Palak Paneer / Spinach & Cottage Cheese

Before the season changes and leafy vegetables are out of season, try and make it - is my current philosophy. No other season gives better leafy vegetables than the current one, so try and get your fix of greens now. Today's recipe is the very popular Palak Paneer or Spinach and Cottage Cheese. It is the most often, ordered dish in restaurants and made at home. Palak Paneer is best served and eaten with chapati, roti or parathas.

Ingredients
Spinach / Palak - 500 gms
Cottage cheese / Paneer - 250 gms
Onion - 1, medium sized
Tomato - 1, small sized
Green chilli - 1
Turmeric pwd - 1/2 tsp
Clove / Lavang - 1
Bay leaf - 1
Black cumin / Shahjeera - 1 tsp
Cream - 1 tsp (optional)
Oil - 1 tbsp
Butter - 1 tbsp

Chop the onion and tomato very finely and slit the green chilli.

Wash the spinach carefully and put in a colander to drain. Grind the spinach to a paste in a blender and keep aside. Cut the paneer into 1 inch cubes and keep aside else lightly fry it till light golden. I prefer not to fry it and like to use it as is.

Heat a deep pan and add the oil and butter in it. When it is hot add the bay leaf, clove and black cumin seeds. Saute a couple of times and then add the finely chopped onions and continue sauteeing till onions turn light golden. To this add finely chopped tomato and green chilli and saute till tomato softens. Add the turmeric powder and salt and mix well. To this, add the spinach paste and mix well and cover and let it cook. After about 8 to 10 minutes, uncover, stir a few times and check if the raw taste of spinach has gone. Check for seasoning and adjust if salt is required. Add the paneer pieces and mix well. Cook for a couple of minutes and take off the heat. When ready to serve the Palak Paneer take it out into a bowl and top with cream. Serve Palak Paneer with roti or paratha.  

My Palak Paneer goes to - North East West Indian Cooking hosted by Anu.

 

Amarakka Thoran or Broad Beans / Sem Sabzi

Continuing with dishes from my mom's kitchen, today's recipe is Amarakka Thoran. Amarakka is known as Broad Beans in English and Sem in Hindi. This vegetable is from the green beans family but is flat and broad and about 3 to 4 inch long. In Malayalam, the two beans - cluster beans / gavar and broad beans / sem is so similar in name - kothavarakka and amarakka, that people confuse one for the other and vice versa. I am one of those people, and everytime I have to mention one of these beans I say both kothavarakka and amarakka in a questionning tone and my mom corrects me. At home, there is no question of mentioning this since my husband does not eat either of them and hence is not bought at all.

 

So today, I bring my mother's recipe for Amarakka Thoran. Thoran is basically any vegetable prepared with fresh grated coconut.

Ingredients

Amarakka / Broad Beans / Sem - 250 gms

Green chilli - 2

Curry leaves - a sprig

Turmeric pwd - 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Dry red chilli - 2

Coconut, grated - 1/4 cup

Oil - 2 tsp

Salt as per taste

Cut the ends of the amarakka / broad beans / sem and wash it well. Dry and then chop them in 1/4 inch pieces.

 

Heat a kadai or pan and add oil. When the oil is hot add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the broken dry chillies and stir a couple of times. To this, add the chopped amarakka / broad beans / sem pieces along with turmeric powder, green chilli, curry leaves and a little salt and mix well. Add a few tablespoons water and cover with deep plate and add some water in it and cook on low heat. Uncover the lid after about 8 to 10 minutes to check if there is sufficient water to cook the vegetable and stir and let it cook. When the vegetable is almost done add the grated coconut and stir and cook till done. This allows the amarakka to absorb the coconut flavor. Take off the heat and keep covered till ready to serve.

My mother's recipe for Amarakka Thoran goes to
Walk through Memory Lane originally by Gayatri's Cookspot