Yesterday, I wrote about how to make paneer so today I'm going to show a dish using it as the main ingredient. Once again, I turn to Ms. Anjum Anand for inspiration and guidance. I've had a similar dish before in restaurants so was eager to try it at home. It is a combination of spinach and paneer in a creamy sauce with garlic, ginger, and spices. I also made a batch of naan to accompany it.
When Erin noticed the paneer recipe yesterday, she pinged me on Twitter to inquire about where I found the time to make these things during the week. I confessed about working from home, so I do have extra time that I would have otherwise sacrificed for a commute.
Last night, I was quite ambitious. I started cooking with the intent of only making the paneer, then I decided to make this spinach dish with it for dinner. Mid-way through I realized how good it would taste with naan, so I started a batch of that as well. I began cooking around 7pm and didn't finish until 10pm. A late dinner, but I had fun making it :-)
Once you have the paneer ready, this dish comes together quickly. Make sure to have all of the vegetables prepped and ready to go.
Spinach and Paneer
adapted from Indian Food Made Easy by Anjum Anand
2 12 oz. bags fresh baby spinach (approximately)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1-2 green chilies, whole
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ground coriander
1 batch paneer cheese cut into 1" cubes
1 tsp garam masala
2/3 cup whole milk (or 1/2 cup heavy cream)
Heat a pot of water until boiling. Add spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes until fully wilted. Remove and drain. Blend the spinach until it is a smooth paste. I didn't do a very good job on this step and therefore my dish didn't turn out with quite the right consistency. Next time I will make it more smooth.
Heat a pan over medium heat. Add oil and cumin seeds, cook for 30 seconds. Add onion and cook 5 minutes or until translucent. Add garlic, ginger, and chillies (I used only one) - cook for an additional minute. The chili adds flavor but didn't make it spicy.
Add coriander, and salt to taste. Add spinach and stir. Add a few tablespoons of water if necessary to keep the mixture loose but not watery. I used about 1/4 cup water. Boil for 3 minutes.
Add paneer, garam masala, and milk. Stir and cook for a few minutes or until the spinach is creamy. Serve with naan or rice.
Aside from the flaw in not making the spinach smooth enough (which resulted in a not quite creamy consistency), it tasted great. I liked the punch of garlic and ginger in combination with the spinach. A healthy vegetarian meal that was filling but not too heavy. Oh, and the naan worked perfectly to scoop up chunks of paneer slathered in spinach!
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Spinach & paneer, a healthy vegetarian meal
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
How to make Paneer, a fresh farmer's cheese
Making cheese is one of those things I've always wanted to try. As a baby step, I figured it might be best to start with a simple fresh cheese easily made from common ingredients and without need for complicated devices. Last night, I set to work making Paneer, a type of farmer's cheese common in Indian cooking.
You'll find many resources for making paneer, however FXCuisine provides easy to follow step-by-step instructions. I also referred to Anjum Anand's cookbook in which she follows similar steps. My approach is a mix of both FXCuisine and Anjum Anand.
There are two ingredients to paneer, the milk and an acid. I used a half-gallon of whole (full fat) milk. For the acid, you can use lemon juice (2TB), yogurt (2/3 cup ), or vinegar (1tsp). I opted to use vinegar and depending on the strength of your acid, it may take a bit more. I used about a tablespoon of vinegar.
Begin by heating the milk over medium heat until frothy and nearly boiling. Stir in the acid which will cause the milk to curdle. It should take about 1 minute to occur. If it still hasn't clearly separated, add small increments of your acid until the curdling occurs. I added nearly 1 tablespoon of vinegar before the milk fully curdled. The milk fats will fully separate from the water (whey) and you'll have something like this:
Next, pour the milk mixture into a colander lined with cheese cloth or a clean dish towel. Rinse with cold water. Your cheese won't look too pretty at this point, but instead resembles really wet cottage cheese.
