Palak Paneer ~Spinach

Palak Paneer

 

Spinach is rich in iron and vitamins and is particularly a favourite on the Indian vegetarian menu.

It is easily grown and widely available in the fresh and frozen aisles of most supermarkets. I have a number of varieties of leaves to pick from. Like butter chicken, palak paneer has now become just as popular, especially for the average take-away.

Palak Paneer

Click for Paneer

Made from dairy and an excellent source of calcium, paneer is made freshly in Indian households on a daily basis. The water, which is the basis of the buttermilk, is drunk by all as a light and refreshing drink.

In Canada, we can find paneer in supermarkets recently labelled as "fresh cottage cheese."

Click for  Garam masala

1 tbsp oil

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

1-2 green chillies

900 gm/ 2 lb spinach

½ tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 large golden fried onion

3 tbsp cream 

Paneer; 450 g/1 lb, diced

(To prepare the Paneer )

In a pan, heat some oil and fry the pieces till golden brown. Sprinkle immediately while warm with a little salt and garam masala. Remove and place on a paper towel to dry.

 

In the same pan, heat a touch of additional oil and add

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

1-2 green chillies, finely chopped

Spinach, washed and chopped

½ tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 cup golden fried onion, chopped

Cook for about 10 minutes on a low heat, covered. When all the liquid has evaporated, stir in the paneer. Gently stir in the cream. Do not allow it to boil.

Tips

It's easier to use a day-old, refrigerated paneer, where the water content has dried out with the refrigeration cold. Dice the paneer as equally as possible. 

In some countries, like the UK, perfectly diced paneer perfect for this recipe is available in supermarkets.

Evaporated milk is a good substitute for cream if need be. 

Fresh or frozen spinach, both work just as well. Use a blend of spinach if you prefer. Adding handfuls of methi-fenugreek, mint, or corriander can all work well.

My published cookbooks are available for sale through myself and on Amazon.

The World of Parsi Cooking: Food Across Borders is a 3 award winning book. It has been self published in July 2019 and will be going into its second print in 2022. 

The Art of Parsi Cooking; reviving an ancient cuisine was published in 2016 by Austin Macauley and continues to be available through amazon book depot book depository and from the publishers.

Shirini Panir

Shirini Panir | Sweet Cottage Cheese

This dessert was specially created for the Fezana Journal to mark the Persian festivity of Yalda. The Persians celebrate the winter solstice on the 20th of December each year. An age-old custom where families gather around the fireplace to sing songs, recite prayers, and celebrate with a feast. It was one way of spending the darkest and longest night of the year with happiness, sharing, and caring.

Fresh figs and nectarines over the scrumptious saffron and cheese.

         Fresh tangerines, mandarins, blood oranges and kiwi

Serves 6

500 g/ 1.1 lb panir-farmers' cottage cheese or ricotta recipe on page xxxx
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp crushed saffron threads
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 cup ground almond
1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup chopped or slivered pistachios

Fresh fruit selection: one peach, one nectarine, and six figs

 

Combine in a food processor and whizz everything together. You can use your arm and a large metal spoon instead.  Panir, along with sugar, saffron, lemon juice, almonds, and salt. They should be placed in a bowl and set aside for a couple of hours. As the saffron begins to bloom, continue to combine until the dessert is evenly coloured. 

Once it is done, place it in a flatter serving dish and top with sliced fresh fruit of your choice. Serve topped with pistachios.

Tips

It is best to start with warm panir. If it is chilled from the fridge, bring it to room temperature. This will help in the smoothness of the dessert. 

If you don't want to wait for the saffron to bloom, you can prepare it in the following way. 

On a low flame, dry heat the saffron. It can burn very easily. Remove it from the heat and set it aside for a minute to dry. Using the back of a spoon, crush it. Add 2 tbsp of water and bring it to a boil. Now add the whole thing with the water into the running food processor, and the warm saffron will infuse and combine faster.

For more recipes click on
Niloufer's Kitchen : Persian Fusion


To read about an ancient cuisine you can purchase my cookbooks called The World of Parsi Cooking; Food Across Borders and The Art of Parsi Cooking; reviving an ancient cuisine.  

Party bon-bons

Cheese Pesto Bon-bons!

These do remind me of little sweet parcels but filled with savoury cheese. Perfect for a cocktail party or to enjoy as appetisers.
Make your own filling of choice?

