Palak paneer - Indian cottage cheese cooked in a spinach sauce

Hi friends

How have you all been?

Advance Independence day wishes! This our 62nd Independence Day! I am so proud to be an Indian and let's celebrate our freedom aloud! Vande Mataram! :-)


I am reminded of a famous sentence "Freedom is not a right but a feeling". Definitely the feeling of freedom cannt be expressed in words. My independence days, republic days, Oct 2s (Gandhi's birthday) were always correlated to the movie "Gandhi" staring Ben kinsley, directed by Richard Attenborough and written by John Briley. This movie would be telecasted every year in Doordarshan (Indian National TV Channel). I grew up watching it everyyear.


The movie begins with these words by the director. As said by Richard:

"No man's life can be encompassed in one telling... least of all Gandhi's, whose passage through life was so entwined with his nation's struggle for freedom. There is no way to give each event its allotted weight, to recount the deeds and sacrifices of all the great men and women to whom he and India owe such immense debts. What can be done is to be faithful in spirit to the record of his journey, and to try to find one's way to the heart of the man..."

How many of you have seen the entire movie? Its such a lovely movie and every human being who beleives in ahimsa (non-violence) should watch it.

I watched yet another movie on Gandhi, but the plot was around the troubled relationship of Gandhi and his son Harilal Gandhi. The movie "Gandhi, My father" wasnt a commercial hit but it protrays another facet of such a great soul Gandhi, a political and spiritual leader of India. It was a pretty slow movie and shows that even as a father & as a husband his priority is only one; and that is India's freedom.
As one reads this post, ask to yourself that how many of you know the complete lyrics of "Vande Mataram" or "Jana Gana Mana"???Do read his autobiography "The story of experiments with truth".



With that heavy patriotic note, I come to my post for today which is an inviting bowl of simple Palak Paneer. Spinach is always connected to Popeye, the Sailor and I am sure every one of us know the nutritious benefits of eating spinach everyday. It was super yummy and was loved by S. :-)
Ingredients

2 cups spinach leaves
1/2 cup diced paneer (use low fat one)
1 diced onions
1 diced tomatoes  
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

2tsp chilli powder
3tsp coriander powder
2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 green chillies
1 tbs heavy cream (optional)
Salt

Masala
1/2" cinnamon stick
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 cloves
2 cardamons
1/2 bay leaf

Method
Chop and clean the spinach leaves. Bring large amount of water to boil in a cooking vessel. Cook the spinach leaving the vessel open. This method retains the green colour of the spinach. Cook for 5-6min and pour over a colander.
Cube the paneer and place it in hot water. Keep them aside.
Heat oil in a kadai/wok. Once the oil gets heated up, add the whole masalas and let it saute for 2-3min. Add the green chillies, diced onions and little salt to the tempered oil. Cook for 3-5 min on low flame.
Now throw in the ginger-garlic paste and tomatoes. Saute for another 3-5 min. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, corainder powder and cummin powder.Cook till the raw smell disappears and oil separates out. Remove from flame. Let it cool. Grind them with cooked spinach to a fine paste. Pour back the paste to the heated kadai and cook till the raw smell of the spinach disappears. Spoon out the heavy cream and give it a complete mix.
Throw in the paneer and adjust salt to taste. Cook for another 2-3 min.
Serve with hot chapattis/rice/pulao.