A popular Indian dish, consisting mostly of homemade cheese and spinach. Serve with rice or a rice and pea pilau, and naan/pita bread or chapatis if you have them.
Paneer (the cheese):
48 – 64 oz milk
1/4 cup vinegar
Heat the milk to just short of boiling (when bubbles form around the edge of the pot): as it comes to boil, add the vinegar (lemon juice works as well, but it adds a lemony flavor that may not work for you). Turn off the heat, and let the milk separate: you should have a green-yellow liquid with fluffy white chunks floating around in it (whey and curds, respectively).
Once it’s separated, strain it through a cheesecloth in a colander or strainer: keep the whey if you have a use for it, but I never do. Fold the cheesecloth over the curds, put a plate over it, and add some weight (a jar or pan of water is fine). You want the curds to drain but not be pressed too hard. If you do it the day before, you can skip the weight and just hang the whole mess up over the sink to drain.
Open the cheesecloth, dice the paneer (not to small: 1 inch is fine), and put aside.
Saag (seasoned spinach):
2 10 oz boxes of frozen spinach or 1 lb fresh
1 tbsp olive oil
garam masala
salt
Cook the spinach if frozen: I just do it in the microwave. If you have fresh, just add it a medium-high pan and wilt it, then put it aside.
Add the oil to your skillet, and fry the cubed paneer until brown, then put aside. Season it with garam masala and salt.
Add the cooked spinach to your skillet, and heat it up for a minute or so, then add the paneer, and cook them together, covered for 5 minutes.
Uncover, stir it around, making sure everything is heated through, serve with rice or pilau.