1,000 Indian Recipes (186 page)

³
⁄
₄
teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
₂
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

¹
⁄
₄
cup fresh orange juice

2 to 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

1.
Prepare the peppercorns and the masala. Prepare the paneer cheese and cut into 1-inch squares. Prepare the fried ginger and save for garnish (reserve the oil).

2.
Heat (or reheat) the oil (used for frying the ginger) in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and cook the red chile peppers, stirring, about 1 minute. Add the paneer cheese pieces and cook (in 2 to 3 batches, if needed), turning them once, until barely golden on both sides, about 1 to 2 minutes per batch.

3.
Add the garlic, scallions, green chile peppers, black pepper, and salt and cook about 2 minutes. Add the cilantro, orange juice, and vinegar and cook until most of the juices are absorbed by the paneer cheese, about 5 minutes.

4.
Add the red bell pepper and cook about 2 minutes, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook another 5 minutes to blend the flavors. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with the fried ginger and chaat masala, and serve.

Quick Spinach with Crumbled Paneer Cheese

Jaldi ka Saag Paneer

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This dish is a quick and easy alternative to traditional
saag paneer
dishes. I always have some
paneer
cheese in my freezer, but if you don't, buy some at your local Indian market, or substitute extra-firm tofu instead.

8 ounces (1 recipe)
Paneer Cheese
(or store-bought) or tofu

2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon black mustard seeds

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon coarsely ground fenugreek seeds

1 large tomato, coarsely chopped

1 large clove fresh garlic, minced

1 fresh green chile pepper, such as serrano, minced with seeds

2 small bunches fresh spinach (about 1 pound), trimmed of roots only, washed well, and coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons ground coriander

³
⁄
₄
teaspoon garam masala

³
⁄
₄
teaspoon salt, or to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1.
Prepare the paneer cheese and crumble it coarsely. Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and add the cumin, mustard seeds, and fenugreek; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the tomato, garlic, and chile pepper and cook, stirring, about 1 minute.

2.
Add the spinach. Cover the pan and cook, stirring once or twice until wilted, about 3 minutes. Add the paneer cheese, coriander, garam masala, and salt and cook over medium heat, uncovered, stirring as needed, until all the juices evaporate and the dish is quite dry, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with freshly ground black pepper, and serve.

Paneer Cheese Main Dishes and Curries

Paneer Cheese with Baby Spinach and Fresh Fenugreek Leaves

Palak aur Methi Paneer

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Best made in a cast-iron wok, this dish traditionally turns black-green and becomes almost dry. It has the heady fragrance and pleasant bitterness of fresh fenugreek leaves, offset by the delicate
paneer
cheese.

The authentic recipe calls for deep-frying the
paneer
cheese pieces, a step I do without. If you wish to, lightly fry the
paneer
pieces until just golden, then add about
¹
⁄
₂
cup water along with the yogurt and cook until most of it evaporates.

8 ounces (1 recipe)
Paneer Cheese
(or store-bought)

¹
⁄
₄
cup
Crispy Fried Fresh Ginger

4 cups packed (2 small bunches) fresh baby spinach

2 cups packed fresh fenugreek leaves (or
¹
⁄
₄
cup dried)

4 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

1 large clove fresh garlic, peeled

1 to 3 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed

2 tablespoons peanut oil

1 tablespoon melted ghee

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

¹
⁄
₂
cup plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

1.
Prepare the paneer cheese and cut it into thick
³
⁄
₄
-inch pieces. Prepare the crispy fried ginger.

2.
Trim and wash the spinach. If using fresh fenugreek, pick out the leaves and the softest stems and discard the hard and fibrous parts. Wash well. Transfer the spinach, prepared fresh or dried fenugreek, fresh ginger, garlic, and green chile peppers to a food processor and process until minced, about 1 minute.

3.
Heat the oil and ghee in a large cast-iron or nonstick wok or a saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the greens, stirring and scraping the sides of the wok, over medium-high heat the first 2 to 3 minutes and then over medium heat until well-roasted and deep green in color, 15 to 20 minutes.

4.
Mix in the paneer cheese, salt, and turmeric and cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the yogurt, a little at a time, stirring constantly to prevent it from curdling, and continue to cook until all the juices evaporate and paneer pieces are soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with the fried ginger, and serve.

Spinach with Paneer Cheese

Saag Paneer

Makes 4 to 6 servings

The proportion of spinach to
paneer
cheese varies according to the cook's taste. Generally, there is a lot more spinach and less
paneer
in the dish, but I prefer more
paneer
. Also, the authentic recipe calls for the
paneer
pieces to be deep-fried, another step I avoid. If you wish, lightly fry the
paneer
pieces until they are just golden. This firms up the pieces, so you don't have to be as careful when stirring.

8 ounces (1 recipe)
Paneer Cheese
(or store-bought)

2 small bunches (about 1 pound) fresh spinach, trimmed of roots only, washed well and coarsely chopped

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

4 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger + 1 (1-inch) piece peeled and cut into thin matchsticks

3 large cloves fresh garlic, peeled + 1 clove minced

¹
⁄
₄
cup water

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon melted ghee

2 (1-inch) sticks cinnamon

5 green cardamom pods, crushed lightly to break the skin

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

¹
⁄
₄
cup plain yogurt (any kind), whisked until smooth

1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 whole dried red chile peppers, such as chile de arbol

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon ground paprika

1.
Prepare the paneer cheese and cut it into 1-by-
¹
⁄
₂
-inch squares.

2.
Place the spinach, onion, ginger slices, whole garlic, and water in a large nonstick saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan, and simmer until the spinach is wilted and the onion tender, about 10 minutes. Let cool, then pulse lightly in a food processor until just minced (do not make a smooth purée). Return to the pan.

3.
Heat the oil and ghee in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the cinnamon, cardamom pods, and ginger matchsticks, stirring, until the ginger is golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the minced garlic, coriander, garam masala, fenugreek leaves, and salt and stir a few seconds. Then add the yogurt, a little at a time, stirring constantly to prevent curdling. Immediately transfer to the spinach, cover, and simmer over medium heat, 10 to 15 minutes.

4.
Add the paneer cheese to the pan and stir gently to mix, trying not to break the pieces. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes to blend the flavors. Transfer to a serving dish.

5.
Heat the butter in a small saucepan, add the dried chile peppers, and cook, stirring, until golden, about 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat, add the paprika, then immediately add to the spinach dish and swirl lightly to mix, with parts of the chile peppers visible as a garnish. Serve hot.

Paneer Cheese with Coconut and Corn

Nariyal aur Makki ka Paneer