PALAK PANEER

Yes, this is Indian. I made it to go along with my Indian meal. Palak Paneer is one of my favorite Indian dishes. It's fresh spinach with garlic, in a creamy curry sauce. The cheese is a delicate Indian ricotta like cottage cheese.

 Well, many years ago I made paneer (the cheese) but since my favorite Indian cook book is in storage I decided to buy pre-package paneer. It came in a block form and I cut it in cubes.  Then I broiled it on high for a few minutes until it was golden brown. Uggg.....not good, Ron said I made dry, tasteless cheese croutons, and he was right. NEVER AGAIN will I buy packaged paneer.

So why  post about something less than desirable? This recipe morphed into a spinach dish I love! The original recipe had hot chilies in it and a lot of ginger. I simplified this dish and now have a recipe that is not very Indian but a delicious way to make spinach that tastes like creamed spinach without the cream. Give it a try, I think it is really good .

I'm not sure what to name it. Any ideas???

For now I'll call it......

                                                     CREAMY SPINACH WITH GINGER

1/2 lb. baby spinach, washed
1-2 TBSP. oil
2 tsp. grated ginger ( I used the micro plane)
1 TBSP. lemon juice
salt to taste

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add grated ginger and stir fry for a minute on medium heat. Add the spinach and allow it to just wilt, stirring every so often. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Puree the spinach in the blender, adding water only if needed. Add the spinach puree back to the pan and bring to a simmer. Add the lemon juice and salt to taste. Stir to mix well and serve.

So, it's not Indian, but it does go well with Indian food. I just love spinach this way. Here is how it looked while I was cooking it and then on the plate.