by Paula D.
on October 12, 2020 11:41 am in Recipes
I love Indian food. And until someone in Rockaway opens an Indian Restaurant (hint, hint), I will continue my quest to learn how to cook spicy, savory currys, masala, lentils and dahls.
Each region of India is famed for their individual styles. One of my favorite dishes is from northern India – saag paneer. In Hindi, Saag means greens, referring to spinach, collards, fenugreek and other leafy greens. Paneer is a mild, unaged soft cheese which makes it simple to make at home! Be aware, paneer does not melt.
I found this saag paneer recipe on www.saveur.com. I attempted to follow it as closely as possible but I always find myself struggling to do so. I question things like.. is a half teaspoon of garam masala really going to make a difference in the flavor of such a large batch?
Below is my modified recipe. I’ve also included helpful information based on my experience with this recipe. Indian food isn’t the easiest cuisine to master. My husband said he thought my preparation was delicious, rating it 7 out of 10 – which is good for my first try!
For the homemade paneer cheese
(Serves 2, takes 45 minutes, plus draining time)
- 8 cups milk
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 6 Tbsp. ghee or butter
Note: Ghee is a clarified butter which originated in ancient India. If you can’t make a trip to Bellerose Queens, to the many Indian supermarkets there, use regular butter. Next time I will double the cheese recipe. Believe it or not, 8 cups of milk didn’t produce much cheese.
For the spinach
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1-inch piece ginger, peeled
- ½ to 1 serrano chile, (any chille will do, amount based on spicy preference)
- 6 cups finely chopped spinach
- Kosher salt
- 6 Tbsp. yogurt
- ½ tsp. garam masala
- ¼ tsp. Cayenne
- Indian flatbread or rice, for serving
Notes: Be careful with the Kosher salt as each grain is more like a pebble, Out of everything, I ended up adding too much salt. Taste the mixture before serving and add more spices if you feel it needs it.
Instructions
Make the cheese: Line a colander with four layers of cheesecloth, draping it over the sides and set in the sink. In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, bring the milk to a boil, stirring often. Stir in the lemon juice, then lower the heat to medium-low and cook without stirring just until large curds form, about 30 seconds.
Remove from the heat and set aside without disturbing for two minutes, then pour the milk mixture into the colander. Gather the corners of cheesecloth and gently squeeze out some of the excess liquid. Tie the opposite corners of the cheesecloth together to make a sack and hang it from the faucet. Set aside at room temperature until the excess liquid has thoroughly drained, about 1½ hours. Transfer the sack to a plate. Glatten with your palm and place a heavy pot on top of the cheese. Set aside to compress for 30 minutes. Remove the pot and unwrap the cheese. Cut into 1-inch cubes. You can make the cheese in advance and store it in the fridge.
In a skillet, heat the ghee or butter over medium-low. Add the cheese and fry until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Set aside.
Make the spinach: In a blender, combine all the ingredients and ¼ cup water till it’s loosely chopped, or to puree (whatever your preference is). Butter the skillet and heat to medium-low. Add in the spinach mixture, cheese and yogurt. Cook on low for 15 minutes.
North Indian saag paneer is a soft and creamy spinach mixed with chunks of mild fried cheese. You can serve it with warm naan or rice. This is Indian comfort food at its best!
by Paula D.
on October 12, 2020 10:34 am in Food
Besides a few visits to see my mother on Long Island and an excursion to Pennsylvania to pick up a birdbath, this past weekend was the first time I left Rockaway since the start of the pandemic.
Matt and I went to Coney Island on Friday. I haven’t been in many years. Luna Park was closed and we couldn’t catch part of a Cyclones game but the vibe was fun and animated nonetheless. Nathan’s was open as were a few other restaurants and bars with outdoor dining.
We walked from West 12th Street to Seagate and back. Coney Island now is how I feel Rockaway used to be. Rough around the edges, dark but quirky – like old gritty New York. And I love that.
On Steeplechase Pier there were a bunch of people dancing and singing, surrounded by Puerto Rican flags. They were also playing percussion over the records! It sounded good. People were fishing. It seems to be a great place to throw out a line. The pier reaches 333 yards into the Lower Bay – the body of water surrounding the Coney Island Boardwalk (south of the Narrows).
