Gongura Paneer (Paneer with Sorrel Spinach)

By Pavani @napavani
Blogging Marathon# 57: Week 4/ Day 1 Theme: Side Dishes for Rice/ Roti Dish: Gongura Paneer We are starting our final week of blogging marathon today and my theme for this week is Side dishes for rice and/ or roti. I am one of those people who is always looking for new sides dishes. Old ones bore me and I pin and bookmark any new or interesting recipes.
I'm starting off this week with an interesting curry with Gongura and Paneer. I was piqued by the unusual combination of gongura and paneer -- it is essentially a South meets North dish. I saw this on Vah Chef's site and followed the recipe almost to the T.
This summer I was fortunate to have an abundance of gongura. My cousin in Delaware was kind enough to share her bounty and I had my own gongura plants in the container garden. So I made quite a few gongura dishes this year. I also froze some of the gongura paste to make more dishes in the winter.
This gongura curry is almost made in the same way as palak paneer, but with the sour gongura leaves has it's own unique taste and texture. So this tastes very different from palak paneer. Do give it a try if you like to try new flavors and if you are looking for a very new curry to serve with your roti or rice.
Ingredients: Serves 4 Gongura leaves - 3cups
Paneer - 2 cups, cubed
Onion - 2 medium, chopped, divided use
Green chilies - 3~4
Cumin Seeds - 1tsp
Red Chili powder - 1tsp
Ground Coriander - 1tsp
Ginger - 1" piece, chopped
Garlic - 3 cloves, minced
Turmeric - ¼tsp
Salt - to taste
Method:
  • Heat 1tbsp oil in a pan, add ginger, garlic, green chilies and half of the onions. Cook till onions turn transparent. 
  • Next add gongura and cook till the green wilt. Let the mixture cool down and blend to a smooth paste.
  • Heat 2tbsp oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and the remaining half of the onions, turmeric and salt. Cook till the onions are lightly browned around the edges.
  • Add chili powder, ground coriander and add ½cup water and bring to a boil.
  • Add the gongura paste along with the fried paneer and cook for 4~5 minutes for the flavors to mingle. Serve with roti or rice.

Lets check out what my fellow marathoners have cooked today for BM# 57.