Saag Paneer

[totient]

This recipe is a work in progress and will likely change unannounced. Note that most small amounts are in *tablespoons* not teaspoons -- I make this recipe with the half-tablespoon measure, half filling it where a quarter tablespoon is called for.

In a heavy 4-5 quart saucepan or dutch oven, heat

1/2 gallon whole, non-UHT milk

to almost boiling. Add approximately

1/4 cup white vinegar

stopping when the milk begins to curdle. Stir until curds and whey are completely separated and strain through cheesecloth in a colander. Stir curds to let the whey escape, then gather the curds in the cheesecloth, squeeze, and press in a box press or under a heavy weight for at least an hour. Cut resulting cheese into 1/2" cubes.

Put up a pot of rice, and heat up a kettle to use where water is called for in the next few steps. In a saucepan, cook

1/2T cumin seeds in
a little bit of avocado oil, until they sizzle. Add

1-1/3c diced yellow onion
1/2 head garlic, crushed
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped fine
1T grated fresh ginger

Cook for another minute or two, then add

1/2T salt
1/4T turmeric
1T garam masala
1T coriander
1/4T paprika
1/2T ground cardamom seed
1T amchur (dried mango) powder (optional)
1/3c raw (unroasted) cashews
3/4c hot water
1T lemon juice
1T calamansi vinegar (or you can substitute a little more than 1T additional lemon juice if you don't have calamansi vinegar)

cover and cook for 5-7 minutes on medium heat. Add

8 oz chopped collard greens, stems on (this pretty much fills my 3 quart saucepan to the top). Or some other mix of dark greens; radish greens, chard, dandelion greens, various kinds of mustard greens, spinach, or even some kinds of choy work great. Malabar spinach does not work so well. If you use spinach, use grown-up spinach, not baby spinach. Pick fractions so that the overall level of flavor works out similarly to a collards/mustard greens mix.

Cook for 2 minutes to wilt (longer for a double batch), then add

8 oz chopped mustard greens, stems on

and cook for another 2 minutes. Turn off heat and blend with a stick blender, heaping sauce on the blender to keep it from splashing, until the pieces are about 1/4" long. Add cheese and

1/2T butter (optional)

and cook on medium for another minute or two. Add up to another

1/4c hot water

stirring until mixture will pour from a spoon, but not so much that the water separates from the curry.

Serve over rice.

Makes a little more than 2 pints.