The Sun Never Sets on This Dish

For reasons that I cannot explain, I came home from the studio today longing for the unlikely combination of soda bread and saag paneer. While I have eaten saag paneer in Ireland, I have never in all my days paired it with soda bread. Saag paneer is an Indian dish, the name means "spinach with cheese".  The cheese in question is usually a fresh farm cheese.  I could have made the cheese and done it properly, but I had some shredded mozarella in the fridge.  As I stared into the depths of my fridge a plan evolved in my head.  It wasn't traditional, but then soda bread isn't traditionally eaten with saag paneer.  I would make creamed spinach with spices traditionally associated with saag paneer, as if I were an Irish soldier of the raj, retired to Sligo, longing for a taste of the subcontinent.

Okay, that's a stretch.  However it was delicious. And bright green.  Really really bright green.

I more or less followed the Joy of Cooking recipe for soda bread, except that I omitted the raisins and caraway seeds on the grounds that trans-British Empire dinner or no, I refused to contaminate my spinach with raisins.  I dumped some cheddar cheese into the batter instead.  If I'd had some chives, I would have added them too.

And now without further ado

Hiberno-Indian Saag Paneer 

All measurements approximate, possibly even more so than usual.  The only thing I measured was the milk.
1 generous tablespoon butter, olive oil, or other preferred culinary lubricant (I used bacon grease but the USDA would prefer I discourage that sort of behavior)
1/2 medium yellow onion minced fine-ish
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
An appropriate quantity of minced garlic from a jar -- I think I used a couple of teaspoons -- or a couple of cloves smashed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon powdered mustard (or a similar quantity of Grey Poupon)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg (or to taste -- my tastes regarding nutmeg are conservative)
1/2 a 10oz block of frozen spinach, thawed
1/3 cup butter milk
1/3 cup milk
a handful of mozzarella (one of my handfuls is around 1/2 cup)
salt, black pepper, and Sriracha or other chili sauce to taste

Heat the grease in a largish skillet over medium heat.

Add the onion.  Idly wander around putting things away for ten or fifteen minutes, stir whenever you wander by. I cleaned out the fridge.  I'm not sure that this was necessarily the best choice while I was cooking dinner, but I did not kill my appetite.

Add the flour and garlic.  Stir more intently for about five minutes.

Add the spices and the spinach.  Stir for a few minutes.

Add the milks, there will be some curdling.  Pay it no mind.  Bring it to a simmer, and simmer until thickened.

Turn off the heat, and add the cheese.  Taste and correct seasonings.  I realize that not everyone likes quantities of chili sauce in their saag paneer, but I do.

If you timed it right, the soda bread should be coming out of the oven about now.  Tear off a hunk and dip it in the paneer like it's fondue.  Oh so good.

If one wanted my opinion about suitable adult beverages I would suggest an IPA or a very dry white wine.

Sourdough redux

The thing about a stand mixer is that it makes bread easy.  I don't have the same connection with my dough, but I am more likely to make bread regularly, which is good when you have a sourdough starter that you need to keep active and perky.  Also the bread I made in the last post, really did live up to it's smell.

I've got another batch of sourdough sponge rising right now.  I'll roll out of bed and bake it tomorrow.