Ingredients

36 Wonton wrappers
1 cup Paneer or ricotta; at room temperature
2 finely chopped fresh green chillies
1 tbsp finely chopped corriander
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 full cream
Salt to taste

Mix it all well. should be soft to touch but dry enough to fill.
Using wonton wrappers. fill 1 tsp of the mixture, roll like a cigar, pinch the sides with your thumb and chill. 
When ready to eat, heat a pan with oil and deep fry for 2 minutes until crispy golden brown. Drain on a paper towel and serve it with tamarind chutney.

Tips

This recipe can be adjusted according to taste.
Salt must be added to the paneer for flavour.
Other options to add to this are a touch of garlic, crushed fried onions, freshly cracked pepper, paprika or ancho chili powder.

You can freeze these bon-bons before frying for up to 1 month. Defrost in the fridge overnight before using. 
Wonton wrappers are available at all markets. You can use filo pastry to do the same or samosa wraps. Wrap them like cigars or samosas if you prefer.


For more good ideas and recipes click on
Niloufer's Kitchen: Moroccan Cuisine
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GP0CSBI

Paneer

Paneer/Panir

Fresh cheese

 

Parsi homes often serve fresh paneer as a tea time treat.

 

The word paneer or panir comes from the word "peynir", which means cheese-both in Farsi and Turkish. Although generally considered as typically Indian-northern to be precise-it was the Persians and Afghans who introduced it to the region as far back as the 16th century. While the inhabitants of the mountainous terrain traditionally prepared this cheese from sheep and goat milk, the paneer of India, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan is now traditionally prepared from buffalo or cow’s milk.

 

Paneer, pronounced as Puh-nir, is a simple home-made cheese, where the curds are separated from the whey. No additives or preservatives are added to prepare this. Its texture is dependent on the amount of liquid squeezed out of it.

 

Eaten on its own, warm when fresh or chilled the next day, it is also used in a variety of recipes. Most commonly, it is diced and fried to be added to vegetarian dishes like curries and stews. I often use it in my samosa fillings, in quiches, and even in baked cheesecakes. It can be prepared with the addition of other flavours like nuts, herbs, and spices and eaten cut into pieces or as a dip.

Serves 6 

Makes 1 wheel of paneer of 500 g/ 1.1 lb

4 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cup yoghurt
1 1/2 tsp salt

Optional: 1/2 a tablespoon of vinegar or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice

For the paneer, bring the milk to a boil and continue to boil for 10 minutes—keep stirring to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot and burning. 

Gently beat the yoghurt with the salt. Add the yoghurt to the boiling milk and lower the heat to a simmer. Wait for the milk to separate. At the first sign of the milk separating, turn the stove off and allow the separation to continue until you can see the whey clearly. In the meantime, prepare a sieve lined with muslin or cheesecloth. Overturn the paneer mixture over the sieve and allow it to drain, hanging the muslin very lightly for a soft cheese and pressing it down with weight to make the texture firmer. 

Turn the paneer on to a plate, garnish, and serve. 

Tips

The addition of an acidic liquid like vinegar or lemon juice is optional and speeds up the separation of the curds and whey. 

Dips and cheesecakes are best prepared from soft paneer. 

If you like a creamier texture, increase the yoghurt amount to 2 cups.

The choices to flavour your paneer with are endless. Try any of these delightful fresh herbs: coriander, parsley, mint, basil, oregano, chives, tarragon. For a tangy flavour, add olives—pickled vegetables, capers, and cornichons all pair well. Spices like cracked peppercorns, zaatar, sumac, ancho chili, togarashi, and jalapeno are a perfect pairing when pressed onto the paneer and give it a nice zing. A sprinkle of specialty salts—seaweed, saffron, black, pink, or simple rock salt—all impart their unique flavours to the paneer. 

Serve with sweet red chilli jam or spicy chilli oil on a charcuterie board. Fig jam, tapenade, and pesto also combine deliciously with this versatile dish. 

Special utensils to drain out the paneer and create the round wheel shape are available at specialty stores.

The three parts of the utensil to make a perfect paneer 

Pressed Paneer; chilled overnight

An assembled Paneer pan !

For more recipes from the Parsi Cuisine and its origins read the cookbooks The World of Parsi Cooking: Food Across Borders and
The Art of Parsi Cooking; reviving an ancient cuisine.


Also check out my e-cookbook Niloufer's Kitchen Quick: and Easy Menu
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HBSBLI4

Photo credit Sheriar Hirjikaka