Jaffreys Homemade Indian Cheese With Spinach Recipes

HOMEMADE PANEER (PANIR - INDIAN CHEESE)

Steps:

• Prepare a place for the paneer to drain, placing a colander in the sink and lining it with 4 thicknesses of cheesecloth or a clean linen kitchen towel.
• Ina large (at least 3 quart) saucepan, bring the milk to a boil over high heat, stirring almost constantly to prevent it from burning or boiling over.
• As soon as the milk comes to the boil, add the yogurt and sir gently. The milk will soon foam up into soft clouds and then break into thick curds of cheese floating in a thin, faintly greenish liquid called whey.
• Remove from the heat and pour the contents of the saucepan into the cheesecloth-lined colander placed in the sink to drain away the whey.
• When the cloth is cool enough to handle, bring its corners together and squeeze the cheese into a ball, twisting the top portion of the cloth to force out more liquid and then securing it with a rubber band.
• Suspend the cheese from the faucet and let it hang over the sink for about 30 minutes to drain off any remaining whey.
• Now press the cheese to make it firm enough to cut. To do this, place the wrapped lump of cheese on its side in a pie pan or frying pan, and place another pie pan or frying pan of equal or smaller size on top of it, or cover the cheese with a plate. Balance a weighty object, such as a teapot filled with water, on the pan or plate to compress the cheese. As you can see in the photos, I put the wrapped cheese in a bowl, placed a smaller bowl on top of that and a large, full bottle of wine into that bowl. Press for 30 minutes more.
• Carefully unwrap the pressed cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes, transfer it to a container and seal tight. Refrigerate until needed. The paneer will keep 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator and several months in the freezer.

SAAG PANEER (PANIR) - INDIAN SPINACH AND CHEESE

Steps:

• Fry the onions, garlic, ginger and spices in oil for around 5 minutes.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, making sure the heat is down to a simmer.
• Add the spinach and continue to simmer for a further 5 minutes.
• Add the paneer and yogurt and simmer for around 5 minutes.

MADHUR'S SPINACH WITH GINGER, FENNEL, AND BLACK CUMIN

Steps:

• Heat oil and butter in a large saute pan set over medium-high heat. When hot, add fennel and black cumin seeds. Stir, and add onions and ginger. Stir-fry until onions turn a rich brown color, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add spinach. Cover pan, and cook until spinach has wilted completely, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. When spinach has wilted, reduce the heat to medium. Add chile, salt, and cayenne pepper, and stir. Cover pan, and cook for 25 minutes more.
• Uncover skillet, and stir. Cook until there is hardly any liquid left in the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes more. Serve.

JAFFREY'S HOMEMADE INDIAN CHEESE WITH SPINACH

Steps:

• PANEER:
• Put the milk in a large, heavy pan and set over medium-high heat.
• Meanwhile, place a colander in the sink and line it with a clean dish towl or 3-4 layers of cheesecloth at least 24 inches square.
• When the milk begins to boil, turn the heat down to low. Quickly add 3 tablespoons of the vinegar and stir. The mixture will curdle at this point, the thin, greenish whey completely separating from the white fluffy curds. If this does NOT happen, add the remaining tablespoon of vinegar and repeat the process.
• Empty the mixture into the lined colander. Most of the whey will drain out.
• To make small patty: allow most of the whey to drain out of the colander. As soon as the curds have drained, gather up the ends of the cheesecloth and twist to squeeze out as much water as possible. You will now have a round bundle and a well-twisted section of cloth just above it, which you can tie firmly with string or just leave tightly twisted.
• Lay the cloth and its contents on a flat board set in the sink. Flatten the bundle into a pastry shape, making sure that the twisted section or knot holds the cheese in place. This section can be folded over to one side. Put another board on top of the patty. Now put a 5-pound weight on the patty and press for 3-4 minutes. The cheese is now ready. It may be unwrapped, covered with a clean, damp cloth, and kept in the refrigerator for 24 hour but is best if used immediately.
• Cut Paneer into 1 x 3/4-inch cubes. Set aside until last step in recipe.
• SAAG:
• Bring 1 cup of water to boil in a large pan. Put in the washed spinach, dried or fresh fenugreek leaves, if using, and green chile. Cover the pan and cook gently for 25 minutes.
• Now mash the spinach with a wooden masher or potato masher until you have a coarse puree. (You can blend the spinach in a blender but that texture is too fine for Jaffrey's taste.) Blend in the cornmeal and cook gently for another 5 minutes, stirring now and then.
• In a separate frying pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the onion and stir and fry until it begins to brown.
• Add the ginger and stir once or twice, then add the tomatoes and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the texture thickens and the color of the tomatoes intensifies.
• Stir the tomato mixture into the spinach mixture, then add the salt, roasted cumin, cayenne, and cinnamon and stir to mix.
• Cook gently for 5 minutes.
• Finally, add the cubed paneer, stir gently, and cook, covered, on low heat for 5 minutes. Serve hot.