PALAK PANEER

 

Palak paneer is one the most popular Indian cuisine. Palak paneer is a vegetarian gravy dish prepared with spinach and paneer cubes, this exotic Indian curry is originated from punjabi cuisine. This combination of spinach and paneer is not only nutritious, but is a splendid blend of taste, texture and flavour. This green leafy vegetable not only packs a nutritional punch but also enhances your taste buds with its unique taste and flavour.

Palak Paneer is an Indian gravy based curry made of spinach and paneer (a non-melting Indian cheese) in a tomato and onion gravy with Indian spices. It’s a very popular vegetarian delicacy. The dish looks very appetizing due to the combination of its natural green and white colors of the spinach and paneer. In Punjab, it is served with hot Indian flat breads accompanied with a glass of Lassi. Anyways Palak paneer is truly a guilt free, satisfying well balanced delicious dish.

Palak or spinach is one of the healthy greens that you can include in your meals. Spinach is an edible flowering plant in the family Amaranthaceae native to central and western Asia. It is a versatile vegetable. Spinach works well when combined with most or any type of cuisine whether you’re adding it to dal, pasta, stir-fries, curries, noodles, pizza, etc., the culinary possibilities are virtually endless. Some of them are, Palak Moong Dal Fry, Palak Paneer Paratha, Crispy Spinach Fry Palak Pakoda, Aloo Palak Biryani, Palak Paneer, Palak Dal, Palak Makkai Malai, Palak Curry, Palak Gosht, Nadier Palak, Palak Methi Na Muthia, Oats Palak Roti, Palak Ki KadhiKhatti Palak Chutney, Palak Paneer Cutlet Patties, Potato Spinach Curry Aloo Palak, Paneer Bhurji, Aloo Palak Biryani, Huzooro Wale Palak Paneer, Palak Paneer Popcorn Samosa, Palak Pakoda, Palak Pachdi, Alu Palak Saag, Palak Paneer Pie, Khatti Palak Chutney, Palak Rajma Masala, Palak Raita, Palak Puri, many more..

Paneer is a fresh cheese common in South Asian cuisine. It is of Indian origin. In eastern parts of India, it is generally called Chhena. The use of paneer is more common in northern India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh due to the prominence of milk in their cuisine.  If you're buying paneer from the market, you will find two varieties - hard and soft. Though the soft one is preferred by many, one must remember soft cottage cheese stays fresh for a lesser duration as compared to the hard one. Soft cottage cheese is great for salads while the hard one can be used to make snacks or in curries. The use of paneer/ sana/ chhana/ chhena in Oriya, Assamese, and Bengali cuisine is mostly restricted to sweets like the well-known rasgulla or rosogulla.

I always prefer to make paneer at home since it is cheaper and also more hygienic, homemade paneer is softer and better than the store brought one. All you need are three ingredients - milk, lemon juice or vinegar, and a pinch of salt. When you mix the milk and lemon juice, the acidity in the lime causes the milk to separate into curds and whey. Strain the curds and you will get fresh, homemade paneer. Some of the Paneer dishes are Paneer Butter Masala, Chilli Paneer, mattar paneer, paneer pakora, paneer amritsari, paneer spring rolls, paneer and spinach wonton...

Cooking Tips:

• If you want to have very soft paneer that mixes well with gravy of palak, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes after a shallow frying.
• Do not overcook spinach in order to preserve the nutrients in it.
• Do not over blend spinach, otherwise you may end up with 

Health Tips:

• Spinach is high in iron, vitamins A & C and even calcium.
• Spinach is rich in nutrients like Vitamin C, which improves your metabolism helping you burn calories at a faster rate.
• According to ayurveda, bitter leafy greens likespinach have a stimulating effect on digestion.
• Spinach leaves are high in protein, calcium, and carotenes–and, hence, a vital component of a healthyvegetarian diet.  
• Spinach is also beneficial for skin and hair, bone health.
• Spinach improves your brain function and is great for your eyes.
• paneer isrich in protein, vitamin B12, and calcium–and easier to digest than other cheeses.
• Vitamins B complex, present in paneer, are essential for the formation and strengthening of cartilage in children, women (pregnant and lactating) and men.
• Paneer is a great source of calcium, which is helpful in maintaining strong teeth and bones.

Palak paneer is a great combo of taste and health, with an aromatic flavour of spices. It is a traditional curry which goes well with rotis, naan, parathas and even jeera rice or biryani rice.