Kale and Palak Paneer

Palak paneer is a north Indian delicacy, well known around the world as most Indian restaurants serve it. It consists of a creamy palak (spinach) gravy and delicious soft cubes of paneer (firm farmer’s cheese made from cow/buffalo milk) .  Even with healthy ingredients like spinach and protein rich paneer, this dish can be high in fats for several reasons. Typically the paneer itself has a lot of fat. It is also often pan fried in butter/oil to get a golden crust before adding to this dish. Some recipes use heavy cream to make the gravy smooth and creamy. A little bit of everything can add up to counter the health benefits of eating the leafy green spinach.

When I make palak paneer at home, I try to make it healthier by changing a few things - using low fat milk to make homemade paneer and not pan frying it; adding kale along with spinach; eliminating heavy cream, and using cashew puree. The cashew puree helps thicken the gravy and also adds a little sweetness to balance the slight bitterness of kale. In this recipe I’ve used a half and half ratio of kale and spinach, but I often make it with just kale. Feel free to experiment with the ratio as per your liking - keeping in mind that kale can be somewhat bitter...but SO healthy!

Ingredients (Serves 6-8)

~2 cups cubed paneer (Click here for homemade low fat paneer recipe)

1.5 cups packed kale leaves, chopped (hard stem removed)

1.5 cups packed spinach

Gravy

1 large onion, roughly chopped

3-5 tomatoes, roughly chopped (~1.5 cups)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp grated ginger

¼ cup raw cashews (optional)

Water

1 tsp oil

Spices

½ tsp cumin seeds (optional)

¼ tsp asafoetida powder* (optional)

1-2 Tbsp coriander powder

½ tsp turmeric powder

½-1 tsp red chili powder

¼ tsp garam masala (optional)

Salt to taste
 

Soak the cashews in half a cup of hot water.

Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and once they start to brown, add the asafoetida powder, quickly followed by chopped onions. Add the ginger and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent. Add chopped tomatoes and remaining spices. Saute until the tomatoes begin to break down. Add the chopped kale leaves and let them wilt a little before adding spinach. Mix everything together and take the pot off the heat.

In a blender or food processor, puree the soaked cashews. Add the cooked mixture and puree it to the consistency of your liking. I had to do this in batches to ensure everything was pureed well.

Add the pureed mixture back to the pot on medium heat, season with salt, adjust spices and add more water if the gravy is too thick. Cook for ~5 minutes before adding paneer. Let everything heat through and then take off the heat.

Serve warm with roti or rice.

~Gayatri

Note:
Asafoetida, or hing is an herb used extensively in Indian cooking to enhance flavor and aid digestion. It can be found in any Indian store.

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Kale & palak paneer - a healthy dose of leafy greens, along with low fat paneer and delicious cashew cream.http://cooksofcakeandkindness.blogspot.com/2015/11/kale-and-palak-paneer.html

Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Monday, November 2, 2015

Homemade Paneer

Paneer is a type of farmer’s cheese commonly eaten in India. It is firm, doesn’t melt with heat but is soft to bite into and can easily be crumbled and eaten with rotis. It pairs perfectly with Indian spices and is rich in milk protein. Typically however, it is also high in fats. That’s why I like to make my own paneer at home using reduced fat milk. Not only can you control the fat content, you can also control how dense you want it to be. If you’d like a softer version, all you have to do is reduce the time for pressing and draining the liquid, thus leaving in some extra moisture. I generally let it get nice and firm and cut it into uniform cubes which can be easily incorporated in savory dishes like curries, or can be crumbled and used in sweet preparations like malai burfi. The fresh homemade paneer has a better texture than the store bought frozen paneer - it is not quite as dense and chewy. I generally make a big batch using a gallon of milk, use part of the paneer and then freeze the rest to use later.

Ingredients

1 gallon milk (I use 2% reduced fat milk)

~¼-½ cup lemon juice or white vinegar

Heat the milk on low-medium heat stirring occasionally until it comes to a slow rolling boil. Add the lemon juice or vinegar and stir gently until the milk curdles and starts separating. You should see translucent liquid with chunks of paneer floating in it. If it still looks milky (opaque), add some more lemon juice or vinegar. Once the solids have separated completely, take the pot off the heat. The longer you heat the separated curds, the chewier the cheese will be. So let it boil for about a minute once the milk has started curdling. Shorter time would make the cheese more like ricotta which you can’t cut into cubes, while boiling for too long could result in fairly rubbery texture.

Drain the curdled milk on a colander lined with a cheesecloth, or use a very fine mesh sieve without cheesecloth. I have a wonderful sieve that is very common in India - it has a stainless steel ring, and you can interchange the sieves which come in different mesh sizes.

I use the finest one for making paneer. Squeeze out as much liquid as you can. I generally place the sieve with the paneer on top of a pot, top the paneer with a plate (or another fine sieve) and put a lot of weight on it (It’s a great way to use those big cookbooks!) to help squeeze out more moisture.

After a few hours, you’ll have a nice firm block of paneer that you can slice as you wish and use in your favorite recipe. Store in an airtight container (I use Ziploc bags) in the refrigerator if using within a couple days.

If you make a big batch, you can freeze the leftover cubed paneer in airtight containers/bags and use it later. It’s a simple process and the result is soft and delicious, reduced fat paneer. Once you start making your own, you wouldn’t want to buy paneer anymore!

~Gayatri

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Homemade low fat paneer - perfectly firm, yet tender!http://cooksofcakeandkindness.blogspot.com/2015/10/homemade-paneer.html

Posted by The Cooks of Cake and Kindness on Thursday, October 15, 2015