Embark on a culinary journey to India with our delectable homemade paneer cheese and spinach dish, a symphony of flavors that will tantalize your taste buds. This traditional Indian recipe showcases the art of combining simple, fresh ingredients to create a hearty and satisfying meal. Dive into the vibrant world of Indian cuisine as we guide you through the steps of making paneer cheese from scratch, ensuring a smooth and creamy texture that pairs perfectly with the earthy notes of spinach. Discover the secrets of spicing and seasoning, transforming ordinary ingredients into an extraordinary dish that will leave you craving for more. From the sautéed onions and tomatoes to the aromatic blend of spices, each element of this recipe is carefully crafted to create a harmonious balance of flavors. As you relish the creamy paneer and spinach, let the warmth of Indian spices envelop your senses, transporting you to the bustling streets of Delhi or the serene backwaters of Kerala.
Let's cook with our recipes!
SPINACH WITH PANEER (SAAG PANEER)
A popular vegetarian dish from Madhur Jaffrey. The saag paneer recipe brings together wilted spinach and paneer cheese with tasty Indian spices and garlic.
Provided by Madhur Jaffrey
Categories Dinner, Main Course
Number Of Ingredients 1
Steps:
- Put the ginger, garlic and green chilli into the container of an electric blender or food processor along with 50ml (2fl oz) water. Blend until you have a smooth paste. You may need to push down with a rubber spatula once. Heat the oil in a large, wide, preferably non-stick sauté pan over a medium heat. Put in all the pieces of paneer and fry them, turning them over gently with a slotted spatula, until they are golden brown on all sides. (This happens fairly quickly.) Remove the paneer with a slotted spoon and place on a plate in a single layer. Sprinkle the paneer quickly with 1⁄8 teaspoon salt, the garam masala and the cayenne pepper. Set aside. Put the paste from the blender into the hot oil in your pan (keep your face averted) and fry it, stirring constantly, for about 30 seconds. Now add the spinach and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir the spinach around for 1 minute. Cover the pan, lower the heat, and let the spinach cook gently with the ginger-garlic paste for 15 minutes. There should be enough water clinging to the spinach leaves to cook them. If all the water evaporates, add 1-2 tablespoons and continue cooking.Nowadd the paneer and cream, stir gently and bring to a simmer. Cover and continue cooking on low heat for another 10 minutes. Stir once or twice during this period.
JAFFREY'S HOMEMADE INDIAN CHEESE WITH SPINACH
Entered for ZWT. From Madhur Jaffrey's "World Vegetarian." Known in India as "Saag Paneer." This comes from Punjab, eaten with whole wheat rotis (flatbreads) through the winter when spinach is plentiful. Sometimes spinach is cooked by itself, and sometimes with other greens such as mustard greens and fenugreek greens. A few green chiles are always thrown in, partly for their heat and partly for their vitamins. The mixture is cooked until buttery soft and lightly mashed, almost churned, with a special wooden masher not dissimilar to the Mexican implement used to froth up milk. A medley of tomatoes, ginger, and onions is then sauteed separately and added to the greens. Paneer is thrown in only for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Fresh or dried fenugreek greens are optional; if using fresh, take the leaves off the stalks and wash them well. Note: few restaurants use fresh greens or fresh paneer. Many use a jalapeno for the hot green chile.
Provided by KateL
Categories Spinach
Time 1h1m
Yield 4-5 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 14
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.
SAAG PANEER (PANIR) - INDIAN SPINACH AND CHEESE
Make and share this Saag Paneer (Panir) - Indian Spinach and Cheese recipe from Food.com.
Provided by Bunny Erica
Categories Spinach
Time 30m
Yield 3 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 12
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 103.2, Fat 3.5, SaturatedFat 1.8, Cholesterol 10.6, Sodium 121.2, Carbohydrate 14.1, Fiber 3.5, Sugar 6.7, Protein 6.6
PALAK PANEER (INDIAN FRESH SPINACH WITH PANEER CHEESE)
Creamy and rich, a delight to eat. A dish I fell in love with at a local restaurant and adapted a recipe to closely resemble theirs.
