Saag paneer – fried cheese with spinach

Ingredients:

For Paneer cheese:

• 6 cups whole milk
• 1 cup natural Greek yogurt, 2% fat
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• Salt
• 1/4 cup wheat flour
• Vegetable oil for frying

For spinach:

• 900 g of young spinach
• 1 piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped (5cm long).
• 1/2 jalapeño pepper (remove seeds for a less spicy flavor)
• Salt
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 3/4 cup natural Greek yogurt, 2% fat
• 4 tbsp (60 g) butter
• 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

Preparation:

1. Paneer Cheese Recipe

   
   
   Line a colander with a double layer of damp cheesecloth. Place the colander in the sink. In a wide saucepan made of non-reactive material, bring the milk to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
   
   Remove the pan from the heat and add the yogurt, lemon juice, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Continue to gently stir until the mixture separates into large curds and whey, 1-2 minutes. Strain through a cheesecloth-lined colander and discard the whey. Bring the ends of the cheesecloth together and twist to squeeze out all the excess whey (run the ends of the folded cheesecloth under cold water if it's too hot and burns your hands).
   
   Tie the ends of the cheesecloth around the handle of a wooden spoon and place the spoon in a colander to suspend the curds. Let it strain for 10 minutes.
2. Untie the knot and twist the cheesecloth again, squeezing out all the whey. Lay the knot on its side on a plate. Cover with another plate and place a large canning jar on top as a weight. Refrigerate until the cheese is firm, about an hour. Unwrap and refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use, or store for up to 2 days.
3. Fry the cheese: Cut the cheese into 2x2 cm cubes. Toss with flour to coat thoroughly, shaking off any excess. Heat about 1 cm of vegetable oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until it's shimmering.
   
   Carefully add the cheese and fry, turning occasionally, until golden brown, 2-4 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel to absorb excess oil. Season lightly with salt.
4. Prepare the spinach: Bring a large saucepan of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the spinach in batches until tender, about 30 seconds. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl of salted, ice-cold water. Strain and squeeze out the excess water, then chop.
   
   In a food processor, pulse the ginger, garlic, jalapeño, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1/4 cup water, and 1 teaspoon salt.
5. In a wide saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons (30 g) of butter and the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until richly golden brown, about 10 minutes.
   
   Add the ginger mixture and cook, stirring, until toasted, about 5 minutes (if the mixture sticks, add a little water). Reduce the heat to medium-low, add 1/2 cup water, and scrape up any browned bits. Then add the cooked spinach and cook, stirring, for about 4 minutes.
   
   Add the yogurt mixture and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the fried cheese and the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 g) butter. Cook, stirring, until heated through, about 1 minute. Season with salt.