Speaking of the boardwalk, we couldn’t help talking about the wooden chevron boards on our long walk. While it has charm and history, it’s in need of much repair. I did a trip a few times in my open toe sandals! We also saw a jogger completely eat it and fall face down on the boards. Also, it’s not conducive to biking. There were just a few brave cyclists trying to navigate the uneven path. It’s a shame because that would be a great stretch of 2.7-miles to ride on. The boardwalk was built in 1923 and has needed ongoing refurbishments. There was severe damage during Hurricane Sandy as you probably recall. It makes me think that our concrete boardwalk was 100 percent the right way to go.
After our walk, we sat at a table outside one bar. I got a vodka cranberry. We watched the colorful passersby. A tall Russian guy, whose name we later learned is DJ George, parked a stroller carrying a large speaker in it right where we were sitting. He started playing vintage disco music, dancing strangely, and announcing his moniker loudly, stopping only briefly to get a beer from the bar. It was hilarious and great entertainment.
The next day I was back in Brooklyn. I had a dog birthday party. Buffy turned 18! My friends Lori and Mike, Buffy’s caretakers had the party at Mission Dolores ( 249 4th Ave, Brooklyn,) in Park Slope. Beforehand though, I met my good friend from college, Cece and her husband Mansoor in Prospect Park. I figured I was in her neighborhood, so why not. The park is so lovely. My friends said essentially they used Prospect Park as a refuge throughout quarantine, picnicking and biking.
Buffy’s Party was in an outdoor courtyard so it felt “COVID safe”. We had a bunch of laughs, a bunch of wine, and really, really good pizza from Smiley’s (323 7th Ave, Brooklyn).
It was so refreshing to be out and about in Brooklyn after all this time. Using so many outdoor spaces reminded me of the importance of NYC Parks and greenspace in our city. I’m looking forward to exploring more of the city in the off-season and reporting back to you.
In the beginning of the gardening season Greenthumb NYC donated seedlings to the Beach 91st Street Community Garden vegetables and other plants. I grabbed a cucumber and okra plant. Two foods I’ve never grown before.
I almost forgot I planted the okra. And then a few weeks ago it became recognizable. It produced three pods. I was pretty excited about that. After all, I didn’t do much too care for it besides watering. While this plant may look like a legume, it’s not. Okra is related to the hibiscus plant and cotton plant. It’s a fruit. It’s origins are disputed but it is thought to be from West Africa, Ethiopia or South Asia. Today okra is cultivated in tropical and temperate regions around the world.
Okra is a favorite ingredient in southern cooking, partially Creole food. I remember having some delicious dishes when I visited New Orleans a few years back. With mine, I simply sauteed it on the stove top with olive oil, salt, pepper and cayenne. It was a tasty snack!
The cucumber plant was the big shocker. All season the plant produced very large cucumbers. As a garden geek, I couldn’t’ help document the sizes.The longest I grew was 11.5 inches! I will definitely be growing these again next season.
The identification tag was missing from the seedling plant when it was delivered by Greenthumb but I’m pretty sure I have slicing cucumbers. There are three main varieties of cucumber—slicing, pickling, and burpless/seedless. This is a creeping vine plant that needs to be trellised. They have spiraling tendrils. How do these specialized stems know to grab on? So fascinating.
I like making a tart cucumber salad with tomatoes, red vinegar and a half lemon. I add in a bit of shaved onions and season with salt, pepper and a healthy amount of oregano. Let it sit for at least an hour before you dig in.
In writing this column, I learned that okra and cucumbers are considered companion plants. The flowers of the okra attract pollinators. Cucumbers require pollination to fruit. Cucumbers release nutrients into the soil that are beneficial to okra. And okra deters cucumber beetles. I was surprised that my cucumber plant did so well because in past years, we’ve had problems with squash beetles. I know for next year to plant okra as well for what seems to be a guaranteed healthy crop.
For more on gardening follow me on IG for the day to day – @theglorifiedtomato
