Hey everyone! I recently took a cooking class in Varkala at Jairam Cafe and learned how to cook 6 dishes from South India and 3 dishes from North India. The chef, Dilip, took us through each step of his recipes and we got to enjoy the feast after.

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Palak Paneer

Ingredients

• 2 cups paneer
• 1 cup oil
• 6 cups spinach
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground corriander
• Pinch of cumin powder
• 1 tablespoon cream

Directions

1. Boil spinach in a pot of water for 5 minutes, strain and blend
2. Add oil into a wok over medium heat
3. Once oil is hot (simmering), add paneer
4. Stir paneer in wok until lightly browned and cripsy on the sides
5. Spoon out the paneer into a bowl, leaving 2 tablespoons of oil in the wok
6. Add spinach to the wok, along with the butter, salt, white pepper, cilantro, cumin powder, and cream
7. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes
8. Take off heat and add the paneer, serve!

A note :: Paneer is soft cheese that we can make with cottage cheese. First add lemon to a bowl of cottage cheese, allowing it to curdle, then strain out the liquids with a cheesecloth. The end result should be a soft paneer that we later make hard by frying it in oil.

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Coconut Chutney

Ingredients

• 2 cups coconut flakes
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon curry leaves
• 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup water
• 1 green chili

Directions

1. Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend!

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