Mattar Paneer

This is one of my all time favorite Indian dishes. So after successfully making homemade paneer (in order to make saag paneer), mattar paneer was next on the list. And it was everything I hoped it would be...creamy, sweet and a little spicy too (although this is a mild version, so if you like things really spicy, increase the heat). And I have to say, I think I'm getting addicted to making paneer. It's so easy and fun. Although I am worried about the fact that making cheese is now my idea of fun and the idea of staying up until 4am at a bar sounds like torture. I'm old. It happened. Probably some time between when I moved to the suburbs and when I started buying antacid in bulk.

MATTAR PANEER

Makes 6 servings

4 tablespoons coconut oil or ghee

20 ounces paneer, cubed

1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 (1 inch) piece ginger, finely grated

3 -4 garlic cloves

1 (24 oz.) jar tomato puree or finely diced tomatoes (or 2 large tomatoes, finely diced with juices)

2 teaspoons agave nectar (or sugar)

salt (to taste)

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

3/4 teaspoon chili powder (or more if you prefer spicier)

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

2 cups fresh or frozen peas

1/2 cup heavy cream or half ‘n half

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional, for garnish)

cooked basmati rice for serving (optional)

1.      Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet and fry paneer cubes until they turn golden brown. Set aside.

2.      In a separate pot, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil; add mustard and cumin seeds. Cook until they darken and sputter.

3.      Add onion, ginger and garlic and cook until onions soften.

4.      Add tomato puree, sweetener and salt, and cook for another 5 minutes (if using fresh tomatoes, cook until tomatoes soften, adding a little water if needed).

5.      Mix in the garam masala, coriander, cumin, chilli powder, and turmeric. Add the peas. Cook just until the peas are tender.

6.      Mix in the cream and add just enough water to thin out to desired consistency. Then add the paneer and let simmer over medium heat so the paneer can absorb the flavors.

7.      Garnish with cilantro if desired. Serve with basmati rice.

adapted from food.com (by eatrealfood)

homemade paneer
(double the recipe to make 20 oz.)

frying paneer cubes
(I may have let get a little darker than intended, but they were good).

onion, ginger and garlic

If you want to make a spicier version, I suggest mincing
a hot pepper and adding it with the onion etc.

I accidentally started cooking the onion/ginger/garlic
before the mustard and cumin seeds, so I moved them
over and let the seeds cook on one side of the pot
until they spluttered and then mixed it all together.

tomato puree added

mixing in the ground spices

adding frozen peas

mixing in the cream

adding the paneer

mattar paneer in the pot

mattar paneer garnished with cilantro

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Saag Paneer (Spinach with Indian Cheese)

This saag paneer is a little different from the ones I've had in restaurants (the paneer cubes aren't usually spiced and the dish tends to be saucier). Of course if you want, you can always add cream or coconut milk to loosen it up. I hope it doesn't seem like I'm down on this particular recipe though, because I liked it. I just want you to know it might not be exactly the same experience. But this went fast at my house.

SAAG PANEER (SPINACH WITH INDIAN CHEESE)

Yield: 4 servings

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

Kosher salt

3 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

12 oz. paneer (Indian cheese), cut into 1-inch cubes

1 (16 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1 medium white onion, finely chopped

1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and minced (about 1 tablespoon)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 large green serrano chile, finely chopped (seeds removed if you don't like it too spicy)

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 cup plain yogurt, stirred until smooth

1.      In a large bowl, whisk together the turmeric, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons oil. Gently, drop in the cubes of paneer and gently toss, taking care not to break the cubes if you're using the homemade kind. Let the cubes marinate while you get the rest of your ingredients together and prepped.

2.      Puree the thawed spinach in a food processor until smooth (or chop very finely with a knife).

3.      Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add the paneer as the pan warms. In a couple of minutes give the pan a toss; each piece of paneer should be browned on one side. Fry another minute or so, and then remove the paneer from the pan onto a plate.

4.      Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to the pan. Add the onions, ginger, garlic and chile. Now here's the important part: saute the mixture until it's evenly toffee-coloured, which should take about 15 minutes. Don't skip this step - this is the foundation of the dish! If you feel like the mixture is drying out and burning, add a couple of tablespoons of water.

5.      Add the garam masala, coriander and cumin. If you haven't already, sprinkle a little water to keep the spices from burning. Cook, stirring often, until the raw scent of the spices cook out, and it all smells a bit more melodious, 3 to 5 minutes.

6.      Add the spinach and stir well, incorporating the spiced onion mixture into the spinach. Add a little salt and 1/2 cup water; stir and cook about 5 minutes with the lid off.

