Dancer by Day, Chef by Night: Akshata Raghotham's Palak Paneer Recipe
AKSHATA RAGHOTAM'S PALAK PANEER RECIPE
Filling the air with spicy and savoury aromas as she dances by day and cooks by night, Akshata Raghotham shares her Palak Paneer recipe.
Having danced from a very young age, Akshata decided to continue pursuing dance as a career when she was in college. Majoring in dance, choreography, and art history at the Natya Institute of Kathak and Choreography in Bangalore, she also performed with the dance company during her studies.
In 2019, Akshata moved to Ireland to further her studies under a Masters in Dance Performance program at the University of Limerick.
A foodie at heart, Akshata has also carved out time in her busy schedule to cook up delicious home cooked meals which you can learn more about through her page Chef by Chance (@_chefbychance_). Let’s get cooking, and follow Akshata’s recipe as she guides us step by step.
I love spinach and paneer! This is a very popular dish in India, and it’s not just popular, but also healthy and tasty. Spinach contains many vitamins and minerals. Also, this can be had with rice or bread. I’ve watched a lot of YouTube videos and made my own version according to my taste.
Ingredients:
Spinach
1 tbsp Oil
1-2 Onions
1/8 tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp Ginger garlic paste
Turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala
1 tbsp Yoghurt (optional)
Salt to taste
Paneer or potatoes
*Palak is an Indian word for spinach, and paneer is an Indian cottage cheese.
To make this dish:
1. Boil the spinach in hot water. After it’s boiled, transfer it into another bowl and pour cold water over it.
2. Once the spinach cools down, transfer it to a blender and pour in 1/4 cup of water. Blend until it forms into a smooth thick purée.
3. Heat a pan with 1 tbsp of oil. You can also use butter. Once the oil is heated, add 1/8tsp of cumin seeds.
4. Add 1-2 finely chopped onions and fry until it turns golden brown.
5. Add 1tsp of ginger garlic paste and sauté for a minute.
6. Add turmeric, coriander, chilli powder and sauté it again. Don’t forget to add salt according to taste.
7. Once all the masala blends well, add 1 tbsp of yoghurt and sauté it for 1 minute.
8. Add the purée to the pan and pour in a 1/4 cup of water and mix well. Close the lid to let it cook for 5 minutes.
9. After it’s cooked, add the cubed paneer. You can add potatoes as an alternative to paneer. Give it a good stir. Switch off the stove and it’s good to go!
You can have this with anything. Serve this with rice or Indian bread. It is delicious!!
How did your affinity for food lead to @_chefbychance_ ?
I’m a foodie who lives miles away from home and I can’t compromise on food at all! I really need a good portion of food to survive my busy schedule. Especially as dancers we need energy and strength. So I started experimenting with my cooking skills. I really enjoy that and that’s when I decided to start a page. Also, my sister kept telling me to start an Instagram page and in fact she’s the one who helped me with the name Chef by Chance!
How do you manage cooking meals amongst your dance performance/practice schedule?
I try to cook my week’s meal on a Sunday afternoon/evening. Or sometimes if I’m busy on Sunday, then I try to plan my food according to my schedule. I mostly try not to keep it to the last minute because I know I’ll end up not having a proper meal. I feel that it’s important to plan meals according to your busy schedule.
What’s an easy dish that’s perfect for a dancer on the go?
I think for me an easy dish would be stir fried mixed vegetables in a wrap. Lots of veggies, a little bit of spices and it’s ready!! I prefer to have it in a wrap. Sometimes I add falafel to it, depending on the availability. Some fruits or a protein bar with that if it’s not enough.
Spicing up our palates with her delicious Palak Paneer recipe, dancer-chef Akshata Raghotham teaches us how to make hearty meals to fuel our best moves!