recipes: saag paneer and green herb tart
This recipe post is for melymbrosia, who ate gratifyingly large quantities of saag paneer when I made it while she was here for WisCon, and for brisingamen, who is trying to figure out more uses for chard and other greens.
saag paneer
Paneer is a firm, rather crumbly fresh Indian cheese that is available frozen (usually in 12 oz. blocks) in most Asian and Indian groceries. (If you can find it fresh, grab it, and then invite me over for dinner.) It can also be made at home, which I have done on several occasions; making it from scratch is not difficult, but is definitely time-consuming, so I tend to buy it frozen myself and therefore have not included a recipe for it (although I'm happy to provide it upon request).
Saag paneer is most often made with spinach, but in fact can be made with almost any greens. My favorite version involves lacinato kale and mustard greens, but I've made this dish with chard, collard greens, dandelion greens, and beet greens. It can also be made with frozen spinach, and for this reason I try to keep two packages of frozen spinach and one block of paneer in my freezer at all times, for those days when I have nothing fresh in the house to eat and am too lazy / tired / whatever to go to the store.
12 oz. paneer, defrosted
1-inch cube of ginger, peeled
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 fresh hot green chile (e.g. serrano), seeded
vegetable oil
1 1/2 lb greens (spinach, kale, chard, etc.), washed and chopped, OR 2 10 oz. packages of frozen spinach, defrosted and with the liquid pressed out
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
3 Tbs yogurt (lowfat okay, whole milk better)
If you have a blender or small food processor, process the ginger, garlic, and chile together with 2 Tbs water until you have a relatively smooth paste (it won't get completely smooth). If you don't have a blender or food processor, chop the ginger, garlic, and chile together as finely as possible.
Heat about 2 Tbs of oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. When hot, add the ginger/garlic/chile paste or mince to the oil and fry, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add the greens, salt, cayenne, and garam masala; stir well to mix everything up, cover, and cook over low heat for 8 - 10 minutes depending on the sturdiness of the greens (5 minutes if using previously-frozen spinach). Stir every 3 or 4 minutes; if the greens are sticking, add a tablespoon or two of water.
While the greens are cooking, cut the paneer into small cubes (it'll probably be crumbly; don't panic).
When the greens are cooked, add the paneer and the yogurt and stir to mix thoroughly; cover and simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve with naan or basmati rice.
green herb tart
Best made in a tart pan, of course, but before I acquired a tart pan I also made it in a 10" springform pan (the kind for cheesecake) and a 10" pie plate (which worked less well but still worked).
This tart is complicated enough that it's not really an everyday meal - but it does keep fairly well, so it can be made for just 2 or 3 people and eaten as leftovers for a day or two, and it makes a lovely dinner party treat. I like it preceded by a ginger-beet or roasted red pepper soup and followed by raspberry crepes, but that's me. Wine note: pinot gris (aka pinot grigio) and sauvignon blanc are particularly appropriate accompaniments to this tart - basically you want the description on the back of the bottle to say light/crisp rather than creamy/fruity. Viogner (if it's not too buttery) is also a really nice pairing.
for the pastry:
2 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
1 cup warm milk
1 egg at room temperature
1/4 tsp salt
3 cups (about 3/4 lb) flour, plus more as needed
6 Tbs soft butter
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the milk in a mixing bowl and let stand until bubbly (5 - 10 minutes). Stir in the egg and salt, then begin adding flour 1/2 cup at a time. After you've added 1 1/2 cups, beat in the butter, then continue adding flour until the dough pulls away from the edge of the bowl. If it's very humid, you may need up to 4 cups of flour. (Note: a stand mixer or food processor is ideal for making the dough up to this point.)
Turn the dough out onto the counter or a floured board and knead until shiny and smooth (3 - 5 minutes). Add more flour as needed to prevent sticking.
