COCONUT SAAG PANEER WITH PEAS

Paneer is often regarded as a celebratory ingredient and pairing it with creamy spinach makes it even more dreamy. I’ve also used peas because I love how they add sweetness. Serve with chapatis, naan or steamed basmati rice with poppadoms and salad for a dinner-party feast. No one will miss the meat, but, having said that, this works equally well with chicken pieces.

SERVES4

4 tbsp coconut oil or ghee

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 cinnamon stick

1 large onion, diced

2 tbsp ginger and garlic paste (see recipe, right)

2 green finger chillies, finely chopped

1 tomato, diced

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp ground coriander

½ tsp garam masala

½-1 tsp hot chilli powder

1 tsp dried fenugreek leaves 450g frozen chopped spinach, thawed

350g paneer, cut into 2cmcubes

75ml coconut milk (mainly the thicker fat solids from the can)

50g frozen peas (petits pois, ideally) squeeze of lemon juice small knob of butter (optional)

sea salt, to taste

1 Put half the coconut oil or ghee in a pan over a mediumlow heat, add the cumin seeds and cinnamon stick and cook until they fizz, then add the onion. Stir-fry for about 5 minutes until slightly brown, then add the ginger and garlic paste with the green chillies and sauté for a minute or so.

2 Add the tomato, spices, fenugreek leaves and salt to taste. Add a splash of water if needed, then the spinach. Stir to combine and let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes.

3 Meanwhile, heat the remaining coconut oil or ghee in a large nonstick frying pan. Add the paneer, avoiding stirring too much, and let each side catch some colour before flipping. This takes 3-4 minutes. 4 Remove the cinnamon stick from the spinach mixture and purée the mixture slightly with a stick blender until smooth but still with some texture. Add the coconut milk and tumble in the paneer cubes and peas. Simmer for 10 minutes. Finish with the squeeze of lemon and a knob of butter, if liked.