Jamie Oliver Saag Paneer Food

CREAMY PANEER & VEG CURRY

Steps:

• Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil into a large roasting tray, then sprinkle over a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, the turmeric and cumin seeds. Finely grate over the lemon zest and squeeze in the juice.
• Peel and quarter one of the onions, then break into petals. Deseed and roughly tear the peppers into similar-sized chunks, then place it all into the roasting tray with the whole chillies.
• Break the cauliflower into florets and cut the paneer into 2.5cm cubes, then add to the tray and toss everything together. Thread the ingredients onto skewers (soaked, if wooden), alternating them as you go.
• Preheat the grill to full whack, then cook the skewers for 15 minutes, or until golden and gnarly, turning regularly.
• Drizzle 1 tablespoon of groundnut oil into a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, pick in the curry leaves and fry until crispy, then remove to a plate, leaving the flavoured oil behind.
• Peel and roughly chop the remaining onion, as well as the garlic and ginger. Place in the pan with the garam masala, paprika and almonds and cook for 5 minutes, or until softened. Tip into a blender with the tinned tomatoes and blitz to a smooth sauce.
• Pour the sauce back into the pan, add the chickpeas, most of the coconut milk and the mango chutney, then season to perfection and simmer for 10 minutes, or until thickened.
• Meanwhile, make the salad. Trim the carrots, cucumber and cabbages as necessary, then coarsely grate on a box grater. Peel and finely grate the ginger, then place it all on a platter, squeeze over the lime juice and pick over the coriander leaves.
• To make the pancakes, combine the flour and 1 mug of water in a bowl with the mustard seeds. Grate in the creamed coconut and whisk well. Place a small non-stick frying pan on a medium heat, rub with a little groundnut oil, then pour in a thin layer of batter, swirling it up and around the edges. Cook on one side only for 2 minutes, or until lightly golden, then stack up on a serving plate and repeat with the remaining batter.
• Cut the paneer and veg from the skewers straight into the curry, simmer for a further 10 minutes, then drizzle over the remaining coconut milk and sprinkle with the crispy curry leaves. Toss the salad together, then bring everything to the table, and tuck in.

SAAG PANEER

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the turmeric, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons oil. Gently, drop in the cubes of paneer and gently toss, taking care not to break the cubes if you're using the homemade kind. Let the cubes marinate while you get the rest of your ingredients together and prepped.
• Thaw the spinach in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish, 5 minutes on high, then puree in a food processor until smooth. Alternatively, you can chop it up very finely with your knife.
• Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add the paneer as the pan warms. In a couple of minutes give the pan a toss; each piece of paneer should be browned on one side. Fry another minute or so, and then remove the paneer from the pan onto a plate.
• Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to the pan. Add the onions, ginger, garlic and chile. Now here's the important part: saute the mixture until it's evenly toffee-coloured, which should take about 15 minutes. Don't skip this step - this is the foundation of the dish! If you feel like the mixture is drying out and burning, add a couple of tablespoons of water.
• Add the garam masala, coriander and cumin. If you haven't already, sprinkle a little water to keep the spices from burning. Cook, stirring often, until the raw scent of the spices cook out, and it all smells a bit more melodious, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add the spinach and stir well, incorporating the spiced onion mixture into the spinach. Add a little salt and 1/2 cup of water, stir, and cook about 5 minutes with the lid off.
• Turn the heat off. Add the yogurt, a little at a time to keep it from curdling. Once the yogurt is well mixed into the spinach, add the paneer. Turn the heat back on, cover and cook until everything is warmed through, about 5 minutes. Serve.
• Line a large colander with a large double layer of cheesecloth, and set it in your sink.
• In a large wide pot, bring the milk to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning the bottom (a nonstick pot works really well for this purpose). This will take a little while so be patient!
• Add the lemon juice and turn the heat down to low. Stirring gently, you should almost immediately see the curds (white milk solids) and whey (the greenish liquid) separate. Don't fret, this is perfect!
• Remove the pot from the heat and carefully pour the contents into the cheesecloth-lined colander. Gently rinse with cool water to get rid of the lemon flavor. At this point, you could squeeze out some of the liquid, and serve with some honey and some nuts, almost like a fresh ricotta!
• Grab the ends of the cheesecloth and twist the ball of cheese to squeeze out the excess whey. Tie the cheesecloth to your kitchen faucet and allow the cheese to drain for about 5 minutes.
• Twisting the ball to compact the cheese into a block, place it on a plate with the twisted part of the cheesecloth on the side (this will ensure your block of cheese is nice and smooth!) and set another plate on top. Weigh the second plate down with cans of beans or a heavy pot. Move to the refrigerator and let it sit about 20 minutes.
• Combine the cinnamon sticks, cloves, green cardamom seeds, black cardamom seeds, if using into a spice grinder or coffee grinder and grind until fine. Store the spice mix in an airtight container away from direct sunlight.