Anjum suggests wrapping the curds in a cheesecloth and hanging from your faucet for 10 minutes to allow it to drain. Before hanging, I urged it along by tightly turning the cheesecloth to wring out as much water as I could. From this photo you'll see the little something extra I did with this batch of paneer ... do you see it?
After 10 minutes, give the ball of cheese another good twist then place the cheesecloth covered ball into the bottom of a colander. Cover with a plate and an added weight. I used a cast-iron pot on top of the plate. The weight will act as a press to remove additional moisture. Allow the cheese to be pressed for about 40 minutes. At this point, the cheese will be firm enough to slice and will retain its shape.
I wanted to play with the flavoring of my paneer. After I poured the curds into the cheesecloth to drain, I rinsed them with cold water as noted above. I then stirred in a tablespoon of finely chopped fresh cilantro. I figured it would get pressed into the cheese and create both flavor and visual interest. I think it worked:
The cheese is ready to eat. It is widely used in Indian stewed dishes since the cheese does not melt. In this way, it can be used similarly to tofu. I'll show you tomorrow what I did with mine :-) The half-gallon milk made about 8-10oz or about 2 cups of paneer.
You can also use the cheese as an appetizer or snack. Simply drizzle with olive oil, cracked pepper, sea salt, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. The cheese is tender and somewhat bland on its own. The cilantro added just a hint of freshness and the added spices perked it up. It makes for a wonderful treat. 
Friday, March 28, 2008
Curry Kettle Corn -- Spicy, Sweet & Salty
Seductively spicy, my curried kettle corn creation (lovely alliteration) started earlier in the week when I made an afternoon popcorn snack. The snack coincided with my recent fascination with Anjum Anand and Indian cookery. I wondered whether I could apply the curry flavors to my popcorn.
I love popcorn and could easily eat it for every meal -- actually, in grad school I did eat it for nearly every meal. It's inexpensive, flavorful and has that delightful crunch that I often crave. Doesn't matter whether it's air-popped or oil-popped, buttered, sweetened, seasoned, or just plain -- I love it all.
In thinking through the spices I intended to use, I decided it would be best to pair them with kettle corn. The added sweetness would counteract any potential bitterness from the spices and would add a nice contrast to the savoriness. I also imagined that the use of turmeric would stain the corn with a beautifully rich yellow color for extra visual appeal.
The result turned out to be delicious. I used *alot* of spices in this and might streamline a bit next time. I didn't use any garlic or garlic powder, but might consider this as well. As I had hoped, the turmeric lent a nice color to the corn and the sugar make a crispy sweet/savory coating.
Curry Kettle Corn
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup popping corn
Whole spices - combine into bowl #1
1 tsp. coriander seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
Ground spices - combine into bowl #2
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
Topping
1/4 cup fresh cilantro/coriander, chopped
salt to taste
Quite a few ingredients, eh? Make sure to pre-measure the spices into the two separate bowls as noted.
Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add oil, corn, and whole spices. When corn begins to sizzle, sprinkle with ground spices mixture evenly over the top. Cover pot and shake. As corn begins to pop, shake pot over the burner to keep the corn moving or it will burn.
When popping begins to slow down (do not wait until it has stopped or it will burn), remove pot from heat and pour into a large bowl to cool. The sugary coating will be molten hot at this point, so whatever you do ... do not touch the corn! (yes, I touched the corn)
Allow popcorn to cool for a few minutes before nibbling. Toss with chopped cilantro and salt just before serving.
The popcorn will be a lovely yellowish shade and your kitchen will be filled with a wonderfully fragrant scent. The sugar forms the crispy and sweet coating, while the spices blend into a delightful curry flavor.
The mixture is spicy and the bright taste of cilantro helps to cool the mouth. For most palates, this will be on the spicier end of the scale so reduce or eliminate the red pepper flakes as desired.
I could not stop eating this. I seriously love popcorn and this flavor combo worked for me.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Creamy lentils and rice (khicheri)
Another Anjum Anand recipe - shocking, isn't it?
