Spinach and Paneer Cakes (3)
Bland, spices didn't really work and had a strange texture (crush the seeds next time, add more salt, use more chili and serve with a sauce)
Ingredients
- 1 large 400g baking potato
- 650g large spinach leaves, washed
- 250g paneer, coarsely grated
- Salt
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 large shallots, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tsp cumin seeds, lightly crushed
- 2 tsp coriander seeds, lightly crushed
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 40 fresh curry leaves (ie from about three stems)
- 1 lime, quartered
- 80g Greek yoghurt
Method
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Heat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. Put the potato on an oven tray and bake for 45 minutes, until cooked through. Remove and, once cool enough to handle, peel and discard (or eat) the skin. Put the flesh (you should have about 180g) in a large bowl and crush with a fork.
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Fill a large saucepan with water, bring to a boil, blanch the spinach for a minute, then drain. Once cool enough to handle, transfer the spinach to a clean tea towel, draw up the sides of the towel so the spinach is an enclosed ball in the middle, then squeeze out as much water as you can. Roughly chop the spinach, and add to the potato with the paneer and a teaspoon of salt.
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Heat a tablespoon of coconut oil in a large frying pan on a medium-high flame. Fry the shallots for five minutes, until soft and golden-brown, then stir in the cumin and coriander, and fry for two minutes more. Add the chilli, turmeric, mustard seeds and curry leaves, fry for a minute, until the seeds start to pop, then take off the heat. Set aside to cool slightly, stir into the potato mix, then form into eight cakes about 6cm wide and 3cm thick.
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Wipe clean the frying pan and return it to a medium-high heat with the remaining coconut oil. Fry four cakes at a time for two to three minutes a side, until nicely browned, then remove from the pan and keep warm while you fry the remaining cakes. Serve warm, with a squeeze of lime on top and a spoonful of yoghurt on the side.