What is it about an old-fashioned ‘bake’ that is so comforting? Pasta, some sort of protein, nestled under a layer of glistening, golden cheese? Or in this case, soft, thin crepes filled with spinach and paneer, layered with tomato and white sauce, and again, nestled under a blanket of cheese? Uff. Just thinking about it makes me happy!
Here’s another one of those dishes that mum has been making for decades. She says she found it in a Tarla Dalal book, and it instantly became a favourite in our family. And it really has something for everyone. You prefer tomato sauce over white sauce? No problem! There’s tomato sauce in here. You prefer white sauce over tomato? That’s here too! Can’t eat a meal without some sort of cheese? There’s paneer, mozzarella and cheddar. Can’t eat a meal without something healthy? There’s a big handful of spinach in here too. Wow. What a people pleaser. But in the best, most delicious way possible.
Now, making this is a slightly involved process — and requires a few building blocks, but none of it is hard. Think of it as a desi lasagna and set aside an afternoon for it with something soothing playing in the background and a snack on hand.
Recipe:Spinach & Paneer Bake
Ingredients
Spinach-paneer filling
250 g paneer
1 large bundle spinach, shredded finely
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 green chillies, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp oil
Pancake
1 cup AP flour (maida)
1 egg
1 1/2 cup water (or as needed)
Salt
Tomato sauce
5 tomatoes, blanched and pureed
1 small onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
Salt
1 tbsp oil
White sauce
1 tbsp oil + 2 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cup milk
Salt
Pepper
To assemble
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
Method
Start by making the pancake batter:
In a mixing bowl, add the flour, egg, water and salt.
Mix to combine till it forms a smooth batter.
The batter should be runny — add more water, if needed.
Set aside for 30 minutes.
Make the spinach-paneer filling now:
Heat the oil in a pan. Saute the onion, followed by garlic and green chillies. Now add the spinach and allow to wilt.
Add in the crumbled paneer and cook for 5 minutes until the mixture is fully dry.
Next, make the tomato sauce:
Heat the oil in a pan. Add the onion, followed by garlic.
Now add the pureed tomatoes, salt and the paprika, if using.
Let it cook down, to a sauce-like consistency.
Make the white sauce:
Heat the oil + butter. Add the flour and cook till raw smell dissapears. Add the milk, and continue whisking until smooth and thick.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Now start making the pancakes:
Use a small non-stick pan (we’ve used a 6-inch pan here):
Heat the pan, and add 1/2 cup ladleful of batter and swirl it around until it covers the base of the pan.
Carefully remove the pancake when it is cooked (no need to flip). This should take no more than 1-2 minutes.
Continue with remaining batter. You should get about 17 pancakes.
Filling the pancakes:
Add 2 tsp of the spinach and paneer filling towards one end of the pancake and roll it up like a cigar. Set aside.
Continue with the rest of the pancakes.
To assemble:
Use a oven-proof dish that is approximately a 10x6.5 inch rectangle.
Spread a thin layer of the tomato sauce. Now carefully lay out the filled pancake rolls in one layer.
Add another layer of tomato sauce, followed by white sauce, a sprinkling of cheddar and mozzarella.
Place another layer of the pancake rolls, followed by the tomato sauce, white sauce and more cheese.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes or until the top is golden-brown.