In my Internet travels this morning, I discovered Is My Blog Burning? made a massive overhaul to the site design. It's so much easier to use when finding blog events and now offers forums/foodie search engine. I noticed Cook Sister! is hosting this month's Waiter, there's something in my ... food event and it's focused on Pulses (i.e. legumes). It reminded me of an Anjum recipe I wanted to try, so I decided to whip it up for lunch today and to submit it for the food blog event.
The dish is called Khicheri and is a common Indian dish, a porridge-like dish made of rice and lentils. It's healthy and easy on the digestive system, often used for both the elderly and young, as well as part of a detoxification diet. Eating this dish as every meal for 3 days is said to cleanse and purify your body.
The recipe can be found on the BBC website and I've posted the ingredients below with my instructions.
Khicheri
35g/ 1 1/4 oz white basmati rice
35g/ 1 1/4 oz mung beans/lentils
1 rounded tsp ghee (or butter)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 green chilli, whole
1/2 tsp chopped fresh ginger
1/2 garlic clove, minced
salt, to taste
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
400ml/14fl oz water
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Begin by rinsing your rice and lentils until the water runs clear. Cover with water and soak for 30 minutes, then drain. I buy my dried legumes in bulk and when I have only a small quantity left, I throw them into a common jar. It creates a mixed lot of legumes that I eventually toss into a soup. I dipped into my jar for this dish and used a mix of lentils and split peas.
Heat a pan over medium heat and melt the ghee/butter. Add cumin and toast for 20 seconds or until they begin to change color. Add onion, garlic, ginger, and chilli (just toss the whole chilli into the pan). Cook until onions begin to turn translucent. Add water and turmeric, simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
The ingredients will thicken as the rice and lentils cook to form a risotto/porridge-like consistency. Stir in garam masala and pepper to finish. Makes 1 serving, about 1 cup.
Since the peas have a slightly longer cooking time than lentils, they were a tad al dente but I didn't mind. Adding a bit more water and cooking for a few extra minutes would have resolved this.
I served with a bit of fresh cilantro and an extra pinch of garam masala on top. The kicheri is creamy and wonderfully flavorful. The chilli pepper adds a nice spicy heat that fills your mouth. I found it to be a pleasant level of spice, not too much but enough to warm things up! It made for a perfect sized lunch, filling yet not too heavy. I always feel satisfied after eating food with plenty of spice.
I can see how khicheri could be used to detoxify the body. While I realize a single serving may not erase my poor eating habits this past week, I certainly hope it's enough to negate the 1/2 roll of Girl Scout Thin Mint cookies I had for breakfast :-)
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Classic northern chicken curry
For last night's dinner, I decided to try a curry dish from Anjum Anand and selected the classic northern chicken curry from her website. I love chicken and just like Peter from Kalofagas, I am also a thigh man and used this particular cut in creating this wonderful dish.
One of the mysteries for me about Indian food has always been, "what's in it?". The spices tend to be warmer spices like cinnamon and cloves, but I never really understood what else went into the pot. I've come to discover that freshly pureed tomatoes are a common component to making a curry. Aside from this, it's really a matter of spices, cooking method, and the meat.
Classic northern chicken curry
view recipe at AnjumAnand.co.uk
This curry starts by heating a pot with oil and adding the whole spices to snap and pop around for a few seconds before adding the onions to brown. Anjum provides clear instructions, "cook until a rich golden brown, stirring often, around 10 minutes." I found that the timing she provided to be 100% accurate, which isn't always the case when following a recipe. It was clear that these recipes were tried and true.
If I overly simplify the approach to making curry, it goes something like this:
1. Quickly toast whole spices in oil
2. Add and brown savory items, like onions and garlic
3. Add tomatoes and powdered spices, allow to reduce until dry
4. Add meat and water, cook until done and liquid reduced by half
5. Stir in aromatic spices, like garam masala and fresh coriander/cilantro
During step #4, the curry looked something like this as it bubbled away:
I took Anjum's suggestion and allowed the curry to cook slowly over a lower heat. She stated the slower it cooked, the better it would taste. Instead of 30 minutes or so, I let it cook for nearly an hour. The sauce thickened and took on a deep, rich color. The entire house smelled absolutely amazing.
