Palak Paneer

Ingredients:

Palak (Spinach) - 1 big bunch

Paneer cubes - 1/2 cup

Tomato (large) - 1

Onion (large) - 1

Green chillies - 2-3

Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp

Whole garam masala - cloves-2, cinnamon-1 inch, star anise-small piece

Kasoori methi (Dried fenugreek leaves) - 1/2 tsp

Fresh cream - 2 tbsp (You can also substitute with milk - 1/4 cup)

Salt - as per taste

Butter - 1 tbsp

Oil - 1/2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash thoroughly, clean and roughly chop spinach leaves.
2. Heat oil in a kadai, add chopped spinach and saute them just for few seconds (less than one minute). Do not cook them for long time. Just the chopped leaves should shrink and come together.
3. Let them cool for few minutes and blend with chopped green chillies to get a smooth paste.
4. In the same kadai, heat butter, add whole garam masala and fry them until nice aroma comes out.
5. Add very finely chopped onion and saute them until tender. Add ginger garlic paste and continue frying for one more minute.
6. Then add finely chopped tomato and cook until it turns mushy. Add kasoori methi and give a nice stir.
7. Meanwhile transfer paneer cubes in to bowl with warm water until used.
8. Now add spinach paste, little water and stir well to get a smooth gravy. Add paneer cubes and stir gently.
9. Now add fresh cream and mix well. You can also substitute fresh cream with milk. In case of adding milk, add little by little and mix well until it gets incorporated in to gravy. Finally adjust salt and serve hot with roti. 

TIP: Alternately you can also boil spinach in hot water for 1 minute and blend them. I personally prefer sauteing them in pan.

Chop onion and tomato as finely as possible. They should be incorporated in to gravy to get smooth texture.