Healthy Vegetarian Recipe# 7
Palak chaman

Ingredients:
•    500 gm spinach (palak) - chopped (5 cups)
•    4 tbsp dry fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi)
•    1 cup chopped coriander
•    1 green chilli
•    1 tsp sugar
•    2 tbsp gram flour (besan)
•    250 gms paneer- cut into 1 inch pieces
•    ½ stick cinnamon (dalchini)
•    2 green cardamoms (chhoti elaichi)
•    3-4 cloves (laung)
•    5 tbsp oil
•    2 onions - ground to a paste
•    ½ cup cream or milk, approx.
•    Salt to taste

Tempering (tadka)
•    1 tbsp desi ghee
•    1 tbsp chopped ginger
•    ½ tsp red chilli powder

Method
1.    Boil spinach, kasoori methi, fresh coriander and green chilli in 1 cup water with sugar. Cook on low flame for 4-5 minutes till spinach turns soft. Remove from fire. Strain the spinach and keep liquid aside. Cool the spinach and blend to a puree.
2.    Mix besan with the spinach liquid and keep aside.
3.    Crush dalchini, laung and seeds of chhoti elaichi to a rough powder. Keep aside.
4.    Heat 5 tbsp oil. Add onions and cook on low heat till oil separates and they turn light brown.
5.    Add the freshly ground masala. Cook for a few seconds.
6.    Add besan dissolved in liquid. Cook for 2 minutes.
7.    Add the palak puree. Bhuno for 5-7 minutes till dry and oil separates.
8.    Add enough cream or milk, to get the right consistency and colour. Cook on low heat for 2 minutes.
9.    Add paneer pieces.
10.  Add salt to taste. Simmer for a few minutes. Transfer to a serving dish.
11.   To serve, heat 1 tbsp desi ghee for the baghar. Add  ginger. Remove from fire. When ginger turns golden, add red chilli powder to the hot oil. Remove from fire and mix lightly with the spinach. Serve hot.

*Image and recipe courtesy: © Nita Mehta