Palak paneer translates as spinach cottage cheese. Economical and delicious! By Liane Arno
THIS is my absolute favourite time of year. Did part of your school poetry curriculum include John Keats’ Ode to Autumn? “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, Close bosom friend of the maturing sun.” My memory gets a bit vague after the opening lines (a little like when I try to sing the national anthem) but I am often heard to be muttering these few words that so capture the start of autumn. But it is not an ode to the end of autumn where we start to light fires, have already harvested our apples, pears and pumpkins and wait with anticipation for our citrus to ripen.
THIS is my absolute favourite time of year. Did part of your school poetry curriculum include John Keats’ Ode to Autumn? “Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, Close bosom friend of the maturing sun.” My memory gets a bit vague after the opening lines (a little like when I try to sing the national anthem) but I am often heard to be muttering these few words that so capture the start of autumn. But it is not an ode to the end of autumn where we start to light fires, have already harvested our apples, pears and pumpkins and wait with anticipation for our citrus to ripen.
The only edible things in our garden at the moment are a few chillis, a few tomatoes that have somehow managed to linger and a perennial silverbeet that we have had for years and that keeps producing year round. Its stalk is like a tree trunk but the leaves still produce like it was in its youth. So it was this vegetable that I harvested for a meal of Palak Paneer.
Palak Paneer translates as spinach cottage cheese. Pretty uninspiring – but the taste is wonderful. The purists will tell you that you need to make it with spinach but I find the silverbeet works just fine.
I should also admit a secondary reason for wanting to make the dish. Are you like me that in your wish to be frugal you always buy a 2 litre bottle of milk – because it is cheaper than buying 2 x 1 litre bottles? Yes – you guessed it – I always end up frantically trying to use the last of the milk before it goes off. What better way than making my own paneer? So easy. Bear in mind that you will get only about 10% curd – so it depends on how much paneer you want. You can use the whey that is left in any way that you would use a skim milk.
Bring to the boil very slowly on a very low heat
One litre of full cream milk (the creamier the better). When it starts to rise add one teaspoon of vinegar very slowly. You will see the milk start to curdle and the curds separate from the whey.
Pour the curdled milk over a pot which has a strainer lined with muslin. Lift out the muslin wrapped curds and wash under cold water. Then squeeze the rest of the whey out. Place the muslin parcel on a plate and then put something heavy on top like a mortar and leave for an hour to set.
Palak Paneer translates as spinach cottage cheese. Pretty uninspiring – but the taste is wonderful. The purists will tell you that you need to make it with spinach but I find the silverbeet works just fine.
I should also admit a secondary reason for wanting to make the dish. Are you like me that in your wish to be frugal you always buy a 2 litre bottle of milk – because it is cheaper than buying 2 x 1 litre bottles? Yes – you guessed it – I always end up frantically trying to use the last of the milk before it goes off. What better way than making my own paneer? So easy. Bear in mind that you will get only about 10% curd – so it depends on how much paneer you want. You can use the whey that is left in any way that you would use a skim milk.
Bring to the boil very slowly on a very low heat
One litre of full cream milk (the creamier the better). When it starts to rise add one teaspoon of vinegar very slowly. You will see the milk start to curdle and the curds separate from the whey.
Pour the curdled milk over a pot which has a strainer lined with muslin. Lift out the muslin wrapped curds and wash under cold water. Then squeeze the rest of the whey out. Place the muslin parcel on a plate and then put something heavy on top like a mortar and leave for an hour to set.
Blanch
A large panful of silverbeet (or spinach) leaves for a couple of minutes. Be sure to cut off the stalks and any large veins if you have really large leaves.
Bathe in ice cold water
Blanched leaves (it retains the colour this way)
Blitz
Blanched leaves
A couple of tomatoes
A couple of green chilies
In a pan fry until translucent
A few cloves of chopped garlic
A chopped onion
Add
Blitzed stuff
¼ cup of water
A sprinkle of turmeric
A sprinkle of garam marsala
Finally – stir in
Your paneer which you have cleverly made and cubed (or buy some shop bought) (vegans can add tofu instead)
A cup of cream (vegans can substitute with a nut milk – but you will probably need less than a cup)
To go with the palak we made a chicken curry with the green curry paste that I shared with you a little while ago and had some poppadums on the side with some yoghurt. Delicious!
A large panful of silverbeet (or spinach) leaves for a couple of minutes. Be sure to cut off the stalks and any large veins if you have really large leaves.
Bathe in ice cold water
Blanched leaves (it retains the colour this way)
Blitz
Blanched leaves
A couple of tomatoes
A couple of green chilies
In a pan fry until translucent
A few cloves of chopped garlic
A chopped onion
Add
Blitzed stuff
¼ cup of water
A sprinkle of turmeric
A sprinkle of garam marsala
Finally – stir in
Your paneer which you have cleverly made and cubed (or buy some shop bought) (vegans can add tofu instead)
A cup of cream (vegans can substitute with a nut milk – but you will probably need less than a cup)
To go with the palak we made a chicken curry with the green curry paste that I shared with you a little while ago and had some poppadums on the side with some yoghurt. Delicious!