Paneer – Part II

Learn how to create 2 delicious dishes with home made paneer.

You will need
Saag Paneer:
250g baby spinach, washed
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tsp finely chopped garlic
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1 tsp ground coriander
100g paneer cut into cubes
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp lemon juice

Chilli Paneer:
200g paneer
1 tbsp chickpea flour
1⁄2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1⁄2 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 red chilli, finely chopped
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon chilli paste
1 teaspoon soya or tamari sauce

Saag Paneer

Heat the oil in a large pan
Add the cumin and fry for about 30 seconds,
When is starts releasing its aroma and popping (or dancing) in the pan, add the onion with q pinch of salt and fry over a low heat, until soft
Add the ginger, garlic and chillies and cook for a further minute
Pro tip – don’t stand just over the pan as the fumes can be quite strong
Throw in your spinach with a splash of water
The steam from the evaporating water will help cook the spinach
You always need more spinach than yo think as it wilts down to nothing
Frozen spinach can be used and this will produce a more mushy and cohesive texture
The mixture should be loose but not watery
Once the spinach is almost completely wilted, add the paneer cubes and warm them through
You can add a little more spinach at the top here, just to present a little more texture to the dish
Stir and cook for a few minutes or until the spinach is nice and creamy. Stir in the lemon juice to taste
You can also add a splash of double cream at this stage for a creamier finish

CHILLI PANEER

Dip the paneer in the flour and makes sure the cubes are well coated
Heat a large glug of oil in a non-stick pan
Fry in batches if necessary
Keep turning the cubes to get them brown all over
Remove them from the pan and place on a plate with kitchen paper to soak up any excess oil and keep to one side
Add more oil if the pan has dried out and give it a quick wipe if it is too brown
Add the whole spices until they are popping in the pan, followed but the onions
Cook these out for a couple of minutes on high heat, until they are starting to colour
Add the ginger, garlic and green chillies and turn the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes, as the spices would burn easily 
Once all the ingredients are starting to colour, add the sauces and cook them out for a minute
Add the paneer cubes and coat everything well
This is now ready to serve