Palak Paneer (Spinach and soft cheese)

Makes 8 cups of palak paneer

Ingredients

• 4 tbspn vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped - optional
• 3 medium Thai peppers, finely chopped
• 1 tspn coriander powder 
• 1 tspn cumin powder
• 1 tspn turmeric powder 
• 2 cloves garlic, grated - optional
• 1 tbspn ginger, grated
• 2 medium tomato, finely chopped
• 1 cup cashew paste (soak cashews for 10 minutes and blend) - optional
• 4 bunches of spinach
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tbspn cilantro, finely chopped   
• 8 rectangular 1 x 1/2 x 1/2 inch cubes of paneer

Preparation

1. Grate garlic, ginger.
2. Cut peppers, and finely chop onions, tomatoes and spinach.
3. Beat the sour cream with a spoon.  
4. Pan-fry pieces rectangular cubes of paneer in vegetable oil, and keep aside. 
5. Put the well-washed spinach in boiling water with peppers and tomatos for 5 minutes, and blend into a paste.

Instructions

1. Heat the oil, and stir the onions on medium-high heat till they are pink.
2. Add the peppers and powdered spices and stir till the oil separates from the onions. 
3. Add grated ginger and grated garlic and saute for another minute.
4. Add cashew paste and stir well.
5. Add the spinach paste.
6. Add salt to taste.   
7. Stir continuously for 5 minutes, and take it off the heat.

Garnishing

1. Put paneer cubes in a serving bowl. 
2. Stir in the spinach curry. 
3. Sprinkle cilantro on top.
4. Decorate with sour cream. 

Serving

1. Serve hot with any flat bread - nan, roti or paratha hot from the pan, and refrigerated lassi (yogurt shake).
2. It can also be served with hot steamed Basmati rice.