Spinach with Cheese (Palak Paneer)

Spinach with cheese (Palak Paneer) 

from "Menus and Memories from Punjab", by Veronica "Rani" Sidhu

Some Punjabi cooks don't use tomato or cumin in a variation of this recipe and they puree the spinach before adding the cheese, but we love it this way, making it taste very different from saag. Add cayenne pepper to taste if you wish a hotter product. Suit yourself!

Note: For an extra challenge, you may make the cheese.  Alternately the 7 oz can be purchased from Costco, or from the dairy case of your Indian market (or equivalent), and cut into cubes.  Fry the purchased cheese.  You can substitute this for the homemade cheese and skip the first step of the recipe below.

Yield 10 Servings (6 CUPS)

Ingredients:

Cheese:

4 cups (32 ounces) ricotta cheese or freshly drained curds

Oil for Frying

Vegetable:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil plus more for frying
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
2-inch piece ginger, minced
1 rounded teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon whole or ground cumin seeds
1 teaspoon crushed or ground coriander seeds
2 teaspoons salt, or more to taste
1 (6- to 8-inch) green chili pepper, seeded and minced
1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves (meth') or 1/2 teaspoon ground fenugreek seeds (optional)
1 large tomato, chopped (optional)
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce (optional)
1 (1 pound, 8 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, or 30-ounce fresh spinach*
1 teaspoon garam masala
3 tablespoons ghee, melted (optional)

Method

1) To make the paneer cheese**: Drain the ricotta in a colander lined with a cloth napkin for several hours in the sink. Cover a counter with a large piece of plastic wrap. Place several layers of folded newspaper on the plastic. On a large enough tea towel or cotton cheese- cloth spread the ricotta 6x9x1 inch and smoothly fold the tea towel or cloth over it so as not to allow the cheese to escape or to make wrinkles in the cheese after pressing. Put several more layers of newspaper on top and then a cutting board on top of that. Put a heavy weight on top of the board (a pot filled with water works well) and press the cheese overnight. Cut the cheese into 1-inch squares. You may use as is, or fry the squares in batches in hot oil until lightly brown on all sides. Remove and drain on paper towels.

2) To make the vegetable: Heat a large wok and add the 3 tablespoons oil. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and saute until lightly brown. Add the spices and salt and cook for about 1 minute. Add one at a time the chile pepper, fenugreek, tomato, and tomato sauce, stir-frying for a few seconds after each addition. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes, until the oil rises to the surface, then add the spinach. Saute for 2 or 3 minutes, then lower heat to simmer and cook, covered, for 30 minutes if using frozen spinach, 15 minutes if using fresh spinach. Stir occasionally, check for moisture, and add 1/2 cup water if needed.

3) Ten minutes before serving add the paneer and garam masala, carefully folding them into the spinach. Cover and cook over the lowest heat. Top each serving with a little melted ghee if desired.

* If using fresh spinach, soak, rinse, drain, remove all tough stems and tear into smaller pieces. Put into a large container in the microwave and heat on high until wilted down enough to add to the sauté pan or wok.

** Paneer, the most common Indian form of cheese, may be made ahead and frozen; so to save time (and oil) I always make two or three times the recipe. Soak about 21/2 cups frozen, fried paneer in warm water and drain before using it in this recipe.