So all us girls from my mommy group,Indian Mommies of Atlanta, met up today to chat, sip some delicious Pomegranate wine and cook a healthy version of Palak Paneer (Indian cheese with spinach) and Tomato Chicken Curry. The get together was at my place and I prepared the dishes as well. I just love the aroma of the various spices and cooking with them. To me the challenge was putting the recipe down in a manner where someone else could recreate the dish in the same way that I had. Below are the recipes and pictures of the dishes prepared in the healthiest possible way. All the flavor with none of the guilt!
Palak Paneer
Ingredients:
500 gms Paneer (I used Suvidha brand) cut into ½ inch cubes
2 tomatoes medium size
6 cloves of garlic
2.5inch piece of ginger
3 Thai hot green chilies (use more or less as per your taste)
1 packet 1 lb organic chopped spinach (Trader Joes brand)
½ a bunch of cilantro leaves along with the stem
1.5 tsp turmeric pwd
½ tsp Kashmir chili pwd (this is a less pungent chili pwd that gives food a nice color)
½ tsp garam masala (I made this fresh but I also use MDH brand)
1 tsp cumin pwd
Salt to taste
1tsp grape seed oil
½ tsp lime juice ( fresh squeezed is best)
Keep separately:
Water in a pan with 4-5 cardamom seeds and ½ tsp turmeric pwd and 1 tsp salt
Method:
Puree tomatoes, garlic, ginger, green chilies, spinach and cilantro with very little water to a smooth paste.
Heat a nonstick pan and put the grape seed oil in it when it is hot add the above blended mixture.
Cook on high till all the water is evaporated stirring regularly 5 min
Add the powder spices and a little bit of salt
Put the pan with the water to boil when water reaches a rolling boil add the paneer pieces and give one boil. Then drain the water and add the paneer to the palak mixture in the non stick pan.
Coat the paneer evenly very slowly, taking care not to break the paneer pieces.
Put a lid on the dish and lower heat. Cook on low for 10-15 min
Correct salt and squeeze a little lime juice and mix before serving. Whenever you reheat this dish cover and do so on low heat or even in the microwave so that the paneer does not get hard.
No Oil Tomato Chicken
Ingredients:
10 pieces Boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch cubes
5 tomatoes medium size
6 cloves garlic
1.5 inch piece ginger
1tsp tamarind soaked in 3 tbsp warm water
1/4th bunch cilantro chopped for garnish
½ tsp lime juice (fresh squeezed is best)
Salt to taste
To be ground to a powder: (I use a coffee grinderJ)
1.5tsp cumin seeds
3/4th tsp whole pepper corns
4 cloves
2.5 tsp Turmeric pwd
2.5 tsp Kashmir Chili pwd
1/8th tsp mustard/rye seeds
4 Cinnamon Sticks
Method:
Blend tomatoes, onion, garlic and ginger in a blender without water till smooth.
Heat a pan metal or nonstick till warm add the chicken and cook on high stirring frequently.
Add salt and keep stirring. Add the blended paste to the chicken and coat evenly and keep cooking on high. When oil leaves the sides a bit, roughly 2-3 min later, add the powdered spices and mix well. Add the tamarind water. Lower heat to low cover the pan and cook for 45 min. If there is too much liquid cook on a high flame till water evaporates to give you gravy of the right consistency. Correct salt, add a little lime juice and garnish with cilantro before serving.