7.      Turn the heat off. Add the yogurt, a little at a time to keep it from curdling. Once the yogurt is well mixed into the spinach, add the paneer. Turn the heat back on, cover and cook until everything is warmed through, about 5 minutes. Serve.

from Aarti Sequeira

spices and oil

folding in the homemade paneer cubes

paneer cubes marinating

pureed spinach

browning the paneer

onion, garlic, ginger and chile

caramelized

adding spices

adding spinach

adding yogurt

adding paneer

saag paneer

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Paneer (Homemade Indian Cheese)

Since paneer isn't one of those things they sell at my local grocery store (and fresher is usually better anyway), I thought it would be fun to make it at home. It turns out it's the same procedure as making fresh ricotta, except there's no salt and you compress the cheese into a block instead of leaving the curds loose and creamy. That way you can cut it into little cubes and use it in whatever Indian dish you have planned for later that day (more on that next time). But don't wait too long to make it, as simple as this stuff is, it's tasty enough to snack on and just might disappear before you add it to your dinner.

PANEER (HOMEMADE INDIAN CHEESE)

Yield: 12 ounces

8 cups whole milk

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more if needed*

___________________________________________________________________

1.      Line a large colander with a large double layer of cheesecloth, and set it in your sink.

2.      In a large wide pot, bring the milk to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning the bottom (a nonstick pot works really well for this purpose). This will take a little while, so be patient.

3.      Add the lemon juice and turn the heat down to low. Stirring gently, you should almost immediately see the curds (white milk solids) and whey (the greenish liquid) separate. Don't fret, this is perfect.

4.      Remove the pot from the heat and carefully pour the contents into the cheesecloth-lined colander. Gently rinse with cool water to get rid of the lemon flavor. At this point, you could squeeze out some of the liquid, and serve with some honey and some nuts, almost like a fresh ricotta.

5.      Grab the ends of the cheesecloth and twist the ball of cheese to squeeze out the excess whey. Tie the cheesecloth to your kitchen faucet and allow the cheese to drain for about 5 minutes.

6.      Twisting the ball to compact the cheese into a block, place it on a plate with the twisted part of the cheesecloth on the side (this will ensure your block of cheese is nice and smooth), and set another plate on top. Weigh the second plate down with cans of beans or a heavy pot. Move to the refrigerator and let it sit about 20 minutes.

7.      Unwrap your beautiful disc of homemade cheese! You can now use this in any number of traditional Indian dishes, like saag paneer.

*Cook's Note: If the milk doesn't separate juice some more lemons and add another tablespoon or two. Boost the heat again and the milk should separate. Stir in a motion that gathers the curds together rather than breaks them up.

from Aarti Sequeira

lemons

pouring lemon juice into hot milk

curds forming

draining in cheesecloth

rinsing

twisting to squeeze out the whey

hanging on the kitchen faucet

on a plate

in the fridge, weighed down with a gallon of water

unwrapped

block of homemade paneer cheese

cutting the paneer

paneer cubes

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Baingan Bharta (Roasted Eggplant Salad)

I'm not surprised they call this baingan bharta because it's totally bangin'. It might not look pretty (at least not this particular photo), but it's scrumptious - creamy, spicy and smoky. I can't help but compare it to baba ganoush and sorry baba g., but baingan bharta wins, hands down. If you make it for a party, be sure to have enough because you'll want to pull yourself up to the bowl and keep it all to yourself. It's so good, you'll find yourself craving eggplant (when was the last time you said that).

BAINGAN BHARTA
(ROASTED EGGPLANT SALAD)

Yield: 4 servings

2 large eggplants

1 tablespoon sesame oil (or peanut oil), plus more for eggplant

1 tablespoon vegetable oil (or peanut oil)

1 medium white onion, finely diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 small serrano pepper, seeded (if you want less heat) and minced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves and soft stems, minced (plus more leaves for garnish)

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, plus more for sprinkling

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups Greek yogurt, beaten until smooth

1.      Heat oven to 500º F.

2.      Line a baking sheet with foil. Make 3 slashes in each eggplant, from top to tail, equally distanced around the eggplant. Rub the eggplants with a little sesame oil. Sit them on the baking sheet and roast until soft all the way to the center and the skin is brown, about 45 to 60 minutes, rotating the pan and flipping the eggplants halfway through. Remove from the oven and cool.

3.      Once cool, skin the eggplant. Chop the flesh until it's relatively smooth but not mushy.

4.      In a large skillet, warm the sesame oil and vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the onion and saute until it turns golden brown. Add the eggplant flesh, garlic, chile and cilantro leaves. Cook 2 minutes. Add a splash of water if it begins to stick.

5.      Add the turmeric, cumin, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Stir and cook another 5 minutes.

6.      Turn off the heat. Add the yogurt and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning, and garnish with cilantro leaves and a sprinkle of ground cumin. Serve either warm or slightly chilled.

barely adapted from Aarti Sequeira

raw eggplants

roasted eggplants

roasted eggplants (skins removed)

chopped roasted eggplant

raw onion

golden brown onion

adding eggplant, garlic, chile and cilantro

mixed

adding the yogurt (spices already mixed in)

baingan bharta

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