I went on a library book spree recently. I finally got some library cards for Orange County. Yes, cards, plural. Just two though. It's rather odd but Santa Ana's library is not a part of the Orange County Public Libraries, so I had to get a separate card.
It's been awhile since I've been in a library, sadly. I thoroughly enjoyed visiting the Mesa Verde branch. It's nothing fancy to look at, inside or out, but it feels just like a library should. It has this awesome little upstairs alcove in the middle of the library that looks down on the rest of the library. It's also slightly warmer up there, lending it all a very cozy feeling. I checked out multiple cookbooks, which is a wonderful alternative to subscribing to magazines (of which I will only use a few recipes) or buying cookbooks, I also got a couple of "fundamentals" cookbooks:
How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman and
The Elements of Cooking by Michael Ruhlman. I also discovered a cookbook by Lukas Volger, whom I had come across one day when I was food-blog crawling. The below recipes are adapted straight from his book; in fact they're almost exactly identical to his, I just made a few changes based on what I had on hand.
Making homemade paneer for the first time was great! Cheesemaking always sounded like some difficult and complicated thing, but it's surprisingly easy (although I'm sure it can be difficult and complicated in the case of some cheeses).
When I told my coworkers that I made my own cheese, and then they subsequently found out I also make my own vegetable broth and have saved food scraps for composting, they called me "domesticated" and "organic." I found that amusing, as I consider myself neither, just practical, frugal and adverse to waste.
Cashew and Cauliflower Curry with Homemade Paneer
Serves 4
Update: After eating this curry for a week, I got a bit sick of it. It ends up being too thick for my liking--I prefer a more soupy curry than stew-y curry. A leftover frozen portion was greatly improved by mixing with another leftover frozen portion of
paripu hodi (lentil curry) Some recommendations, then: add a 1/2 to 1 can of coconut milk in step 3, along with the broth. Don't simmer all the liquid away in step 4, but simmer until it is the consistency you like. Don't bring to a boil otherwise you'll curdle the coconut milk.
Honestly, this dish is best served alongside others, not as the main course. Eat it Sri Lankan style, with at least 3-4 other curries to keep it company on your plate. My ami (Sri Lankan host mother) was always apologetic when she couldn't put more than 3 curries on the table, which was funny because I would have been happy eating
paripu hodi with
pol roti for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Ingredients
2 medium white potatoes (8 oz, 230 g)
1 small cauliflower (1 lb, 450 g)
3 tbsp coconut oil (or neutral oil)
2 tsp curry powder
2 tsp black mustard seeds (optional)
5-10 curry leaves (optional)
1 bay leaf
1 large onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1.5 tsp turmeric
1/2 cup water, broth or whey
1.5 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp salt
4 tbsp plain, unsweetened yogurt
1/2 cup roasted, unsalted cashews
rice, for serving
paneer (Optional, but you can easily make paneer alongside this recipe without taking too much extra time if you have the ingredients. This is not really a paneer curry, but who doesn't like cheese!)
8 cups of milk (2% or whole)
2-4 tbsp lemon juice
cheesecloth, large mixing bowl (heat-resistant, preferably metal or glass), 2 large glass jars for leftover whey
Instructions
(P) Bring the 8 cups of milk to a boil. While waiting for it to boil, line the large mixing bowl with cheesecloth, and then proceed with prepping the vegetables for the curry.
1. Peel the potatoes (save peels for scrappy vegetable stock) and then cut into 1/4 inch cubes. Break cauliflower into small florets. Set aside potatoes and cauliflower (same bowl is ok). Mince the onion.
(P) As soon as the milk boils, remove from heat, and stir in 2 tbsp lemon juice. The curds should begin separating from the whey within a couple minutes. If not, add up to 2 more tbsp of lemon juice. Set aside while it separates and cools.
2. Heat the 3 tbsp of oil in a large, wide pot over medium heat. Add onion, 2 tsp curry powder, 1 bay leaf and (if using) 2 tsp mustard seeds and 5-10 curry leaves. Stir every now and then to keep from burning, but cook about 10-12 minutes until onions are deeply colored, almost burned.
(P) Pour the curds and whey into the large bowl lined with the cheesecloth. Pull the cheesecloth out of the liquid, squeezing (if it's not too hot) any excess liquid from the curds. Situate the cheesecloth somewhere so it can drip any excess liquid freely (e.g. place in a sieve that's over a bowl/measuring cup, or colander over a bowl--just make sure the cheesecloth isn't sitting in the liquid as it collects). Pour the liquid whey into the glass jars and set aside to cool.
3. Add the 3 cloves garlic and 2 tsp grated ginger, saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add cauliflower and potatoes, gently stirring just a few times to coat in the yellow spices. Add 1.5 tsp of turmeric and 1/2 cup of liquid (water, whey, broth). Cover and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
(P) Squeeze any more excess liquid from the curds, then shape curds (still in the cheesecloth) into a flat rectangle. Place on a clean, dry, flat surface (like a large cutting board), then place another cutting board on top and weigh it down with a few heavy items (e.g. cans, or fill the pot you used to boil the milk with water and place on top--good for soaking any dirty dishes thus far!)
4. Uncover the pot and let the liquid reduce until almost gone, 1-2 minutes. Test the cauliflower and potatoes for doneness; if necessary, add a little more liquid and cook longer.
5. Once the potatoes and cauliflower are tender, remove from heat and add the 1.5 tsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp salt, 4 tbsp yogurt and 1/2 cup of cashews. Stir gently until incorporated.
(P) Remove paneer from the cheesecloth. Cut into 1 inch cubes, then pan fry in ghee for a nice, crispy exterior. Add to top of curry and serve with rice or chapati.
Notes
* If you want to take the extra time to use whole spices instead of curry powder: Heat oil, then add 8 black peppercorns, 5 whole cloves, 3 smashed cardamom pods, 1 smashed cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf, 5-10 curry leaves, 1 dried chile pepper (or chili flakes, to taste), and let sizzle until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then add 2 tsp cumin seeds and 2 tsp black mustard seeds, let sizzle about 10 seconds, then add the onion. Continue with directions in step 2.
* Only fry the paneer you're going to eat. Freeze any unfried paneer, then fry right before you eat. Paneer will also keep for a few days in the refrigerator, stored in water (change water daily)
* The liquid whey leftover from the paneer is acidic whey. It can be used instead of water to make a rich vegetable broth or as a base instead of water in a soup. It can be added to soaking water for pulses or as a cooking liquid or pasta, rice, etc. Add it or use in place of other liquids in smoothies or shakes. Use it in place of water/milk in baked goods. Use it instead of milk for bechamel. It cannot be used to make ricotta or other whey-cheese because the milk was boiled before the acid was added.
Credit: Recipe for curry and paneer adapted from Vegetarian Entrees That Won't Leave You Hungry by Lukas Volger (p. 104-105, 2011).