SAAG PANEER

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together the turmeric, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons vegetable oil. Drop in the cubes of paneer and gently toss. Let the cubes marinate while you get the rest of your ingredients together and prepped.
• Thaw the spinach in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish, 5 minutes, then transfer to a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out the excess liquid. Puree in a food processor until smooth. (Alternatively, you can chop it up very finely with your knife.) Set aside.
• Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the paneer as the pan warms. In a couple of minutes, flip the paneer; each piece should be browned on one side. Fry another minute or so and then remove the paneer from the pan to a plate.
• Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil to the pan. Add the onion, ginger, garlic, chile and a pinch of salt. Now here?s the important part: Sauté the mixture until it?s evenly toffee-colored, which should take about 15 minutes. Don?t skip this step?this is the foundation of the dish! If you feel like the mixture is drying out and burning, add a couple of tablespoons of water.
• Add the coriander, cumin and garam masala. If you haven?t already, sprinkle in a little water to keep the spices from burning. Cook, stirring often, until the raw scent of the spices cooks out and it all smells a bit more melodious, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add the spinach and stir well, incorporating the spiced onion mixture into the spinach. Stir in a little salt and 1/2 cup water. Cook 5 minutes.
• Turn off the heat. Stir in the yogurt a little at a time to keep it from curdling. Once the yogurt is well mixed into the spinach, add the paneer. Turn the heat back on, cover and cook until everything is warmed through, about 2 minutes.

SAAG PANEER

Steps:

• Melt the ghee, whisk in with the turmeric and chilli powder, then add the cubed paneer and toss well. Set aside. If using frozen spinach, microwave for 3-5 mins, then place in a sieve and squeeze out most of the water. If using fresh spinach, place in a colander, pour over boiling water, drain and cool, then put in a tea towel and squeeze out most of the water. Roughly chop.
• Blitz the onion with the garlic, ginger and green chilli. Cook the paneer in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat for around 8 mins, tossing the pan so they become golden all over. Remove and set aside on a plate, leaving spices behind in the pan. Tip the onion mix into the pan, add a pinch of salt and turn the heat down. Fry until caramel coloured, around 10 mins, adding a splash of water if it looks a little dry. Add the garam masala, stir to coat the onion mix, fry for 2 mins.
• Add the spinach and cook for a further 2-3 mins, adding 100ml water to release all the flavours from the bottom of the pan. Add the paneer and cook for 2-3 mins to heat through. Spoon into bowls and squeeze over a little lemon juice, to serve.

LAMB SAAG

Steps:

• Put the garlic, ginger, chillies and onion into a small food processor and whizz to a purée adding 1 tbsp water if you need to.
• Heat 1½ tbsp oil in a large flameproof casserole or sauté pan. Brown the lamb all over in two batches, then lift onto a plate and put to one side.
• Add the remaining oil and fry the spices in the same pan for 2 mins, adding a splash of water if they start to catch. Then add the onion purée and cook for 2 mins.
• Add the lamb, tomatoes and stock. Stir, cover and cook for 45 mins.
• Stir in the spinach then cook for another 45 mins or until the lamb is tender. If the sauce is looking thin, take the lid off for the last 20 mins of cooking to reduce it.
• Scatter over the coriander. Serve with naan or rice.

SAAG PANEER KEDGEREE

Steps:

• Bring a medium pan of water to the boil. Add the eggs and cook for 7 mins, then put them in a bowl of cold water and set aside.
• Meanwhile, drizzle the oil in a large non-stick frying pan or shallow casserole dish. Add the onion and fry over a medium-high heat for 5 mins. Tip in the paneer and fry for 5 mins or until evenly browned and the onion is beginning to caramelise.
• Add the curry powder and fry for 1 min, then add the spinach. Cover with a lid and cook for a few mins to allow the spinach to defrost. Uncover, add the rice, turn up the heat and cook for a few mins more or until everything is piping hot. Season. Peel the eggs, halve and place on top of the rice. Finish with a scattering of chilli, if you like.