A rich and satisfying veggie curry, packed with flavour this Paneer Curry with spinach and peas is a real winner! Easy to make this great for a veggie weeknight dinner.
1medium brown onion peeled, cut in half then chopped
1x 225g(1 x 7.5) oz pack of paneercut into cubes of 2cm/ 1 inch
3cloves of garlic grated or put through a garlic press
1level tbsptomato puree/ tomato paste
1greencayenne chili pepper Finely chopped and deseeded. I used a larger green chilli as my family can't handle too much heat!
4tbspkorma paste
400g(2 cups) of passata
1level tbspvegetable bouillion
100ml(¼ cup ) of water
½amedium lemon, the juice of
¼tspsea salt
¼tspfreshly ground black pepper
40g(2 ½ tbsp ) of mango chutney
80g(2 ¾ cups) of fresh baby spinach
50g(⅓ of a cup) of frozen peasI used petit pois peas
A small bunch of fresh coriander/cilantro
For Serving
Basmati rice
Lemon wedges
Instructions
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan.Add the onion and cook until translucent and springy, at least 10 minutes.Then push the onions to one side of the pan. Add the paneer and cook until golden brown.
Next, add the korma paste, garlic, half the chopped green chilli (add less if you don't like heat!) and tomato puree cook for a minute.Then add the passata, water and vegetable bouillion stir well and bring the sauce to a fast simmer.Squeeze in the juice of half a lemon. Season with salt and pepper and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, roughly chop the coriander(cilantro) leaves and stalks as well.Once the sauce is reduced to a thick sauce add the mango chutney and half the coriander and stir through the curry. Check the seasoning now.
Add the spinach to the sauce a handful at a time until wilted. Stir in the peas. Stir the remaining coriander/cilantro through the cooked rice.Leave the curry to cool slightly then serve with rice, naan or chapati.
Notes
Paneer - You will find panner in the cheese aisle in the supermarket. Paneer is an Indian cheese that is mild in flavour and holds its shape when cooked, it’s really great in curries.
Spinach – Fresh young spinach is best for this curry but you could use frozen if you need.
Peas – I use frozen petit pois peas, for this curry. The smaller petit pois are sweeter and more tender than larger garden peas. If you have fresh peas, then they’re delicious too.
Passata – Tomato passata is pureed and strained uncooked tomatoes. Sold in tall bottles it’s 100% tomato, no additives or flavourings. It’s smoother than crushed tomatoes and is known as tomato puree in the US. You can swap this for tinned chopped/diced tomatoes if you wish.
Korma Paste – You will find this in the world food aisle of your supermarket, I recommend using a good quality paste to make this dish.
Pro-Tip – Bring the paneer to room temperature before you fry it. When panner is refrigerated, it becomes cold and hard. Bringing it to room temperature will make it softer. So I recommend taking it out of the fridge 2-3 hours before using it.
Nutritional Information - is approximate and is calculated using an online nutrition tool. It is based on one serving of 4 and does not include rice/naan or chapati if used.
Weights and measurements - For US readers, I use Cuisipro measuring cups and spoons, and a Pyrex measuring jug for liquids. These are the industry standard. Cup/spoon volumes can differ from brand to brand, for accuracy, I recommend weighing all ingredients if possible.