The resulting dish was delicious. The chicken was tender and blanketed in the spiced curry. I think the reason I enjoy Indian food so much is that the 'warm' spices are so soothing while also providing a punch of flavor. It's exciting and comforting all in one bite.
I served the curry with both steamed rice and my freshly made naan. I don't know what else to say ... Anjum remains my new food crush. There are a few other interesting recipes I've seen which I'll be trying in the weeks ahead. Hopefully, I won't bore you with my Indian food fascination. I'll make sure to throw in a few other dishes here and there to mix it up :-)
You might also like these posts:
Naan two ways
Anjum Anand is my new food crush
Naan two ways: green onion and sesame
One of favorite Indian foods has to be the naan. A flat, chewy teardrop shaped bread used to scoop up meat and stewed dishes. I watched Anjum make naan and realized that it's fairly simple to replicate without a tandoori oven. She encourages adding different toppings to the bread, so I made a few naan with green onions and a couple with sesame seeds. The result? Pure happiness.
I used Anjum's recipe as published on the BBC website. It uses only a few common ingredients and can be made from beginning to end in about 1-2 hours.
Naan
9 oz. flour (250 g)
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
4.5 fl. oz. milk (110-130ml)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons melted butter for serving
Topping suggestions: nigella seeds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, minced garlic, fresh cilantro/coriander, chopped green onions.
Sift the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Make a small well in the middle of the flour mixture. Combine milk and oil, then pour into the center well.
Using your fingers (love this part), begin from the center and slowly make a circular motion. As you widen your circle, you will begin to add in more of the surrounding flour. Continue doing this until all of the flour is added and the dough begins to come together.
Once the dough begins to come together, remove from bowl and knead for 8-10 minutes until a soft dough forms. I kneaded and kneaded, started to break a sweat only to realize a mere 3 minutes had passed. There's something to be said for making bread from scratch -- you get to burn off calories while making it.
Place dough into a greased bowl and cover with a damp towel. Place into a warm location to rise for an hour, or until doubled in size. I preheated my oven to 200 degrees, then turned it off, thus creating a warm environment to stash my dough. I've never made a bread without yeast that needed to rise. To be honest, I don't think mine doubled but it seemed a bit puffier and the consistency was very soft and smooth, so I proceeded.
After the dough has doubled, punch it down and cut into 5 pieces. Roll each piece thin and into an oblong teardrop shape. The dough is very soft and rolls easily, just remember to dust your surface with a bit of flour first. My naan came out to be about 8" long by 6" wide. Use your fingers to press any toppings into the rolled dough.
Turn on the broiler of your oven. Place a baking sheet on the top rack under the broiler to heat up. Once heated, take half of the rolled dough and carefully drop it onto the baking sheet and put under the broiler for 1-2 minutes. Watch it closely! My first batch got a bit too brown as it suddenly went from light to dark in a matter of seconds. Remove from oven and brush with plenty of melted butter. Repeat with remaining dough -- makes 5 pieces.
Chewy, tender, slightly sweet and absolutely divine. I could have eaten all 5 pieces without any hesitation. I was surprised at just how simple it turned out to be. The effort is really only in the 10 minutes of kneading up front, otherwise you're just waiting for it to rise. The bread is worth trying at home, especially when paired with a nice spicy curry.
You might also like these posts:
Classic northern chicken curry
Anjum Anand is my new food crush
Monday, March 24, 2008
Anjum Anand is my new food crush
source: screenshot from www.AnjumAnand.co.uk
I'm so excited to introduce you to Anjum Anand, my new food crush. I discovered her televised series over the weekend while stumbling around the web. The discovery seemed uncanny since I just published my first Indian dish last week. As soon as I started to watch the videos online, I was immediately hooked on Anjum.
