Indian Cheese and Red Peppers in Fragrant Spinach Sauce

Name: Indian Cheese and Red Peppers in Fragrant Spinach Sauce
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Indian, Asian
Ingredients: 4 servings Indian cheese (paneer) made with 8 cups milk (see tips, below) or 8 ounces farmers cheese or 2 cakes tofu, sliced as paneer; 1 teaspoon coarse salt, or to taste; 2 Tbsps grated or crushed fresh ginger; 2 teaspoons garam masala (see tips, below); 1 sweet green pepper, cored and seeded; 4 hot green chilies, minced; 355 milliliters finely chopped onion; 2 medium sizes sweet red peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into 1-inch-wide strips; 473 milliliters cooked spinach; 1 teaspoons turmeric; 6 Tbsps light vegetable oil; 118 milliliters water

Indian Cheese and Red Peppers in Fragrant Spinach Sauce might be just the side dish you are searching for. Watching your figure? This gluten free, whole 30, and vegan recipe has 253 calories, 2g of protein, and 22g of fat per serving. This recipe serves 4. This recipe is typical of Indian cuisine. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes approximately 45 minutes. A mixture of peppers, ginger, indian cheese made, and a handful of other ingredients are all it takes to make this recipe so flavorful.

Instructions

Lay the paneer, farmer's cheese, or tofu pieces in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with paper towels and let dry for 10 minutes (this will enable them to hold their shape better during cooking).

Ingredients you will need

Farmer Cheese

Paneer

Tofu

Equipment you will use

Baking Sheet

Paper Towels

Puree the spinach and green pepper together in a food processor or blender. The puree should be as fine and velvety as you can make it.

Ingredients you will need

Green Pepper

Spinach

Equipment you will use

Food Processor

Blender

Heat 4 tablespoons of the oil in a large, heavy, nonstick pan over medium heat. Dust the paneer pieces lightly with flour and add them to the pan. Fry them in batches, turning and tossing them until they turn light golden (about 2 or 3 minutes per batch). Watch carefully to ensure that they do not burn. Take them out and put on a dish and set aside.

Ingredients you will need

Paneer

All Purpose Flour

Cooking Oil

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Add 2 more tablespoons of oil to the same pan, along with the onion. Fry the onion, stirring constantly, until brown (about 20 minutes).

Ingredients you will need

Onion

Cooking Oil

Equipment you will use

Frying Pan

Add the ginger and fry for an additional 2 minutes.

Ingredients you will need

Ginger

Add the turneric and green chilies, stir for a few seconds, then add the spinach puree along with 1/2 cup water, salt, and sweet red peppers.

Ingredients you will need

Red Pepper

Green Chili Pepper

Spinach

Water

Salt

Mix well and bring to a boil. Lower heat and cook, covered, for 2 minutes.

Add the fried paneer pieces, mix again thoroughly, and continue cooking for 2 more minutes. Stir in the garam masala.

Ingredients you will need

Garam Masala

Paneer

When ready to serve, heat thoroughly and, if desired, fold in the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to glaze and mellow the sauce.

Ingredients you will need

Sauce

Cooking Oil

Julie Sahni shares her tips with Epicurious: Indian cheese is available at many Indian markets. To make it from scratch: Bring 8 cups whole milk to a boil.

Ingredients you will need

Whole Milk

Cheese

Add 3 tablespoons lemon juice and reduce heat. Keep liquid at a gentle boil until white curd separates from yellow whey, then remove from heat and pour through a colander lined with cheesecloth. Hold colander under cold water and rinse the curds, then gather corners of cheesecloth together and twist to remove excess liquid. Hang the bundle to drain for an hour, then place it on a work surface and weigh it down with a heavy object (such as a large pot filled with water) for half an hour.

Ingredients you will need

Lemon Juice

Water

Equipment you will use

Cheesecloth

Colander

Pot

Remove the cheesecloth and cut the cheese into small cubes. Keep refrigerated, submerged in water, until needed, up to 4 days. Garam masala, an aromatic north Indian spice blend that includes cinnamon and cloves, is available online at www.ethnicfoodsco.com.

Ingredients you will need

Garam Masala

Seasoning Mix

Cinnamon

Cheese

Clove

Water

Equipment you will use

Cheesecloth

Reprinted with permission from Classic Indian Vegetarian and Grain Cooking /nby Julie Sahni 1985 William Morrow and Company, Inc.

Ingredients you will need

Grains

Equipment

Ingredients

Servings:

4servings

Indian cheese (paneer) made with 8 cups milk (see tips, below) or 8 ounces farmer's cheese or 2 cakes tofu, sliced as paneer 1teaspoon

coarse salt, or to taste 2Tbsps

grated or crushed fresh ginger 2teaspoons

garam masala (see tips, below)1

sweet green pepper, cored and seeded 4

hot green chilies, minced 355milliliters

finely chopped onion 2medium sizes

sweet red peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into 1-inch-wide strips 473milliliters

cooked spinach 1teaspoons

turmeric 6Tbsps

light vegetable oil 118milliliters

water

Recommended wine: Gruener Veltliner, Riesling, Sparkling Rose

Gruener Veltliner, Riesling, and Sparkling rosé are my top picks for Indian. The best wine for Indian food will depending on the dish, of course, but these picks can be served chilled and have some sweetness to complement the spiciness and complex flavors of a wide variety of traditional dishes. The Laurenz V Reserve Charming Gruner Veltliner with a 4.8 out of 5 star rating seems like a good match. It costs about 35 dollars per bottle.