Transfer the dough to a lightly buttered bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let rise until doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to an hour.
for the filling:
12 - 16 cups greens (chard, spinach, beet), washed and chopped
2 Tbs butter
salt
pepper
2 oz. sorrel leaves, if available, or 2 Tbs lemon juice
2 bunches scallions (including greens), finely chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1 cup arugula or watercress, chopped, or an additional cup of other greens
2 Tbs basil, chopped
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk (lowfat okay)
1/2 cup soft goat cheese (or grated feta)
2 Tbs Parmesan, grated
1/8 tsp nutmeg, grated
While the dough rises, chop the greens and wash them well; leave some water clinging to the leaves. (Yes, it's a lot of greens; they cook down.) Melt the butter in a large skillet or pot over medium heat; add as much of the greens as will fit, sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt, and cook, turning the greens as they wilt, until there's room for all of them in the pan. If the pan gets dry, add a little water. Once the greens are all wilted, add the sorrel (or lemon juice), scallions, parsley, arugula, and basil; cook over medium heat until everything's tender, 5 - 7 minutes. Taste for salt and season with pepper.
Beat the ricotta, all but 2 Tbs of the beaten eggs, the milk, and the cheeses together until fairly smooth; stir into greens and add nutmeg.
When the dough has doubled in bulk, preheat the oven to 375°F. Divide the dough into two pieces. Roll one piece out no thicker than 1/8 inch and drape it over an 11-inch tart pan with a removable rim. Ease the dough into the edges of the pan without stretching, and trim the edge so it's a bit larger than the pan. Roll out the second piece of dough and cut out a circle the same size as the surface of the tart (I do this by setting the pan right on the dough and tracing round it with a knife). Add the filling to the crust. Place the remaining circle of dough on the filling, fold the edge of the crust over the edge of the top piece and crimp the edge all the way around.
At this point I usually roll out the bits of leftover dough, cut shapes with cookie cutters or a knife, and decorate the top of the tart; but of course this is entirely optional.
Brush the top of the tart with the reserved egg; bake for 35 minutes, or until the top crust is golden brown. Carefully remove the tart pan rim, then return the tart to the oven for 10 more minutes to brown and crisp the edges. Let cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a platter.
I like this tart best served warm, but it's also good at room temperature, and thus makes an impressive part of a buffet brunch (ah, the lost art of the buffet brunch...) or a knockout contribution to a potluck (as I know from personal experience).
A note on herbs: I once substituted dill for sorrel, with excellent results; I suspect this would work for most green summery herbs, including mint, although I confess I haven't tried it.
saag paneer
Paneer is a firm, rather crumbly fresh Indian cheese that is available frozen (usually in 12 oz. blocks) in most Asian and Indian groceries. (If you can find it fresh, grab it, and then invite me over for dinner.) It can also be made at home, which I have done on several occasions; making it from scratch is not difficult, but is definitely time-consuming, so I tend to buy it frozen myself and therefore have not included a recipe for it (although I'm happy to provide it upon request).
Saag paneer is most often made with spinach, but in fact can be made with almost any greens. My favorite version involves lacinato kale and mustard greens, but I've made this dish with chard, collard greens, dandelion greens, and beet greens. It can also be made with frozen spinach, and for this reason I try to keep two packages of frozen spinach and one block of paneer in my freezer at all times, for those days when I have nothing fresh in the house to eat and am too lazy / tired / whatever to go to the store.
12 oz. paneer, defrosted
1-inch cube of ginger, peeled
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 fresh hot green chile (e.g. serrano), seeded
vegetable oil
1 1/2 lb greens (spinach, kale, chard, etc.), washed and chopped, OR 2 10 oz. packages of frozen spinach, defrosted and with the liquid pressed out
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garam masala
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
3 Tbs yogurt (lowfat okay, whole milk better)
If you have a blender or small food processor, process the ginger, garlic, and chile together with 2 Tbs water until you have a relatively smooth paste (it won't get completely smooth). If you don't have a blender or food processor, chop the ginger, garlic, and chile together as finely as possible.
Heat about 2 Tbs of oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. When hot, add the ginger/garlic/chile paste or mince to the oil and fry, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add the greens, salt, cayenne, and garam masala; stir well to mix everything up, cover, and cook over low heat for 8 - 10 minutes depending on the sturdiness of the greens (5 minutes if using previously-frozen spinach). Stir every 3 or 4 minutes; if the greens are sticking, add a tablespoon or two of water.
While the greens are cooking, cut the paneer into small cubes (it'll probably be crumbly; don't panic).
