Paneer Hariyali | Indian Cottage Cheese in Green Makhani Gravy

Green is one of my favorite colour.Very soothing & calm  is what one can describe paneer.Todays recipe is made from paneer  means indian cottage cheese & hariyali means green.
I keep on trying out new paneer dishes since the time I have started making panner at home .First recipe Paneer Butter masala  which was a sureshot hit.next one being paneer hariyali
Hariyali paneer makhani is a punjabi paneer recipe with succulent paneer cubes cooked in creamy green gravy. The gravy is prepared by mixing spinach,mint ,corianderleaves and makhan( cream) and is aptly spiced to suit every palate. Hariyali paneer makhani is a Punjabi paneer recipe with succulent paneer cubes cooked in creamy green gravy. The gravy is prepared with spinach and makhan (cream) and spices.

Ingredients:

Green gravy masala
Palak leaves(spinach)- 1 cup
 mint leaves(pudina), finely chopped- 1/2 cup
coriander leaves(kothmir), finely chopped- 1/2 cup
green chilies - 5/6 (as per your taste)


Remaining ingredients
Paneer(cottage cheese)- 250 gms ( about 10-12 pieces) 
Onion - 1 big sized
tomato - 1
Green simla mirchi (bell pepper) - cut into cubes - half cup
 ginger, grated or paste- 1 tsp
 garlic, grated or paste- 1 tsp
 Curd 3/4 cup or creamButter 2-3 tbsp
Kasoori methi    1/2 teaspoon
Oil 2-3 tbsp
Salt as taste
salt to taste
 butter- 1 tbsp

Whole garam masala powder
Green cardamom 3-4
dhania ( coriander) powder- 1 tsp
Bay leaf 1
 jeera powder(cumin)- 1 tsp
Cloves  3
 black pepper corn- 3
Cinnamon 1 inch stick


 

Method:

1. Clean  the spinach leaves add them in boiling water for 2-3 minutes) & then immediately dip in cold water. grind spinach along with mint leaves,coriander leaves(kothmir), green chillies  into a smooth paste.

2. Remove all the water content by hanging the curd in a muslin cloth or straining the curd.
3. Grind all ingredients under whole garam masala to a fine powder
4.Saute onions ,tomato till they turn pink ,cool & grind it to a paste .Saute paneer pieces till light golden in the same oil.
5. heat butter in a pan saute ginger garlic paste.Add  garam masala prepared  in step 3.mix well next add bell peppers & fry for a minute.

6. Now add onion tomato paste ,green paste in step 1 ,hung curd & salt & mix well. Add shallow  fried paneer in the above mixture. add crushed kasoori methi.Mix it very softly.
7. Next add water to adjust the consistency of the gravy & cook on low heat for 4-5 minutes.once butter starts separating switch off the gas . Serve Hariyali Paneer with naan, chapati,roti, tomato chutney,PLAIN BASMATI RICE  and salad.



Tips:

1. To blanch spinach, first wash the spinach thrice. Then boil water in a pan. When the water starts bubbling, add spinach and let it boil for only 4 mins. Do not put the lid. Then strain the water and immediately put the spinach in cold water for 1 min. This way, spinach will get cooked and the colour wont change.
 2. If you feel that the paneer is hard, then keep the paneer in hot water for 30 mins and it will become soft. Then use this paneer for any paneer dishes.
3. Don’t saute the paneer for a long time because cooking paneer for more time makes the paneer hard.
4.You can even prepare the green gravy with only mint & coriander