PALAK PANEER

INGREDIENTS: 4 litres full cream milk 140ml white vinegar HERE'S HOW: Boil milk in a large pot and stir frequently to ensure the milk does not stick and burn. When the milk bubbles and rises, remove from the heat and pour in the vinegar. Carefully swirl the vinegar – do not stir. If the whey still looks milky, add more vinegar. Leave aside for a few minutes. The curd should float to the top and form a thick layer. Gently lift the curd with a slotted spoon and leave to drain in a sieve. Repeat until all the curd has been removed. Pour the whey into a strainer to remove any remaining curd. Press the curd down to remove excess moisture. Tip the curd into a muslin cloth and mould into a cake. Wrap tightly and place a weight on top – I use a large pot filled with water. Compress the paneer for an hour or two. Leave in the refrigerator to firm up and then slice into cubes.

PALAK PANEER: INGREDIENTS: 50ml sunflower oil 5ml cumin seeds 1 onion, finely chopped 5ml coarse salt 5ml crushed garlic 10ml red chilli powder 2 tomatoes, blanched and chopped 400g baby spinach 10ml ground coriander 5ml ground cumin 5ml ground garam masala 2ml turmeric 50ml fresh cream Paneer made with 2 litres milk HERE'S HOW: Heat oil in a pan and fry the cumin seeds until they begin to splutter. Add the finely chopped onion and coarse salt. Sauté the onion until golden brown in colour and slightly crisp around the edges. Add the crushed garlic and red chilli powder and stir for five seconds. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and the ground coriander, cumin, garam masala and turmeric. When the tomatoes soften, add the chopped baby spinach and leave to simmer until the leaves wilt. Remove from the heat and allow the spinach to cool slightly. Process the spinach in a liquidiser and process until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add a little boiling water. Pour the spinach sauce into a pot and reheat. Fry the paneer in a non-stick frying pan with a little sunflower oil. When the paneer is golden brown, remove from the frying pan and place in a bowl of boiling water. Place the cubed paneer into the sauce and simmer until warmed through. Pour in the fresh cream and simmer for a minute. YUDHIKA'S TIPS: Placing the fried paneer in boiling water keeps it soft and prevents it from drying out. Uncooked paneer can be used in this sauce – the paneer will be softer and needs to be handled more carefully to prevent it from breaking up. A tea towel can be used instead of a muslin cloth – use a nontowelling variety to prevent the fibres from getting into the paneer.