When the greens are cooked, add the paneer and the yogurt and stir to mix thoroughly; cover and simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve with naan or basmati rice.
green herb tart
Best made in a tart pan, of course, but before I acquired a tart pan I also made it in a 10" springform pan (the kind for cheesecake) and a 10" pie plate (which worked less well but still worked).
This tart is complicated enough that it's not really an everyday meal - but it does keep fairly well, so it can be made for just 2 or 3 people and eaten as leftovers for a day or two, and it makes a lovely dinner party treat. I like it preceded by a ginger-beet or roasted red pepper soup and followed by raspberry crepes, but that's me. Wine note: pinot gris (aka pinot grigio) and sauvignon blanc are particularly appropriate accompaniments to this tart - basically you want the description on the back of the bottle to say light/crisp rather than creamy/fruity. Viogner (if it's not too buttery) is also a really nice pairing.
for the pastry:
2 tsp active dry yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
1 cup warm milk
1 egg at room temperature
1/4 tsp salt
3 cups (about 3/4 lb) flour, plus more as needed
6 Tbs soft butter
Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the milk in a mixing bowl and let stand until bubbly (5 - 10 minutes). Stir in the egg and salt, then begin adding flour 1/2 cup at a time. After you've added 1 1/2 cups, beat in the butter, then continue adding flour until the dough pulls away from the edge of the bowl. If it's very humid, you may need up to 4 cups of flour. (Note: a stand mixer or food processor is ideal for making the dough up to this point.)
Turn the dough out onto the counter or a floured board and knead until shiny and smooth (3 - 5 minutes). Add more flour as needed to prevent sticking.
Transfer the dough to a lightly buttered bowl, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let rise until doubled in bulk, 45 minutes to an hour.
for the filling:
12 - 16 cups greens (chard, spinach, beet), washed and chopped
2 Tbs butter
salt
pepper
2 oz. sorrel leaves, if available, or 2 Tbs lemon juice
2 bunches scallions (including greens), finely chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped
1 cup arugula or watercress, chopped, or an additional cup of other greens
2 Tbs basil, chopped
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk (lowfat okay)
1/2 cup soft goat cheese (or grated feta)
2 Tbs Parmesan, grated
1/8 tsp nutmeg, grated
While the dough rises, chop the greens and wash them well; leave some water clinging to the leaves. (Yes, it's a lot of greens; they cook down.) Melt the butter in a large skillet or pot over medium heat; add as much of the greens as will fit, sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt, and cook, turning the greens as they wilt, until there's room for all of them in the pan. If the pan gets dry, add a little water. Once the greens are all wilted, add the sorrel (or lemon juice), scallions, parsley, arugula, and basil; cook over medium heat until everything's tender, 5 - 7 minutes. Taste for salt and season with pepper.
Beat the ricotta, all but 2 Tbs of the beaten eggs, the milk, and the cheeses together until fairly smooth; stir into greens and add nutmeg.
When the dough has doubled in bulk, preheat the oven to 375°F. Divide the dough into two pieces. Roll one piece out no thicker than 1/8 inch and drape it over an 11-inch tart pan with a removable rim. Ease the dough into the edges of the pan without stretching, and trim the edge so it's a bit larger than the pan. Roll out the second piece of dough and cut out a circle the same size as the surface of the tart (I do this by setting the pan right on the dough and tracing round it with a knife). Add the filling to the crust. Place the remaining circle of dough on the filling, fold the edge of the crust over the edge of the top piece and crimp the edge all the way around.
At this point I usually roll out the bits of leftover dough, cut shapes with cookie cutters or a knife, and decorate the top of the tart; but of course this is entirely optional.
Brush the top of the tart with the reserved egg; bake for 35 minutes, or until the top crust is golden brown. Carefully remove the tart pan rim, then return the tart to the oven for 10 more minutes to brown and crisp the edges. Let cool for 10 minutes, then transfer to a platter.
I like this tart best served warm, but it's also good at room temperature, and thus makes an impressive part of a buffet brunch (ah, the lost art of the buffet brunch...) or a knockout contribution to a potluck (as I know from personal experience).
A note on herbs: I once substituted dill for sorrel, with excellent results; I suspect this would work for most green summery herbs, including mint, although I confess I haven't tried it.