Palak Paneer

Ingredients

• 1 quart whole full-fat milk
• 3-4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 pound spinach, rinsed
• 3 + tablespoons ghee or clarified butter
• 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
• 2 medium cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 thumb peeled ginger, grated
• Scant 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon fine grain salt
• 1 28- ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tablespoons garam masala
• To serve: basmati rice or paratha bread, toasted cashews, and/or micro greens

Directions

1. Pour the milk into a large pot and set it over medium heat. Warm it until it is just shy of simmering, then stir in the lemon juice and keep heating. You should see curds form; if the milk is reluctant, splash in a little more lemon juice as needed. Strain the mixture through a fine strainer or cheese cloth, squeeze out as much liquid as you can, and leave it to cool.
2. Fill another pot with water and put it over high heat. Once it boils, season it well with salt, then drop in the spinach for a very quick blanch, just 15-20 seconds. Drain it, rinse with cool water, and look for that bright green color. Puree the spinach in a blender or food processor, then put it aside.
3. While that is happening, cut the paneer into small pieces. Warm a generous splash of ghee or clarified butter in a frying pan over medium heat, then cook the cheese until it turns golden brown. Set the paneer aside.
4. Warm the remaining ghee in a heavy-bottomed pot, then cook the onions gently until they are golden. Stir in the mustard seeds and let them cook until they start popping. Lower the heat a bit, then add the garlic, ginger, chile flakes, cumin, coriander seeds, turmeric, and salt. Cook the spices until they smell fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes and let the mixture simmer for 10-20 minutes. Add the garam masala and the spinach, then cook for 10 minutes more. Serve with the paneer on top, along with cashews and micro greens, with rice or paratha alongside.