Palak Paneer

There are very few occasions where I make dinner on my own. Even after almost two years of being "taught," I still don't get in the kitchen by myself with vegetables, grains, or meats, very often. Baked goods? On it. Cooking? There's a reason the blog is named after Will and not "Cooking with Megan". Hint: it's because it doesn't happen! But this was on dish that I was pretty excited about and thus, significantly more motivated than usual, to make. Found it on Pinch of Yum and knew that it was on the "to try" list immediately. What I didn't anticipate was how hard it would be to find paneer! After visiting four grocery stores in Williamsburg, we finally had to look for an Indian grocery store in Newport News. Luckily for us, there were two options, so we picked the one with better reviews. It was probably the best Indian grocery store we've been too! Neatly organized, huge selection, and a butcher in the back half, are a few reasons why this place is awesome. We definitely know where to go for our Indian, Middle Eastern, and other "out there" food needs from now on. And of course they had plenty of paneer cheese :)

In regards to the recipe, Lindsey from POY did a fantastic job figuring out how to make this exactly like you would get it in a restaurant or as a frozen dinner. While Palak Paneer is not the prettiest nor most exciting Indian dish, it's full of veggies and probably isn't half bad for you. With a simple ingredient list and reasonable cooking time, I can see why it's a standard. I was most proud of myself for not accidentally pureeing the spinach/onion/tomato mixture in the blender when it came to that point in the recipe! I was sure I was going to screw it up and somehow I didn't! I had also convinced myself the cheese would melt, which definitely did not happen, so that was cool. Needless to say, I'm really excited to eat the leftovers for the next couple nights, since it made so much! And the best part? We bought naan bread at the Indian grocery store and it's approximately one million times better than regular store brand naan bread or our own homemade.

Cooking Notes: I subbed 1 tsp cumin for cumin seeds, since we don't have any. We also did not use any cilantro, not because we don't like it, but because we just didn't have any on hand :( I also realized I didn't drain the tomatoes, but that's okay because it left juice for the naan bread to sop up!

Palak Paneer (adapted from Pinch of Yum; serves 4-6)
2 tbsp oil
1 large onion, minced
1 serrano pepper, minced
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground coriander
1-2 bay leaves 
1 tsp fresh ginger
3 tsp minced garlic
1 14-oz. can fire roasted tomatoes with garlic
1 17-oz. bag frozen spinach
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup water
1 tsp salt
8 oz. cubed paneer

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Saute the onion and pepper until soft. Add the ground cumin, garam masala, ground coriander, bay leaves, fresh ginger, and minced garlic. Saute everything together for 2-3 minutes to bring out the flavors. Add the fire roasted tomatoes and saute until everything is well mixed and the flavors blend together, about 5-10 minutes.

Thaw the spinach in a large bowl in the microwave. Press out all the excess liquid. Add the spinach to the skillet and saute 3-5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and transfer the mixture to a blender. Pulse a few times until you get the desired consistency (smooth, but not pureed). Return the mixture to the skillet and stir in the yogurt and water. Add the salt and paneer, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes to help flavors develop. Serve with rice and naan!

Recipe: Pinch of Yum: Palak Paneer