Dairy- free Spinach and cheese dip (dairy-free Palak Paneer)

This dish brings the wholesome goodness of spinach in a way that makes it extremely palatable to people of all ages. Best of all it is so easy to prepare. So, put on your aprons and head to the kitchen to whip up this allergy-friendly yummy and nutritious treat…

Ingredients

Spinach: 1 bag

Vegan Rella cheese: 1 Packet, cut into ½ “ cubes

Onion: ½ of a medium sized onion finely cut

Oil: 1 tablespoon

½ tsp Paprika or ½ Jalapeno pepper or 1 Indian green chilli (optional)

Ginger root: ½” (optional)

Garlic: 1 or 2 pods (optional)

Salt: to taste

Garam masala: ½ tsp (optional)

Method

1)      On low to medium heat, place a deep pan. When the pan has heated up and there is no moisture in the dish add ½ tbsp of oil.

2)      When the oil is hot – add roughly cut jalapeno pepper or Indian chilli, ginger and garlic and sauté till everything is light brown.

3)      Add washed spinach and salt. Close the lid. As the spinach wilts, stir it so it does not burn at the bottom. The spinach needs to be completely wilted but not overcooked.

4)      Empty the spinach into a blender and let it cool down before blending it. Be careful not to make it too smooth.

5)      Meanwhile, in the same dish that you used to cook the spinach heat ½ tbsp. of oil on low to medium heat. Add finely cut onions and sauté it till the onions are translucent.

6)      Add the blended spinach to the pan. Add the paprika at this stage if you have not added jalapeno or chilli and want some heat.

7)      Add ¼ cup water or less depending on how liquid you want the gravy to be.

8)      Let it simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add the garam masala and simmer for 2-3 minutes more.

9)      Remove it from the flame and let it cool down to room temperature.

10)   Add the cubed veganrella cheese to the spinach and mix it up with a spatula carefully. Do not heat the dish again after you have added the vegan cheese.

11)   Serve it with tortillas (rice, corn, sorghum etc.) or rice.

Tips

1)    Ginger, garlic, paprika/chili/jalapeno and garam masala are optional ingredients. They help to add layers of flavor. When I make this dish for my 4 year old, I don’t add any of the optional ingredients because simple flavors seem to be more palatable to a kid.

2) You can subsitute frozen spinach for fresh spinach. Personally, I like the flavor of baby spinach best.