I’ve spent the last 5 years travelling regularly to India for business and often find myself daydreaming about the wonderful curry we might enjoy for lunch instead of focussing on the business meeting at hand! Palak Paneer is a hearty but healthy Indian curry where spinach (palak) is the main event rather than the side dish. Paneer is a dense Indian cheese that is salty and subtle and creates lovely contrast to the soft spinach. You can substitute Halloumi if you can’t find it. This curry is elegantly fragranced and flavoured by whole spices as well as ground and a tablespoon or two of cream, swirled in right at the end, adds a touch of luxury. It quicker to prepare than most curries and you can swap spinach for any dark leafy greens such as kale, cavelo nero or swiss chard. Digging into a steaming bowl of Palak Panner accompanied by nutty brown rice is my idea of health and happiness in gloomy January! <br /> <br />I pestered many a chef for ingredients and cooking tips during my stays in Mumbai and New Delhi which inspired me to create my own recipe for Palak Paneer, in no way authentic I’m sure. Many recipes call for Garam Masala, which just means a blend of ground spices, mainly cumin, coriander, cardamom and pepper. Every Garam Masala, whether shop-bought or home-made, will be different, so I’m prescribing specific quantities of spices here so it will taste delicious every time. <br />

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