Indian might be our very favorite cuisine, and we don’t even know where to begin with the praises for this dish …it’s THAT amazing. But let’s begin by disclosing that this is a dish for those of you who are excited about food and enjoy the process of cooking, and we suggest you have a partner to help. The 1 hour (or more, if you move more slowly) and 2 plus hours of cook-time is not practical on a weeknight. Having said that, this dish is really an amazing experience to cook and eat, and it is well worth the longer ingredients list and more complicated process. Better than anything we’ve had at an Indian restaurant, some of the best flavors about Indian are embodied in this saag paneer: coriander, turmeric, onion, yogurt, ginger, just to name a few. You make your own cheese, which is SUPER FREAKIN’ COOL, and it is mild but rich in flavor. The spinach is likely to be unlike any you’ve had before, and, eaten together with the cilantro lentils and lemon-cumin rice, this meal is a hodgepodge of delightfulness. We recently read an article about how, unlike European and American styles of cooking, Indian cooking combines ingredients that do not overlap much with each other in flavor – they cook with flavors that are pretty different from each other. Whatever it is, they do it so, so well.
Tip: We suggest making the cheese the day before, just to shave off a step (it simmers for about 45 minutes) and to make sure your cheese turns out the way you want it (ours didn’t at first, so we ended up using a slightly different recipe).
Have your kids help you juice the lemons and dump ingredients. As you prepare and enjoy this meal with your family, teach them about some of the health benefits of some of the ingredients:
- Spinach is high in vitamin K, which helps your bones stay healthy.
- Turmeric has curcumin, which can help with inflammation.
- Coriander provides your body with fatty acids that help you digest food properly.
A few facts about India and it’s people:
- Hockey is popular in India.
- Many children in India have jobs to help contribute money to their families.
- Many households consist of brothers, plus their wives and children.
Adapted from: Saag Paneer
Find the recipe to the cilantro lentils here.
Find the recipe to the lemon-cumin rice here.
- For the cheese:
- 8 cups whole milk
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- Kosher salt
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- For the spinach:
- Kosher salt
- 2 pounds baby spinach
- 1 2 -inch piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- ½ jalapeno pepper (seeded for less heat)
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ¾ cup plain 2 percent Greek yogurt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- Make the cheese: Line a colander with a double layer of damp cheesecloth; put in the sink. Bring the milk to a simmer (note: this took us around 45 minutes!) in a wide nonreactive pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Continue to stir gently until large curds form and separate from the whey, 1 to 2 minutes. Strain through the cheesecloth-lined colander, discarding the whey. Gather the ends of the cheesecloth and twist to squeeze out any excess whey (run the sides of the bundle under cool water if it's too hot to handle). Tie the ends of the cheesecloth around a wooden spoon handle and lay the spoon over the colander, letting the bundle dangle; let drain, 10 minutes.
- Untie the bundle and twist the cheesecloth again, squeezing out any more whey. Lay the bundle on its side on a plate. Top with another plate and weigh it down with a large can. Refrigerate until a firm cake forms, about 1 hour; unwrap and refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use, or up to 2 days.
- Fry the cheese: Cut the cheese into ¾-inch cubes. Toss in the flour until well coated, shaking off any excess. Heat about ½ inch vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Carefully add the cheese and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Season lightly with salt and set aside.
- Make the spinach: Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Working in batches, cook the spinach until just tender, about 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl of salted ice water. Drain and squeeze dry, then chop and set aside.
- Pulse the ginger, garlic, jalapeno, coriander, cumin, turmeric and ½ teaspoon salt in a food processor until finely chopped. Whisk the yogurt, ¼ cup water and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.
- Heat 2 tablespoons butter and the vegetable oil in a wide pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the ginger mixture and cook, stirring, until toasted, about 5 minutes (add a splash of water if the mixture is sticking). Reduce the heat to medium low; add ½ cup water and scrape up any browned bits, then add the cooked spinach and stir until heated through, about 4 minutes. Stir in the yogurt mixture and simmer gently until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the fried cheese and the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 1 minute. Season with salt.