Provided by PalatablePastime
Categories Spinach
Time 1h
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 14
Steps:
- Cut spinach into shreds and cook in 3 tablespoons water until tender; remove from heat.
- Saute onion, cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger in 1-2 tablespoons ghee or oil until onion is translucent.
- Then add garlic and chopped tomatoes, and reduce heat.
- Cook this briefly and slowly blend in yogurt a little at a time to prevent curdling.
- Add coriander, garam masala, paprika, and salt, mixing well.
- Add cooked spinach with liquid, cover and simmer on low heat for approximately 20-30 minutes.
- Remove from heat.
- Take half of spinach mixture and puree in food processor or blender, and return to mixture and stir.
- Slowly stir in heavy cream, and heat through on low heat.
- Add paneer cubes.
- Serve.
MADHUR'S SPINACH WITH GINGER, FENNEL, AND BLACK CUMIN
To intensify the simple seasonings, Martha's friend Madhur Jaffrey first fries the fennel and cumin seeds in oil -- a method known as "tarka," which coaxes more flavor out of the spices by heating them. The spicy spinach is delicious with chicken, lamb, beef, or rice.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dinner Recipes Dinner Side Dishes
Number Of Ingredients 10
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.
HOMEMADE PANEER (PANIR - INDIAN CHEESE)
Paneer is a simple, mild-flavored Indian cheese. Once you make this, you will have a new appreciation for the Little Miss Muffet nursery rhyme, for you will know the meaning of curds and whey. More importantly, you will be able to enjoy lovely Indian dishes like Palak Paneer (spinach, cheese and spice curry), Mattar Paneer (green peas, tomatoes spices and paneer), and many more. OTHER PANEER RECIPES use lemon juice instead of yogurt, but the yield is smaller with that method. To go that route, use 3-4 tablespoons lemon juice instead of the 1 ½ cups yogurt called for. You could also use 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar diluted with 2 tablespoons water, adding this to the 6 cups of milk. TO AVOID SPILLS when the milk bubbles up, be sure to use a large, deep saucepan. From Nancie McDermott's The Curry Book.
Provided by Sandi From CA
Categories Lunch/Snacks
Time 1h5m
Yield 8 ounces or 2 cups, 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 2
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 275.6, Fat 14.9, SaturatedFat 8.8, Cholesterol 48.5, Sodium 188.7, Carbohydrate 20.8, Sugar 23.5, Protein 15
MONTEREY CHEESE CRISPS
Quick low-carb snack. I find that these work better than some similar recipes that use shredded cheese. The spices on these really 'pop' too - Yum!!!! I've also used Colby-Jack cheese, and it works great.
Provided by newspapergal
Categories Cheese
Time 15m
Yield 6 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 400*.
- Slice cheese into 1/4-inch-thick slices.
- Place slices 3 inches apart on nonstick baking sheet.
- Sprinkle with garlic powder and cayenne pepper.
- Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown - watch closely. Making sure they're golden brown is important - this will ensure they 'crisp' as they cool.
- Leave crisps on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then carefully place crisps on paper towels to finish cooling.
- These store well in an airtight container.
Tips:
- Use fresh ingredients: Fresh spinach and paneer will give you the best results.
- Don't overcook the spinach: Overcooked spinach will be mushy and lose its flavor.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pan: A heavy-bottomed pan will help to distribute the heat evenly and prevent the spinach from burning.
- Season to taste: Add salt, pepper, and other spices to taste.
- Serve with rice or bread: This dish is traditionally served with rice or bread.
Conclusion:
This simple and delicious dish is a great way to enjoy the flavors of India. It's perfect for a weeknight meal or a special occasion. With its vibrant colors and bold flavors, this dish is sure to impress your family and friends. So next time you're looking for a new and exciting recipe, give this jaffrey's homemade Indian cheese with spinach a try. You won't be disappointed!
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