Back to India

I recently was lucky enough to visit India for a friend's wedding and came back with a new appreciation of the cuisine. While mostly everything still had cumin in it, the amount was not offensive and I enjoyed nearly everything I ate. I'm going to spend a bit of time trying some recipes I picked up during the last few weeks. 

This week I decided to try my hand at paneer, naan, and palaak. Paneer was one of the easiest things I've ever made and was so tasty that I doubt I'll buy it in the package again. 

1/2 gal whole milk

Pinch of salt

1/4 c lemon juice

Cheesecloth

Bring the milk to a simmer and remove from heat. Add salt and lemon juice, stir very gently to not break up curds. Line a colander with cheesecloth and place into a large bowl. Pour curdled milk into colander. Set bowl of whey aside and rinse curds with water. Squeeze majority of water out with hands and then twist the cheesecloth and place it between two plated. Place a heavy weight on top and allow to drain for an hour or more. 

Naan:

Mix 1tsp active dry yeast in 1/4 c hot tap water and 1 Tbsp sugar. Allow to bubble for 10 minutes (longer if it is as cold as my house in the dead of winter). Add 1 c plain greek yoghurt, 3/4 c warm milk. 

In a large bowl, mix together 2 c each all purpose flour and whole wheat pastry flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt. Pour wet ingredients into the center of the dry ones and bring mostly together with a wooden spatula. Knead into a ball with hands but do not knead past this point! Allow to rise for an hour. Cut into about 8 equal portions and roll to an oval shape, 1/4 inch thick. Cook for 2-3 min each side in a lightly oiled cast iron skillet over medium heat. Garnish with olive oil, fresh herbs, garlic, etc. 

Palaak

In a food processor, bring together 1 medium yellow onion, 1-2 jalapeño peppers ( seeded), 2 inches peeled fresh ginger, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp ground cardamom, 1/4 tsp allspice until smooth. Sautée over medium low heat for 10 minutes in 1 tbsp butter or ghee. Add 2 10-oz packages thawed spinach, 1 tsp salt, reserve whey from paneer to keep everything saucy. Cook for 30 minutes, adding whey as needed. Add 1 c plain yoghurt, fresh sliced paneer, 2 tbsp whole milk or cream. Stir together. 

Serve over rice with hot naan and eat with your right hand. I could have been more heavy handed with my spices and you could certainly add garam masala or cumin, if you like. 

Join me again for egg curry, butter chicken, and paani puri!