One of my nicknames is Paneer Monster. I'll happily attest to being a complete and utter paneer monster - I could easily eat it day after day and genuinely spend my days planning my next paneer dish. Something about squidgy, squeeky cheese is just too wonderful for words.
Paneer, a homemade cottage cheese common in Indian cooking, comes in many varieties: soft, curds, factory-pressed. Each version of the cheese offers something special, whether it's the whey-like flavour of soft, homemade paneer, the creamy richness of the curds, or the versatility and fry-ability of the firm, pressed paneers. Like tofu, it's just a brilliant foil for flavour.
This dish is fresh tasting, sharp, and packs a crisp ginger-chili punch. It's super quick to make and very filling. And even though it's packed with delicious cheese, it has enough greens and spices to make you feel virtuous.
*****
100 grams firm paneer, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup spinach, washed and chopped
1/4 cup peas
Sauce:
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 inch knob ginger, peeled
3 cloves garlic
1 chili, chopped
1 tbsp. cumin seed
1 tbsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 cloves
3 cardamom pods, bruised
2 tomatoes, pureed
1 cup water
salt and pepper
olive oil
1. In a blender, puree your onion, garlic, and ginger until smooth. In a heavy saucepan, fry this mixture over medium heat in a bit of olive oil. After five minutes, once the onions have sweetened, toss in your chili and spices and fry, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. 2. Pour in your tomato puree and water, season, and bring to a simmer. 3. Cook over low heat until the oil separates from the sauce, about twenty minutes. 4. Meanwhile, fry your paneer cubes in oil in a frying pan over high heat. They should become golden after a few minutes. Turn and continue to fry. 5. Once both sides are golden, toss in your spinach and peas, stir and remove from heat. Season very lightly with salt and pepper.
Serve the paneer with sauce over hot rice with a nice dollop of yogurt.
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