Danish Feta Cooked In Indian Style Spinach Gravy

As the end of the month drew close, I decided to clean my pantry by using up all the things in before I could go for grocery shopping. But that never seems to happen in my case. Every time I hear something new…my feet urge. I had membership in all the super markets back in India and I can’t wait to see all the grocery stores here in Johannesburg.

I still have few things left in small quantities. I’m planning to mix everything and come up with some unusual looking recipe. I really need to know what people do with small quantities that are left.

After moving to Johannesburg, we were missing paneer/cottage cheese for quite few weeks. Paneer is cooked at least once in my kitchen. Then on Saturday one of my good and newly found friends here suggested of Danish Feta. Sunday I was on my way to buy groceries…kinda… shopaholic. Anand gave those looks by which I understood that he won’t be eating it if it something extremely awful.

Danish feta is cheese, looks exactly like paneer, tastes like curd and is delicate…easily crumbles and melts. But a great substitute till I find a shop that sells my favourite paneer.



Ingredients

Danish Feta 100 g
Spinach chopped handful
Chopped onion 1 medium size
Chopped tomatoes 2 medium size
Chopped ginger 1/2 teaspoon
Garlic Pods 5 to 6
Green chillies 2
Bay leaf 1
Cumin ½ teaspoon
Red chilli powder ½ teaspoon
Curry powder/ garam masala ½ teaspoon
Salt to taste
Sugar crystals ½ teaspoon
Oil 1 tablespoon



Directions

In a pressure cooker, boil spinach with few garlic pods, green chillies and salt. Boil it for seven to eight minutes. Smash it nicely with a wooden spoon. I could have pureed it but I wanted to keep the texture and to be honest I don’t have a blender. Need to buy one.

Carefully dice feta into half inch pieces. Sauté and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a pan. Add bay leaf and cumin seeds. When seeds start to splutter, add chopped ginger and sauté for half a minute. Add onions and rest of the garlic pods. Stir. Once onions get caramelised, add tomatoes.

Sprinkle salt, red chilli powder, curry powder, and sugar. Give a nice stir. Add water and cook further for five minutes.

When the gravy comes to a boil, add spinach mixture.

Mix everything well and let it simmer for two to three minutes. Remove the pan from fire and add the feta pieces to the spinach gravy.

Mix well and serve it with hot chapattis. Don’t allow feta to sit on the fire for long as chances are that it will melt.