Paneer & Spinach
Welcome to my Ayurveda & Yoga blog! I’m Evangeline and I’m an RMT and holistic health coach. I started my blog during covid to stay connected to my clients and share my love of cooking healthy, AYURVEDIC INSPIRED meals.
Ayurvedic cooking is a conscious approach to preparing and cooking tasty, nutritious, balanced meals using spices and herbs, and taking into consideration the external conditions- the season, time of day, and how you are feeling and the state of your health.
Paneer and spinach dish is a favourite in our household. Paneer is a nutritious soft cheese, and an easy to digest source of protein. Combine it with spinach or any other leafy green then you have a very nourishing meal. I have a client who had a sensitive tummy, and sensitive to dairy, and they found that paneer was gentle and easy on them.
Paneer is a soft, unripened cheese, native to India, made by boiling milk and adding some lime or lemon juice or vinegar to separate the milk solids from the liquid whey. I prefer using lime because it is more alkaline, than lemon. The more liquid whey is removed the more firm the paneer becomes; when softer and crumbly it is called chenna. Paneer is a unique protein food, as it can be added to different savoury dishes and also made into delicious desserts, like this cham cham recipe.
For this recipe the spinach is blended with some paneer, reminding me of when I would make puréed spinach for my kids when they were babies. This dish is a take on my Ayurvedic teacher, Vaidya Mishra’s Green Protein recipe with the greens and paneer blended all together which then protects the protein molecules from oxidizing, making the iron in this dish more bioavailable.
You’d be surprised that paneer only takes 20 minutes to make and my kids enjoy making it too. My eldest does the stove part and my little guy strains and presses the paneer! Clients who have made it, at first were hesitant, but they said they can’t believe how easy it was to make. It stays fresh in the fridge for up to 3-5 days, and is not a left over because it is a transformation process of separating milk curds from whey.
01. How To Make Paneer
Yield: 2 patties equal to about 210 grams which is about 28 grams protein
Prep time: 1 minute
Cook time: 15 minutes
Materials
Deep medium-large pot
Medium strainer or colander
Small strainer
Cheese cloth or two 12x12 inch square plain cloth
Ingredients
1.33 L / 5.5 cups *whole milk (In Canada this is 1 of 3 bags of milk from a 4L purchase)
2 - 3 Tbsps lime or lemon juice- about 1.5 limes or 1 lemon, dependent on its acidity
Instructions
Bring the milk to almost a boil, stirring occasionally.
Add the lime or lemon juice and stir until the milk curds separate from the whey-the liquid whey will be pale yellow.
Scoop out curds with a small strainer onto the cloth placed over a bigger strainer, and squeeze out any excess liquid whey. I find making a bolus shape helps squeeze out much of the liquid. You can run the bolus under cool water to take the heat off so it it’s not too hot in your hands when you squeeze out the whey. This whey is acidic, compared to the whey in yogurt, best to discard.
Unfold the cloth, scraping into the paneer ball any stuck curds on the inside of the cloth and squeeze out the whey again if you would the paneer more firm. Fold the cloth to flatten the paneer.
To make extra firm paneer place a heavy weight on top of the cloth covered paneer for 10 more minutes. I use our marble pizza board as the weight.
Refrigerate paneer and cover. Keeps for up to 5 days.
*Get the best quality milk from grass-fed cows, organic, whole milk, and unhomogenized if available.
02. Paneer & Spinach Recipe
Yield: Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
2 patties of paneer, one of them cubed
400 grams spinach or 1 ½ large bunches of stemmed spinach*
1 small zucchini, cut in 1-inch cubes
½ tsp each ground fennel
½ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp cumin
⅛ tsp turmeric
⅛ tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp ghee or olive oil
¼ tsp soma salt
¾ cup spring water + a bit more
1 thai green chili- optional
1 thumb size ginger root chopped- optional
* Sometimes I mash the stems of the spinach and keep its juice, full of vitamins and minerals and pour it over our meal. That’s the green liquid in the mortar in the photo above.
Heating spices like chilis and ginger are optional, particularly for kids who may not be accustomed to pungent spices. Garlic and onions are also pungent, and in SV Ayurveda, the Ayurvedic lineage of my teacher’s, they are recognized as medicinal food, and recommended to be consumed only periodically, as they have powerful antibacterial and antiviral properties, which fight viruses and bad bacteria, but they also damage the friendly bacteria in the gut. Modern research over the last few decades has demonstrated just how important our friendly bacteria or gut microbiome is for overall physical, mental and brain health.
Instructions
In a large skillet, toast the ground spices on low heat, until aroma is released, about 10-15 seconds, then add ghee or olive oil. Add thai green chili and ginger if desired and cook for another minute for the aroma to build.
Add zucchini, turn up heat to medium, and toss with the spices for a minute, then cover with a lid, and cook halfway through for a couple of minutes.
Add spinach and water and turn heat down to medium-low. Cover, and cook until the spinach wilts and turns bright green, about 3 minutes. Stir and add soma salt to taste. You want to keep the spinach a bright green colour to reap nutrient benefits.
Transfer into a blender of food processor with half the paneer, and blend on low for a minute. If you like it thinner, add a bit more water.
Serve immediately, and top with the rest of the paneer, cubed. To keep warm pour the spinach mixture back into pan, covered. Serve with steamed grains or basmati rice.
Enjoy!
References
National Institutes of Health, Vitamin C
Vaidya R. K. Mishra- Personal Notes from Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda Courses, Practicum, Conferences and Lectures 2003-2015