Maybe I'm just the last one to find out about Anjum, I wouldn't be surprised. Erin of Erin Cooks already had the inside track and knew of Anjum, as well as other BBC food celebs. Everything is better in Britain -- can we send Rachael Ray or Bobby Flay over to the UK in trade for Anjum Anand and James Tanner? Actually, I'm fine with just sending Bobby Flay over, we don't need him back.
So, aside from the enjoyment I get from saying her name "Anjum" (I repeated her name constantly over the weekend ... Joe was so annoyed with me and Anjum), she presents Indian cooking in a simple and healthy way. More importantly, she adapts the recipes for those interested in cooking who may not have specialized equipment, like a tandoori oven. The presentation of her program is equivalent in style and quality to that of Giada De Laurentis, but I find Anjum more personable and down to earth.
"Indian Food Made Easy" by Anjum Anand
This video series was televised on BBC in summer 2007 in six parts. I've been able to locate 5 of the 6 episodes online, each segment is 29 minutes in length. Two and a half hours of wonderful Indian cooking! I haven't watched all of them yet - I'm pacing myself this week so I don't burn through them all in one day :-)
Segment 1
Segment 2
Segment 3
Segment 4
Segment 5
Recipes from this series are available from the BBC website. The are 39 delectable recipes from which to choose. I've found other recipes at other locations on the web as well.
Although she has authored a couple cookbooks, her most recent two cookbooks are not currently available in the US. I found a new copy of her latest book available from a UK seller on eBay and snapped it up. Hopefully, in another week or two, I'll have it and then watch out :-)
I made two of her recipes tonight for dinner and they both turned out amazingly well, a classic northern chicken curry and freshly baked naan.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Adventures in Indian cookery, Egg Korma
I haven't participated in any food blog events for awhile and have been feeling a bit rusty. I came across Taste & Create hosted by For the Love of Food and fell in love with the idea. The event pairs two food bloggers together and each must visit the other's blog. You find a recipe from the other person's blog and make it, then blog about it.
This month I am paired with Shella from Kitchen Art. I visited her site and found many interesting Indian dishes all of which are new to me. I love Indian food but aside from a few prepared mixes have not cooked Indian food from scratch previously. My mouth watered as I clicked through the recipes but when I came across the Egg Korma I knew I had found the recipe for me.
Shella admits that she 'stole' this recipe from a colleague's wife and I'm glad she did. Boiled eggs are the heart of this dish and I love using eggs. I've already had a few people point out the fact that I tend to favor eggs. I can hardly wait to find out my cholesterol level when I visit the doctor next.
The ingredients for the dish are common to most kitchens. I did not have garam masala and had to pick that up. It's an amazing spice blend that I will be using alot in the coming months. I used some to season a soup the other day and it a great flavor. You'll also need onions, tomatoes, boiled eggs, a few spices, fresh ginger, and garlic. The full recipe and instructions can be found on Kitchen Art's site.
The only ingredient I substituted was the mustard seed. I thought I had some but when I started to cook, I did not. I used an equivalent amount of ground mustard.
I felt as though I was cooking a bit blindly, not knowing how this dish was to come together. As I cooked the onions and tomatoes, I started to doubt how it would turn out. At this point, it's a pinkish mess and unlike anything I've seen before. But once I added the ground spices, it took on a magical vibrant yellow from the turmeric. The aroma given off by the garam masala was warm and intoxicating.
Then, it was time to add the eggs. I feared the yolks would all fall out but surprisingly none of them did. I gently tossed it all together and it was quite beautiful to behold.
The real test came when I took a bite. The warmth of the spices relaxed me and put a smile on my face. I used one chili pepper and could have used much more. It wasn't too spicy and I like hot food. The eggs absorbed the spices and worked well with the spices used. Plenty of garlic and onion added to the savory mix.
I will try this again and will explore more of the recipes at Kitchen Art.
