Palak Paneer (step by step pics)

This is a 4 year old post. Iam updating with step by step pics (better pics too!!!!) And I dont have the heart to delete the story behind this post. so keeping it here for me to read once in a while and smile :)

Finally, I got paneer here in Cairo. Its a long story... As Ive told before, no Indian stores :(  Very few people speak English here and even if some shopkeepers speak and I ask for cottage cheese, they will give me full cream cheese. Once I saw a box with the label Cottage cheese and happily I bought...but it was tooooooo salty.

Then one day, I visited an aunty here and she served me palak paneer (it was yummy...I made it the same way here)... and I thought she had made the paneer at home but still I asked (in case!!!) and she said, it is available in a Dairy store 2 blocks away and it is called Gibna Halwa//// I said bye to aunty and immediately phoned my husband and told Gibba Halwa (I forgot the name).. so he asked one of his Egyptian colleagues and they said it is Gibna halwa... well, my husband forgot by the time he reached the store and he said Gibbon halwa.... and they corrected him. So now we know what it is called.... he bought a kilo and came home... so what did I do, I made Paneer Butter masala, Kadai paneer and also Palak Paneer.... and here is how I made the Palak Paneer. I don't often use cream, but this was a celebration- we finally bought Paneer!!!!!!!!

But, if you are making palak paneer, please use the  cream. It gives a rich divine taste...so restaurant style!!!!

Palak: a bunch

Paneer: 250 gms

Onion: 1 diced

Ginger: 1 inch

Garlic: 3 pods

Green Chillies: 2

Garam Masala: 1 tsp

Lime juice: of half a lime

Salt: as required

Fresh Cream: 3 heaped tbsp

Wash the palak, cut the stems off.

Chop onions, crush the ginger and garlic.

Cut the paneer into cubes and fry it slightly in a pan. (You can use butter or oil)
or you canjust fry the whole block and cut into pieces later

In a kadai, boil water with a little salt.

 Mix in the palak and cook for a minute.

Turn off the stove and let the palak remain in the hot water for another minute.

Take it out, and once it cools, add the green chillies and make it in to a paste in the mixie.

In a non stick kadai, heat oil and fry the crushed ginger and garlic till slightly brown and a distinct aroma emanates.

Now add the diced onions and fry till slightly brown.

Add the palak paste, Garam Masala, lime juice, salt and cook on medium flame for 5 minutes.

Do a taste test, and if you feel it is not cooked, cook for some more time but not too long.

Add the fresh cream and paneer.

Let it cook for a minute or two.

Serve hot with rotis