KASHMIRI PAALAK CHAAMAN (SPINACH AND COTTAGE CHEESE)

Ingredients:

• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp Dry ginger powder
• 200 gms Cottage Cheese, cut into 1 1/2" cubes
• 1/2 tsp black pepper powder 1/2 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder
• 1 Bunch (around 750 gms) Spinach
• 2 tbsp Oil
• 1/4th tsp asafoetida
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 3-4 coursely ground green cardamom
• 10-12 cloves of Garlic - diced
• 2-3 sticks of Cinnamon
• 1 coursely ground black cardamom
• 4-5 coursely ground cloves
• 1 tsp aniseed powder

Method:

1. Wash Spinach, blanch, drain and cool under tap water, keep aside.
2. In a non-stick pan, take oil, heat, and deep fry Cottage Cheese cubes till brown
3. Put the fried cubes in a bowl of water to make them soft.
4. Remove rest of the oil and let about 2 tbsp of oil in the same pan.
5. Add Cinnamon sticks, all coursely ground spices and diced garlic to it. Fry till garlic is brown.
6. Squeeze out water from spinach, keep the water aside and cut the spinach coarsely.
7. Add spinach to the frying pan, and mix well.
8. Add all other Powdered spices, mix well, and cook on low flame for 2-3 mins and then add the spinach water that was kept aside. Cook till spinach is almost dry and done.
9. Squeeze out water from cottage cheese cubes, mix well, cook for 4-5 more mins.
10. Transfer in a serving bowl and serve hot with rice, plain chapatis or paranthis.