Lasooni Palak Paneer

Recipe:

Ingredients:

For the gravy, you will need 250 grams of washed and cleaned spinach, a pinch of salt, 12-15 mint leaves, a small handful of fresh coriander, 3 green chilies, 1 inch of ginger, and water as needed. For the paneer, gather 500 grams of cubed paneer and 2-3 tablespoons of oil. For the garlic sauté, use 2 tablespoons of oil, 18-20 halved garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of ghee, 1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon of black peppercorns, 1 black cardamom, 3-4 cloves, and 1/2 inch of cinnamon. Additional ingredients include 2 medium chopped onions, 1 tablespoon of roughly chopped garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder, hot water as needed, 2 chopped tomatoes, salt to taste, 2-3 tablespoons of fresh cream, a pinch of grated nutmeg, the juice of 1/2 lemon, and 1 teaspoon of Ancient Aroma Kala/Smoky Masala. For the tempering, you’ll need 1-2 tablespoons of ghee, 1-2 tablespoons of roughly chopped garlic, 1 Kashmiri red chili, a pinch of asafoetida, and 1/2 teaspoon of Kashmiri red chili powder.

Step 1: Boil 250 grams of spinach in salted water for 10-15 seconds. Transfer to ice water, drain, and squeeze out excess water. Blend with 12-15 mint leaves, a small handful of fresh coriander, 3 green chilies, 1 inch of ginger, and water as needed into a smooth puree.

Step 2: In a pan, heat 2-3 tablespoons of oil and fry 500 grams of cubed paneer until golden brown on all sides. Set aside.

Step 3: In a kadai, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and fry 18-20 halved garlic cloves until golden brown. Remove them and reserve the oil.

Step 4: In the same kadai, heat the reserved garlic oil and 1 tablespoon of ghee. Add 1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon of black peppercorns, 1 black cardamom, 3-4 cloves, and 1/2 inch of cinnamon. Sauté for a minute.

Step 5: Add 2 medium chopped onions and sauté until golden brown. Then, add 1 tablespoon of roughly chopped garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Step 6: Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1/2 teaspoon of Kashmiri red chili powder, and a splash of water. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

Step 7: Add 1 teaspoon of Ancient Aroma Kala/Smoky Masala and 2 chopped tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes turn mushy.

Step 8: Pour in the spinach puree and cook for 8-10 minutes. Stir in the reserved fried garlic, 2-3 tablespoons of fresh cream, a pinch of grated nutmeg, the juice of 1/2 lemon, and the fried paneer.

Step 9: For the tempering, heat 1-2 tablespoons of ghee in a small pan. Fry 1-2 tablespoons of chopped garlic until light golden brown. Add 1 Kashmiri red chili, a pinch of asafoetida, and 1/2 teaspoon of Kashmiri red chili powder.

Step 10: Pour the tempering over the palak paneer and serve hot with naan, roti, or your preferred Indian bread.