HOMEMADE FRESH CHEESE

Steps:

• Saute onion & spices: Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, fenugreek, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes until onion is softened but not golden.
• Add garlic and ginger, cook for 2 minutes.
• Add the tomato and chilli, cook for 3 minutes on a medium heat.
• Add spinach: Add about 1/3 of the spinach - or as much as you can handle in the pot (!) - and stir until wilted. Then add more spinach along with the water, cook again until wilted. Repeat until all the spinach is wilted.
• Cook 10 minutes: Cook, stirring every now and then, for 10 minutes still on a medium heat.
• Cream & lemon: Add the cream and lemon juice. Cook, stirring gently, for 3 minutes.
• Puree half spinach: Remove half the spinach into a tall container and blend it to a puree using a stick blender. Pour pureed spinach back into the pot, and stir to combine.
• Add Pan Fried Paneer: Gently stir in golden pan-fried paneer (see below). Stir gently to mix through.
• Serve over basmati rice with fluffy, chewy homemade naan on the side!

SPINACH CURRY

Steps:

• Heat the oil.
• Add the thymol seeds (ajwain in hindi).
• Add the ginger, garlic and onions.
• When the onions get soft, add the spinach.
• Add all the spices and salt.
• ** I microwave my spinach for about 8 minutes. Cook the spinach to the doneness level you like.
• ** Variations - I sometimes add boiled potatoes, tomatoes or yogurt to this. All the variations taste good :)
• ** Another variation - If you want sort of a gravy add some water mixed with corn starch and add alongwith the spinach.

"CREAMY" SPINACH CURRY

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven or large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Add garam masala; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add broth; bring to a boil. In batches, fill skillet with spinach; cook until wilted, adding more spinach as room becomes available, 2 to 3 minutes; season generously with salt and pepper.
• Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer spinach until soft and liquid is mostly evaporated, about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and gently stir in tofu and yogurt; serve over rice.

CHANA MASALA (CHICKPEA CURRY) WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat a large non-stick pan and dry-fry the cumin seeds for 1 min, stirring often, while they pop. Remove and set aside. Cook the rice following pack instructions.
• Heat the oil using the same large pan, add the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli, and sauté over a medium heat for about 3 mins. Reduce the heat, add all the spices, stir well and cook for a further 2 mins.
• Add the tomatoes, stirring, and use the side of a spoon to break them up into smaller bite-sized chunks.
• Add the chickpeas and 200ml water. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 mins.
• Stir in the lemon juice and spinach. Let the spinach wilt, then remove the pan from the heat.
• Divide the rice between 2 bowls, and serve the curry. (The flavours intensify as it cools, so for a fuller flavour, make earlier in the day and reheat slowly prior to serving.)

CHICKPEA, TOMATO & SPINACH CURRY

Steps:

• Put the onion, garlic, ginger and tomatoes in a food processor or blender and whizz to a purée.
• Heat oil in a large pan. Add the spices, fry for a few secs and add purée and yeast extract. Bubble together for 2 mins, then add lentils and coconut cream. Cook until lentils are tender, then add the broccoli and cook for 4 mins. Stir in chickpeas and spinach, squeeze over lemon and swirl through sesame and cashew mixture. Serve with brown rice, if you like.

SPINACH & CHICKPEA CURRY

Steps:

• Heat the curry paste in a large non-stick frying pan. Once it starts to split, add the onion and cook for 2 mins to soften. Tip in the tomatoes and bubble for 5 mins or until the sauce has reduced.
• Add the chickpeas and some seasoning, then cook for 1 min more. Take off the heat, then tip in the spinach and allow the heat of the pan to wilt the leaves. Season, add the lemon juice, and serve with basmati rice.