Saag Paneer and yes i am begining to feel better thank you.

If you’ve wondered where I’ve disappeared to, for the past three weeks I’ve been undergoing radiation treatment for breast cancer. My cancer was diagnosed in December 2014, and since then its been surgery and surgery, then radiation and now hormonal therapy. I’m not going to complain because: I have had the best and most compassionate medical care and treatments available–amazing doctors and staff. My prognosis is good, and all told: I am very very lucky. Its gonna be OKAY!

But the thing about radiation is that it can make a person tired. Some sail through it, but for me its been a choppier ride. For whatever unpredictable reason I’ve been very very tired: like jetlag+being pregnant+staying up all night endlessly+being hit by a speeding SUV, then multiply it a couple of times. In other words, I do a little gardening, have a nap. I walk the dogs and sleep the rest of the day, sometimes into the next.

Despite the fact that no matter how tired I am, I always crawl out of my stupor to make a delicious meal, I haven’t been blogging. More than ever each meal has felt important, each ingredient has spoken to me, and the act of cooking, choosing foods, transforming foods, ie cooking, has mattered more than ever, giving GREAT JOY.

I’ve gotten lazy, however, about the snapping of pictures. And though i have been whipping up a string of simple, inventive, bright, and appealing dishes, when the cooking is done, I want to sit, appreciate each mouthful before I am too tired to raise a fork or even–at times–chew, not try to find a light good enough to snap a foto, or plate the dish appealinging.

But today I made this dish: sag paneer–spinach and fresh cheese–nspired by a recipe in Mridula Baljekar’s award winning cookbook Regional Cooking of India- it was sooo good, comfortingly and invigoratingly good–I gathered up enough energy to snap the photo. Having tweaked and twiddled the recipe until it fit the ingredients I had on hand, I knew I had to share it with you.

Saag Paneer
Serves 4
Saag refers to spinach: if you are ever in an Indian restaurant with me you will be that whatever saag dish: whether its ghosht (lamb), murgh (chicken), aloo (potatoes) is on the menu, thats what I will be ordering. The tender green leaves are just so wonderful combined with Indian spices from any of the regions, as well as nearly anything else. Here I’ve used paneer: the fresh Indian cheese made from coagulating milk to form curds then pressing them. You can even make them yourself though I find the ones at the shops to be fresh-tasting and lovely. Paneer is funny: it has little taste as it is: but brown it in a pan, then simmer it in sauce, it blossoms into chewy, buttery nuggets of….protein.

Also: my husband had been foraging by the sea and came home with a big bunch of sea kale: I used that for about half the spinach. You can use regular kale, though you should par-cook it before hand to make up for the difference in cooking times.

8-12 oz/225-300 g paneer, depending on the size of the packet it comes in
About 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, roughtly chopped
1 1/2-2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh ginger
4 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1-2 fresh not too hot chillies, either green or red
1 teaspoon cumin, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground coriander seed, or to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric, or more if desired
Several pinches chilli powder, if needed/desired/to taste
1 tin (12-14 oz/ 350-400 g) diced/chopped tomatoes including the juice
1 heapted tablespoon tamarind paste
12 oz/ 350 g/ about 3 cups volume, young spinach leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste, as needed
3-4 heaped tablespoons creme fraiche or greek yogurt
1/2 tsp garam masala

Cut the paneer into lengths, about 3/4 inch side/thick, we’re not being too precise her, then cut them crosswise so that you have bite sied pieces. I’m going to say to pat the pieces dry as they may be quite wet, but in fact I didn’t do this so I think they will dry on their own accord in the pan. But in theory you should pat them dry.

Heat the oil in a heavy wok/nonstick wok/nonstick frying pan and brown the paneer on both sides; you want them to be golden and light brown, unevenly. Remove from pan and remove pan from heat (keeping the oil in it).

Combine the onion, ginger, garlic and chillies in a blender (I used a hand-held blender on a stick) then when it forms a paste return the hot pan with the oil back onto the stove, on a medium-ish heat and cook, stir frying or just stirring as you fry, until the liquid evaporates and a thick paste forms. Halfway through add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, and chilli powder if using.

When the thick paste forms add the tomatoes and their juices, cook together a few minutes until they meld together, then stir in tamarind, mixing well to combine.

Now add the spinach and salt, stir and cook until the spinach wilts/cooks through, then add the creme fraiche or Greek yogurt, mix well over the heat to combine into a sauce, and sprinkle with garam masala. Serve!