When I first tried Indian spinach and cheese dish (Palak Paneer) I was just amazed with the flavors. They were bright, bold and delicious. I immediately decided to learn how to make this spinach dish at home. It took me years of experimenting before I was able to make this dish super quick. It is not a traditional recipe, but tasty, quick and nutrient dense.
Looking to make healthy spinach meal at no time? See the shortcuts below.
There are few shortcuts to make the preparation super quick.
1. Frozen spinach. While fresh spinach is the best in flavor and nutrition, I usually prefer frozen for cooked dishes. Frozen spinach saves a lot of time - no washing, no cooking in batches to reduce volume. It is very convenient to have frozen spinach in freezer, as opposite to fresh, that should be used within few days. I buy organic and make sure there is always some in freezer.
2. Precooked onions. I make caramelized onions and refrigerate them for different uses. The upgrade any dish, from soup to fried egg.
3. Tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes. Instead of blended fresh tomato, I use few spoons of tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes. Depends what I have on hand.
4. Paneer cheese. I don't usually have paneer cheese on hand. I have found that this spinach recipe works well with no added cheese or with any other cheese. I tried feta cubes, grated Parmesan or mozzarella cubes. Some kinds of mozzarella melt really well in hot dish. My son enjoys the strings it creates when scooped.
5. Immersion blender. I can't recommend it enough. The reason I got it was Palak Paneer. Why? Immersion blender saves the following steps: cooling cooked spinach, transferring it to food processor and washing food processor. How long do all those steps take?
Easy and quick Indian style spinach and cheese over rice (inspired by Palak Paneer)
Ingredients
spinach, frozen, 1 package (preferably organic)
onion, 1 carmelized or sauted
tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes, 3 table spoons
garlic, 1 glove, finely minced (yo may use garlic press)
ginger, 1/8 inch slice, finely minced (you may use garlic press)
lemon juice, 1 tablespoon
cumin, groun 1/4 teaspoon
coriander, ground, 1/4 teaspoon
turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon
olive oil, 1-2 tablespoons or ghee (clarified butter, preferable grass fed)
asafoetida, pinch (optional)
chili flakes - to taste
salt
For serving - rice (basmati, brown), cheese (feta, mozzarella, parmesan).
Note: to make creamy, add about 1/2 cup of whole milk yogurt or sour cream.
Method
Put rice to cook, so it will be ready to serve with spinach. In large pot, boil 3 cups of water. When boiling, add spinach, garlic and ginger and cook on high heat for 2 minutes. Add rest of the ingredients. Using immersion blender, blend with few pulses to make rustic puree. Cook for 2 more minutes on low heat to let the flavors blend.
Serve hot over rice with cheese of your choice.
You might want to garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.
It was gone before I was ready with the camera to take the picture. What left?
For school lunch - I mix spinach and rice, add cheese and pack in thermoses.
What shortcuts do you use in your cooking?
Looking to make healthy spinach meal at no time? See the shortcuts below.
 |
| Indian style spinach - before blending |
There are few shortcuts to make the preparation super quick.
1. Frozen spinach. While fresh spinach is the best in flavor and nutrition, I usually prefer frozen for cooked dishes. Frozen spinach saves a lot of time - no washing, no cooking in batches to reduce volume. It is very convenient to have frozen spinach in freezer, as opposite to fresh, that should be used within few days. I buy organic and make sure there is always some in freezer.
2. Precooked onions. I make caramelized onions and refrigerate them for different uses. The upgrade any dish, from soup to fried egg.
3. Tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes. Instead of blended fresh tomato, I use few spoons of tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes. Depends what I have on hand.
4. Paneer cheese. I don't usually have paneer cheese on hand. I have found that this spinach recipe works well with no added cheese or with any other cheese. I tried feta cubes, grated Parmesan or mozzarella cubes. Some kinds of mozzarella melt really well in hot dish. My son enjoys the strings it creates when scooped.
5. Immersion blender. I can't recommend it enough. The reason I got it was Palak Paneer. Why? Immersion blender saves the following steps: cooling cooked spinach, transferring it to food processor and washing food processor. How long do all those steps take?
Easy and quick Indian style spinach and cheese over rice (inspired by Palak Paneer)
Ingredients
spinach, frozen, 1 package (preferably organic)
onion, 1 carmelized or sauted
tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes, 3 table spoons
garlic, 1 glove, finely minced (yo may use garlic press)
ginger, 1/8 inch slice, finely minced (you may use garlic press)
lemon juice, 1 tablespoon
cumin, groun 1/4 teaspoon
coriander, ground, 1/4 teaspoon
turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon
olive oil, 1-2 tablespoons or ghee (clarified butter, preferable grass fed)
asafoetida, pinch (optional)
chili flakes - to taste
salt
For serving - rice (basmati, brown), cheese (feta, mozzarella, parmesan).
Note: to make creamy, add about 1/2 cup of whole milk yogurt or sour cream.
Method
Put rice to cook, so it will be ready to serve with spinach. In large pot, boil 3 cups of water. When boiling, add spinach, garlic and ginger and cook on high heat for 2 minutes. Add rest of the ingredients. Using immersion blender, blend with few pulses to make rustic puree. Cook for 2 more minutes on low heat to let the flavors blend.
Serve hot over rice with cheese of your choice.
You might want to garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.
It was gone before I was ready with the camera to take the picture. What left?
 |
| Indian style spinach and rice - eaten |
For school lunch - I mix spinach and rice, add cheese and pack in thermoses.
What shortcuts do you use in your cooking?
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