Palak Paneer (Indian spinach with cheese)

This is my mom's recipe and one of my frequent requests when I go home to visit.  I only made a slight modification by adding a touch of cream to make it a bit more indulgent, but you can leave it out. 

Palak Paneer:
serves 8

2 packets frozen spinach

2 cups water

2 tablespoons besan or gram/chickpea flour

1 tbs vegetable oil

1/4 tsp cumin seeds

1 small onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp ginger, grated or minced

1 small green chile, minced

1 1/2 tsp garam masala

1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp turmeric

1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup paneer

Over medium high heat, boil spinach in 2 cups of water for 15 minutes.  Slowly mix in gram flour and return to a boil for 30 minutes.  Process in food processor for about 15 seconds until smooth.

In a large pot over medium heat, sautee cumin seeds in vegetable oil for a few minutes until slightly fragrant.  Add in onions and sautee until browned.  Add garlic, ginger, and chile and sautee for a few more minutes.  Add garam masala, salt, paprika, and turmeric and sautee for one minute.  Slowly add crushed tomatoes and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.  Return spinach to pot with tomato mixture, stir in heavy cream, and allow to simmer 10 minutes.  Add in paneer and simmer another 5 minutes.  Serve hot.

Paneer (homemade Indian cheese)

"More cheese please!"  Cheese makes everything tastier, and this homemade Indian cheese is easy to make and simple to add to curries or salads.  You can even add it to dishes as is, or batter and fry it.  I made a big batch, used half for palak paneer and froze the other half for a rainy day.

Paneer:
makes about 1 cup

half gallon whole milk
1/4 cup lemon juice

In a heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat, bring milk to a boil stirring often to prevent sticking.  When milk is at a full boil, slowly add lemon juice while stirring.  Milk will curdle.  Cook for another minute or two. 

Line a colander with cheese cloth.  Pour in milk mixture and then gently rinse milk curds with water to remove the lemon juice flavor.  Gather cheese cloth edges and press out remaining water.  Place gathered cheesecloth on a cutting board, top with a baking sheet and weigh down with either a filled teakettle or a heavy pot for one hour.  Remove cheese from cheesecloth and cut into cubes, crumble, or wrap in plastic wrap.