paalak paneer, saag paneer
a classic indian spinach dish. this version is fairly straightforward and easy to make.
1. heat in a large pot:
1 T ghee or oil
2. add and fry until light brown:
1 large onion (or 2 small), minced
1-inch piece of ginger, peeled & minced
6 cloves garlic, peeled & minced
green chili peppers to taste, seeded & minced (can substitute ground chilies)
1/2 t turmeric
1 t garam masala
3. stir in and fry 5 minutes:
1 large tomato, minced
1.5 t salt
1 t dried fenugreek leaves (optional)
little pinch of ground cloves (optional)
little pinch of ground cardamom (optional)
4. stir in, cover, and simmer 15-20 minutes or until spinach is all cooked, stirring occasionally:
20 oz (=567g) spinach leaves, well-washed (without any long stems; smaller leaves are better)
1/4 c water
5. grind mixture into a coarse paste (use food processor or blender) along with:
1/2 c milk and/or cream
6. return mixture to the pot, and stir in:
several 1-inch cubes of paneer*, optionally fried
7. simmer 1-2 minutes or until paneer is heated through.
enjoy!
* paneer: you can buy this at some indian stores. or make it yourself by heating whole milk to an almost-boiling point, then curdling it with a small amount of white vinegar, then straining it through cheesecloth or a fine-mesh strainer for a few hours until hard. or substitute firm tofu.
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