Paneer shyam savera

Paneer shyam savera is Sanjeev Kapoor’s signature dish and he calls it historic as it the first dish he prepared for his first ever TV show. This is a beautiful dish that looks alluring- the paneer, the palak and the gorgeous gravy comes together to create this very special dish. I had read about this recipe about a year ago, but lacked the confidence to pull it off. But few days back I was again reminded of the dish (Now the look of dish is such- That I couldn’t get rid of the very appealing image). So with planning I proceeded to recreate this dish with my own twists and turns and yes it was a hit. So when somebody special is going to come home, the lucky one would get to taste it- It is a deadly taste-bud pleaser.

Paneer shyam savera

Recipe source- http://www.sanjeevkapoor.com/

Serves- 2 to 3 persons

Ingredients:

For inner paneer stuffing:

Paneer- 3/4 cup

Cardamom powder- 1 tsp

Salt to taste

For outer palak covering:

Palak- 4 bunches

Cumin seeds- ½ tsp

Turmeric powder- ¼ tsp

Besan- 4 tbsp

Hing- a pinch

Salt to taste

Oil- 1 tbsp

Oil to deep fry

Corn flour- 1 tbsp

For gravy:

Onion (medium) - 2 (chopped)

Tomato (small) - 4 (chopped)

Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tbsp

Coriander powder- 3 tsp

Cumin powder- 2 tsp

Chili powder- 3 tsp

Kasoor methi- ½ tbsp

Cardamom- 5

Cinnamon- 1’’ inch

Cloves- 4

Saunf- ½ tsp

Bay leaf -1

Shahi zeera- ½ tsp

Milk- ½ cup

Paneer (grated)- 1 tbsp

Honey- 1 tbsp

Oil- 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp

Salt to tast

Procedure:

For shyam-savera balls- Blanch thoroughly cleaned palak leaves in water for 2 minutes. Strain it and add cold water to stop further cooking process and preserve the greenness of the palak leaves. Chop it finely once cooled. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and after they have spluttered, add hing, besan and turmeric powder. Fry it for few seconds, then add palak leaves and cook for 4-5 minutes, till you see that a binding has formed. Finally, add salt and switch of the flame. Let it cool down.

After that take paneer, add cardamom powder and salt. Knead well for a minute and then form small balls. From the above mentioned quantity you may get around 5-6 balls. Now take some palak leaves, flatten it on your palm, put the paneer balls inside and cover it with the palak. With very soft hand form it into a firm ball. Now roll the shyam-savera balls over the corn flour and then tap off any excess corn flour. Deep fry them over medium heat, two at a time. Strain and keep it aside to cool down.

For gravy- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan, add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, saunf and fry till fragrant. After that add onions and sauté it till translucent. Then add ginger-garlic paste and fry it till the raw smell disappears. Next add tomatoes along with turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt to the pan. Drizzle the pan with some water and continue cooking till the masala is well cooked. It may take around 15-18 minutes. Then add kasoori methi, some water and let it cook for another 2 minutes. Switch off the flame and let the masala cool down. Then grind it into a smooth paste.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in pan, add bay leaf and sahi zeera. After they have spluttered, add the grounded masala let it cook for another 5-8 minutes. Meanwhile cut the the shyam savera balls into halves and keep it aside. Then add milk and give it a good stir. Cook for another five minutes. Check for the salt and spice level. Switch off the flame, add honey and pour into serving dish. Then put the shyam savera balls, garnish with grated paneer and serve.

Paneer Shyam Savera tastes best with roti or Zeera rice

Notes:

You may add butter and cream while garnishing for a rich punjabi flavor.

Adding hing to the palak gives a unique taste, so I strongly suggest adding it.

Be cautious while adding salt to Palak, as it may catch up a high salt level.

If your binding in palak is not strong enough< add some more besan or cornflour to it.

Instead of honey, you may add sugar to counter balance the sourness in the gravy.