Spinach Pesto Paneer

This delicious recipe for spinach pesto paneer involves cubes of paneer that are deep fried till crisp and then tossed in a spinach-pesto sauce. It serves as a quick and easily prepared appetizer with a beautiful dense green color.

Total time: 25 minutes
Serving: 4 persons

Ingredients:
For spinach pesto:

• 1/2 cup almonds
• 2.5 cups spinach
• 2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• ½ lemon juice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Other ingredient:

• 250g paneer (cottage cheese)
• 2 onions
• 1 red capsicum
• 1 green capsicum
• 2-3 green chili
• 1,½ tbsp corn flour
• 1,1/2 tbsp maida (all purpose flour)
• 1 tbsp green chili sauce
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• Oil to fry
• Salt to taste
• Water

Instructions:
For making spinach pesto:

• Wash and spin-dry the spinach leaves
• Blend the leaves in a food processor with the almonds, garlic, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and
• pepper
• Chop paneer into cubes
• Dice onion, capsicum into cube shape
• Slit green chillies lengthwise
• Make a thick paste of corn flour, maida, salt and little water
• Heat oil in a frying pan
• Dip the paneer cubes in the above paste and fry till golden brown
• Remove from pan and drain excess oil on kitchen paper
• Heat a wok and add 2 tbsp of oil
• Add onions and stir on high for half a minute
• Add green chili, capsicum and sauté well
• Add the pesto paste, green chili sauce, pepper and salt; stir well
• Add fried paneer cubes and mix well
• Remove from flame, add lemon juice and combine
• Garnish with freshly chopped coriander leaves
• Serve hot or cold.

Indian Chef Chhaya Thakker, who has a huge following online on WhatsApp and YouTube will be sharing her favorite recipes and cooking tips with readers of The Times Kuwait. For feedback, you can write to editortimeskuwait@gmail.com