Palak Tikki

Remember Popeye and how he used to gulp tins of spinach for instant energy? Well, he surely knew the benefits of this wonder green veggie. It is a rich source of vitamins A,B,C and also minerals like magnesium, iron, potassium. It is beneficial against high BP, anaemia, osteoporosis. However, it can lose its benefits if overcooked.

Serves : 4
Ethnicity : Indian

There are numerous delicious ways of preparing spinach dishes. Here is one of them.





This tikki is simple to prepare yet so delicious even without any accompaniment..The cardamom lends a unique flavour. Serve as a starter or evening snack.

You can vary the proportion of the ingredients to suit your palate. We never follow any measurements when preparing these tikkis. What is shown below is just an approximate measure.

Ingredients :
1 bunch palak (spinach)
Paneer - a little more than 1/2 cup
Coarsely powdered cardamom - 3
Coarsely chopped cashew - a handful
Green chillies - depending on how spicy you want the tikkis
Coriander leaves - a handful
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Besan (gramflour) - 4-5 tbsp or more, as required for binding the mixture
Garam masala powder - 1-2 tsp
Salt to taste
Ghee/ oil - for shallow frying

Method :
1. Take out the palak leaves and steam. Cool and then grind to a puree. Alternatively, you
could boil the palak in water, drain and then puree.
2. Cut the paneer into tiny bits.
3. Coarsely grind together coriander leaves and green chillies, without adding water.
4. In a bowl mix together chopped paneer and cashew, ginger-garlic paste, coarsely ground
chillies and coriander leaves, garam masala, palak puree, cardamom powder, salt. Now add the
besan a tbsp at a time till you get the texture suitable for shaping into cutlets. Do not add water. Divide
into equal proportions and shape into cutlets.
5. Shallow fry on a non-stick tava till it turns light brown on both sides.
Serve hot.

Variations :
1. Instead of palak puree, you could steam/ boil and drain and then chop them finely and mix
with the remaining ingredients. No need to add water.
2. The quantity of besan required varies depending on whether you are adding chopped palak or
puree and also with the quantity of the puree.
3. You could even finely chop coriander leaves and green chillies instead of grinding.