Palak Paneer, Two Ways

In college Jim insisted we go for Indian food one night; I wrinkled my nose, protested lightly, and then sucked it up. I had experienced an Indian buffet in Arlington, Virginia toward the end of high school and was not impressed with the cumin and anise seeds I kept encountering. The flavors were too intense. Thank goodness for Jim though! That night I discovered one of my favorite dishes to date Palak Paneer (and Naan, of course).

When my Mom visited this Fall, we made Palak Paneer from scratch, even the paneer. Do you know how long it takes to bring milk to a boil? I was proud of the accomplishment and it tasted good, but I will likely never do it again as savoring the dish in a restaurant with naan makes more sense. Then again I did discover pre-made paneer, unpriced, at Whole Foods. It might be worth checking out...


In the meantime, I will continue to make the version I discovered in college. It requires half the effort and produces similar results. Just be careful not to simmer out too much of the sauciness or you'll end up with the version depicted below - tasty and a little off.


This dish is very rich, pretty healthy because of all the spinach, and best served with rice to tone down the spiciness.