Palak Paneer and Butter Naan

I am totally stressed out and tired as I type this post. But don't you worry a bit, because I have enough alacrity to finish this one up for you guys. Why do you ask? This is a special post. Palak Paneer is one dish avi and myself weren't quite fond of. I have made different variations of this dish. Every time my palate would go," what ever!", until I made Tarla Dalal's recipe. My husband enjoyed it and licked it up clean. I was satisfied and here is the not so coveted recipe, (but will be once you try the below recipe):-

Palak Paneer

Ingredients:-
2 cups of chopped spinach
3-4 green chillies (depending on how much heat you can take)- grind this with the tomatoes.
1/2 cup of paneer cubes
1 tsp jeera/cumin seeds
1/2 medium sized onion ground to paste
1 tsp of ginger-garlic paste (as little as possible)
1 medium sized tomato ground to paste (with green chillies)
1 tsp of garam masala
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder
1/4 cup of cream (optional-to make it richer-you may skip it if you are calorie conscious)
2 tbl spns of oil/butter
salt to taste

Method:-
Cook the spinach with 1/4 cup of water in microwave for 1 min. Grind the palak coarsely. Do not over grind.
In a pan, heat the butter or oil. Add jeera and ginger-garlic paste. Fry well for abt half a min.
Add the onion paste and cook till the raw smell is gone.
Add the tomato-chilli paste with the powders (masalas). Add salt to taste.
Cook for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Add the palak and cook for 10 mins.
Add the paneer cubes and cream (optional). Cook for another 5 mins.

Butter Naan:-
Ingredients:-
3 cup of maida/APF
1 sachet of yeast / yeast substitute(2 tsp of baking soda and 2 tbl spns of lime juice)
1/2 cup of plain yogurt/curd
1/4 cup of warm milk
4 tbl spns of oil
pinch of sugar
1 tsp of salt
sesame seeds and chopped coriander to garnish
some flour to dust the rolling surface

Method:-

Preheat the oven at 400 F.

1. Kneading method if using yeast:-
Dissolve the yeast sachet in warm milk and mix it with the maida/APF.
Add to this brittle mixture yogurt, salt and sugar and start kneading. Add four tbl spns of oil and keep kneading. You may use some warm water if necessary, but I didn't.
Knead the dough well to make it pliable.
Wrap in a wet cheese cloth or plastic wrap. Set aside for 2-3 hrs in a warm place.


2. Kneading method if using yeast substitute (baking soda and lime juice) :-
Mix maida/APF and baking soda.
Mix the warm milk in the maida and baking soda mixture.
Add yogurt, salt and sugar and start kneading. Add four tbl spns of oil and lime juice. Keep kneading. You may use some warm water if necessary, but I didn't.
Knead the dough well to make it pliable.
Wrap in a wet cheese cloth or plastic wrap. Set aside for 2-3 hrs in a warm place.

Making the naan in the oven:-
Take a ping pong ball sized dough and roll it into a 1/4th inch oval shaped roti.
Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top and roll the pin slightly so that they get pressed into the dough.
On a baking tray, smear/spray some oil on top f the aluminum foil and put the naan on top of the foil.
Lightly spray or smear some oil with a help of a brush on top of the naan.
Bake for 12 mins (depends on the size) till you see black spots appearing on top. Check after 10 mins if the spots have started to appear. Flip them and cook for the rest 2 mins.

Smear some butter and chopped coriander before serving. Serve Hot.