Creamy spinach palak paneer with Indian chicken curry

There's a little restaurant here in State College called India Pavillion. They have the most unbelievable lunch buffet. It's unbelievable because although it doesn't have a wide variety of dishes, it is the most delicious buffet in town. They also have the best naan I've ever tried (granted, I haven't tried many...).

My absolute favorite dish there is the spinach. With a little investigation I found out it is called palak paneer (I hope I'm right!) and I fill up my plate multiple times with it and chow it down with naan.

I decided to give this dish a go today, and of course pair it with my interpretation of Indian chicken curry. A little disclaimer, I've never made Indian food before, and I don't know how genuine these dishes are! I apologize if I'm calling things by the wrong name or completely butchering these recipes. Rest assured though, both dishes were delicious!

(The flag is for a little project I'm revealing next week ;))

Creamy spinach palak paneer
Servings: 2
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min

3 x 1 tbsp olive oil
1 pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed
16 cubes paneer cheese (I used queso fresco because I didn't find paneer!)
1 large tomato, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 green hot pepper, cut into strips
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 cup half and half
salt to taste

In a saute pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the cheese cubes until browned and set aside.

In another pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Add the tomatoes and onion and cook until tender. Then add the green pepper, chili, turmeric, garam masala and paprika. Stir to blend everything well. Let it cool for about 2 minutes and transfer to blender. Blend until it becomes a uniform paste.

Add the last tbsp of olive oil to the pan and cook the paste for about 3 minutes. Then add the thawed spinach, half and half and salt to taste. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in the fried cheese cubes and mix well, cooking for another 3-5 minutes.

If you want to keep this meal vegetarian, stop reading here :) If not, read on for the second component of this meal.

Indian chicken curry
Servings: 2
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 medium tomato, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp paprika
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp grated fresh ginger root
1/4 tsp white sugar
salt to taste

1 1/2 tsp tomato paste
1/2 cup half and half
1/4 cup milk

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and tomato until tender. Then add the garlic and remaining spices. Mix everything very well and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Add the chicken cubes, tomato paste, half and half and milk. Stir well to mix all the flavors. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for 20-25 minutes. Check your chicken, if it hasn't cooked all the way through simmer for longer.

That's it!! These dishes look complicated but it's because of the high variety of spices. They were both really, really delicious.

Serve with naan and use it as your eating utensil along with your hands ;)

Bruno gives this dish a:

8.7 / 10

Hey, not bad for my very first time!! Next time I will buy better quality naan or just make it myself, this one was just not good enough.