Spinach & cheese curry

4 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
1½ pounds Spinach, fresh
½ pounds Ricotta cheese, fresh (see note)
3 mediums Brown onions
Ginger, fresh (1 1/2 inches), chopped fine
1 medium Tomato
1½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
½ teaspoon Turmeric
½ teaspoon Red chile powder (cayenne; more to taste)
2 Cloves
1 pinch Nutmeg
1 pinch Mace
1 tablespoon Ghee (or use melted butter or oil)
Salt (to taste)

Directions

Cook the spinach and chop it up. Cut the cheese into about ¾-inch cubes and deep fry a few pieces at a time in oil (a wok is good for this).

Fry the chopped onions in the ghee. When almost brown, add the finely-chopped ginger. Use a medium to high heat. When the onions are golden, reduce the heat and add the skinned and chopped tomato, then the spices and salt. Cover for a few minutes, then add the spinach and salt. Cover and simmer about 5 minutes to let spices penetrate.

Add the cheese pieces, mix and serve.

NOTES:

* Indian vegetarian spinach and cheese curry -- This is a dish I learned from an Indian lady, at a cooking class. It's simple to make and has a beautifully subtle flavor. As per true curries, it uses raw spices instead of some prepackaged curry powder. Yield: Serves 4 to 6.

* We eat this dish as a meal with rice, although you can use it as one dish along with others.

* The quantities given for the spinach and cheese are very flexible.

I never measure or weigh them, just putting in what seems right.

Experiment. Similarly, it can be kept hot for a while with no loss in taste or texture.

* In North America, most Ricotta cheese is packed as a pot cheese.

This recipe calls for a more solid form of the cheese. Specialty ethnic markets in large cities will carry solid Ricotta. You can make your own by buying a tub of pot Ricotta and wrapping it in a clean cloth to wick the moisture out, leaving the whole assembly in the refrigerator for a week or so, and changing the cloth every day. With such treatment the cheese will gradually solidify enough that you can slice and fry it. Buffalo-milk Mozzarella is a fair substitute, and ordinary Mozzarella is a last-chance substitute.

* Don't fry the cheese too long. It should have a golden exterior and have a marshmallow texture inside. Frying too long makes it hard and dry.

* Use whole cumin seeds and cloves, not the ground variety.

* Like most curries, this reheats splendidly.

: Difficulty: easy to moderate.

: Time: 1 hour.

: Precision: Approximate measurement OK.

: Peter C. Maxwell,

: Department of Computer Science, : University of New South Wales, : Sydney, AUSTRALIA.

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