I decided it was time to do some refrigerator- and pantry-cleaning tonight, and the results came out surprisingly well. I’m not sure what one would call this — it’s not palak paneer, because of the potatoes, but it’s not aloo palak, because of the cheese. In any case, it’s easy, and it’s good.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
.25 teaspoons cumin
.25 teaspoons coriander
.25 teaspoons cardamom
.25 teaspoons black pepper
.25 teaspoons cinnamon
.25 teaspoons cloves
.25 teaspoons nutmeg
.25 teaspoons cayenne or chipotle powder
.5 teaspoons curry powder
.5 cup vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 large onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, diced
2 medium potatoes, cubed
8 ounces cottage cheese (or paneer, of course)
4 ounces fresh baby spinach leaves
Melt the butter over medium heat until it begins to bubble. (Land O’ Lakes really is the best, with the least milk solids of any brand I’ve used.) Mix all the spices together, thoroughly, with your fingers. Add half — only half — of the spices to the melted butter and brown them for about five to seven minutes. Add the onion and sauté for 4-5 minutes, until it starts to become translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes.
Pour in the vegetable broth and water, deglazing the pan, and add the other half of the spices. Add the potatoes and bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until potatoes are almost (but not quite) done.
Half-mash the potatoes with a wooden spoon or potato masher — leave some big chunks, because they’re going to cook a bit longer. Increase heat to medium and add cottage cheese and spinach. Stir and cook uncovered for another 6-8 minutes, until the texture is thick and the spinach is wilted.
Serve hot. And somebody tell me what I should call it.
how do you keep yourself to using .25 teaspoons of a spice?! i usually throw in somewhere between 2-4 tablespoons.
ha. and i aspire to a minimalist aesthetic!
Well, I didn’t actually measure, so maybe I misunderguesstimated — maybe more like .5 teaspoon? It’s also a pretty small recipe. . . But yeah, I have a bad habit of going overboard with the spices, too.
But the most egregious instance I’ve had of over-spicing was actually an honest mistake — I was making gazpacho and the recipe called for x teaspoons of cayenne and I misread it as x tablespoons.
That was some seriously spicy gazpacho.
that’s funny. still, i don’t think i’ve ever used a 1/2 teaspoon of anything, except in baking recipes. i really should try *following* a recipe some times, but i always want to mix it up for myself (like my writing, i think; Peter Elbow might be proud, and i dare imagine him approving).
i actually need to lay off the spices, so i’m limping along w/ my Lean Cuisine Southerwestern Chicken paninis (they are pretty good for microwave food!).
happy cooking!
oh, one more thing. *when* i actually cook, i usually make a lot, so we can eat it for a few days, so my recipes are rarely for one.
moving on . . .