September is almost over!!! So much for more frequent posts. Oh well, two in a month is still more frequent than I usually am, so the goal for birthday month has been achieved. Sort of.... I'll dedicate the post to the weather which makes me want to nap instead of working. At least blogging is more productive.
Anyway, I realized that I never did a follow up post on what I made with the paneer I'd posted about a loooong time ago. So here's what I did. I cooked it with onions, tomatoes and bell peppers for some yummy Paneer Masala. Yeah, how creative is that name? Who cares about names when the food tastes great, right? Right!! Since we agree on that, let me jump straight to the recipe. Enjoy!
PS: If you made this recipe with modifications or if you usually make it in a different way, do leave a note about it.
Paneer Masala
1 cup diced paneer (diced as in medium sized chunks, not too large)
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
1 tomato, diced
1 to 1.5 teaspoons oil
1 bay leaf
2 pods of green cardamom
4-5 black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon ginger paste
1/2 teaspoon garlic paste
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon each of coriander and cumin powders
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
Optional - 1/2 teaspoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek)
salt, to taste
Heat the oil in a medium sized skillet or saute pan. Add the bay leaf, cardamom and peppercorns and let them sizzle for about 10 seconds. Add the onion to the pan and saute it until the onions turn pinkish. (If you're using another kind of onion, cook it until it turns translucent but don't brown it.) Now add the ginger and garlic pastes, honey, and the spice powders other than garam masala. Let it all cook for 2-3 minutes. Throw in a couple teaspoons of water if you think the spices/pastes are burning.
Add the tomatoes and bell pepper into the pan. Cook until the tomatoes are done, about 5-6 minutes. The oil sort of separates from the tomatoes when they're done, but don't worry if it doesn't seem to. Now add the salt, garam masala and paneer. Mix well to ensure that the paneer is coated with the spices, but don't crumble it. Finally add the kasuri methi and cook for 2-3 minutes on medium to low heat.
Serve with parathas, naan or whatever other bread you fancy.
Notes:
1. It looks (and cooks) better if all the vegetables and paneer are diced to approximately the same size.
2. For those unfamiliar with kasuri methi, they're dried leaves of the fenugreek plant. Fenugreek is a commonly used green vegetable in Indian cooking. The fresh leaves have a slightly bitter, but not overpowering taste. If you don't find dried fenugreek, just leave it out....the paneer will still be tasty.
3. As always, play with the quantity of spices and find what works best for you.
It's not like I need an excuse to cook or bake, but spring break has ensured I have some extra time to carry out experiments that have long been on the back burner. This post is not going to have a recipe as such....it's more about my successful maiden attempt at making paneer. If you're familiar with Indian cuisine, you most likely know what it is. For those who aren't, paneer is a kind of soft cheese that can be compared to queso fresco or queso blanco. Paneer is a really versatile ingredient that can go into curries, rice dishes, desserts and more. And if you're me, you can probably just eat it by itself.
So paneer making is not a terribly difficult task. You just need to be a little attentive and a tad bit patient. It's really as simple as adding an acidic agent to boiling milk so the curds separate from the whey. Then you just drain all the whey off and let the curds sit until they are firm. Make sure you save the whey...more on that in a little bit. Here's how I made the paneer.....and keep watching this space for what I did with this paneer.
Paneer
1 quart (946 ml) whole milk
2-3 teaspoons vinegar
Pour the milk into a heavy bottomed saucepan and bring it to a rolling boil over medium heat. Once the milk comes to a boil, add the vinegar and stir well. As the milk curdles and you see the whey and the curds separating, turn the heat off.
Line a strainer with a cheese cloth or a fine muslin cloth. Place the strainer over a large bowl and pour the contents of the saucepan into the strainer. Let the whey drain off for about 15 minutes. If you want soft, crumbly paneer, you're good to go. If you want it to be firm, make sure the paneer is covered with the cheese cloth and place a heavy weight on top (I used a ceramic mortar and pestle). Let the paneer rest for 2-3 hours and then use it as desired.
Notes:
1. You can use lemon juice instead of vinegar to curdle the milk.
2. Refrigerate the paneer if you're not going to use it immediately. The whey goes in the refrigerator too.
3. The logic behind saving the whey is that it is very nutritious and can be used instead of water in your regular cooking.....while boiling rice or in paratha/chapati dough or even in curries. The whey can also be used to make paneer in the future.
4. If you choose to go the firm paneer way, you can take the bowl with the whey away before you place the weight on the paneer.....whey is nutritious but you don't need to squeeze every last drop of it.
