Curry Palooza #10: Saag Paneer

The Curry-Palooza event my friend, Grapefruit, of the blog Needful Things, and I started with much enthusiasm last April, has flagged. 

I am determined, however to keep this event going. After much deliberation, we will re-launch the event in the spring with a different format and start with an exciting GIVE-AWAY! So stay tuned. 

Meanwhile, here is another curry dish I made.  Saag Paneer is one of the things I order when visiting Indian Restaurants. When I decided I wanted to make it, I started by Googling and kept getting directed to Palak Paneer. So I asked my Indian Food expert, Grapefruit, what is the difference between Saag Paneer and Palak Paneer because both recipes seemed the same to me. She told me Palak is spinach and Saag is mustard greens. 

When I shopped for greens for this dish, my regular grocery store had the most beautiful and amazing winter greens. I selected spinach, mustard greens, and turnip greens. The resulting dish was absolutely delicious! I looked at several recipes and this is what I came up with.

Saag Paneer

2 pounds fresh winter greens, thoroughly washed, chopped

12 ounces paneer, cut into cubes

3 medium tomatoes, chopped

2 tsp. chopped ginger

2 tsp. coriander powder

1 tsp. turmeric powder

1/4 - 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, to taste

1 Tbsp. oil plus more for frying the paneer

1 tsp. cumin seeds

Pinch of asafetida (hing)

1/2 tsp., to taste

1/2 cup cream, as needed

Blend tomatoes and ginger to make a puree. Stir in coriander, turmeric, and cayenne and set aside.

Pan fry the paneer cubes, in a little oil, until golden. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a wok. Add cumin seeds and asafetida. after the seeds crack, stir in the tomato puree mixture, and let it cook a few minutes to reduce and thicken.

Add the greens, and let it cook, covered, on low heat for about 10 minutes  Add cream and let it cook for another 5 minutes.

Gently fold in the paneer and add more cream, if necessary, for desired consistency. Cover and simmer for 4 - 5 minutes.

Prosciutto Parrano Portabella Pizza

I am always so tickled when my husband goes grocery shopping--especially when he shops at an incredible store like Harris Teeter. He always buys the most beautiful food.  These buying trips of his inspire me, especially when I am in a slump, food-wise.

Last night, he came home with some prosciutto, parrano cheese, two balls of pizza dough from the deli, portabella mushrooms, among other things.

I decided to work with the the whole wheat dough and froze the white pizza dough for another time. The dough was quite sticky so I kneaded it a bit on a lightly floured board. I then placed it in an oiled bowl, covered with a damp tea towel and let it rest/rise in a very warm place for about an hour. After that it was very easy to shape and press into a black iron skillet.

The Parrano cheese was new to us and it was delicious! It has a sharp taste like Parmesan but has a buttery, creamy texture much like Gouda.  It wasn't real melty, but I also included some fresh mozzarella, so that took care of the melty, stringy business.

I loved making this pizza and we really enjoyed eating it.

Prosciutto Parrano Portabella Pizza
1 lb. pizza dough
4 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
4 oz. Parrano cheese, grated
8 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, grated
2-3 large portabella mushrooms, sliced or chopped as desired
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
2 Roma tomatoes, peeled and diced
Fresh or dried oregano, to taste
Salt and red or black pepper, or both, to taste

Stretch and press pizza dough into a lightly oiled black iron skillet. Layer ingredients as desired. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes, until crust is done and cheese is bubbly.

Black-Eyed Pea Curry (Lobia Tariwaala)

 Curry-Palooza #9

When I saw this recipe, I knew it was the way I was going to make my traditional New Year Black-Eyed Peas this year. The recipe comes from a small cookbook I got for Christmas, which is part of the "Quick & Easy Indian" series, called Simply Vegetarian. 

I love the way this turned out and I'm so glad I made it. The beans are cooked in the pressure cooker along with spices. They turned out perfectly and tasted delicious even before finishing the recipe. 

The recipe calls for the spice, Asafoetida (hing), which I have never seen locally. Years ago, I could get it from the bulk spice jars at a Natural Foods store in another town. Some of the workers in the store would start griping and gagging about the strong aroma of this very pungent spice. In other words, many people think it stinks. I find the scent enticing and earthy and the flavor it imparts is reminiscent of onions and garlic. I order it from Savory Spice Shop. 

Black-Eyed Pea Curry

2 cups black-eyed peas

1 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. asafoetida (hing)

6 cups water

1/2 cup ghee (clarified butter)

1 cup chopped onions

2 tsp. chopped garlic

2 tsp. chopped ginger

Dried red chilies, to taste

1 cup finely diced tomatoes

2 tsp. red chili powder

2 tsp. cumin powder

2 tsp. coriander powder 

1 tsp. garam masala

Pick over the black-eyed peas and discard any stones, clumps of dirt, bad peas. Rinse thoroughly and place into pressure cooker along with the turmeric, salt, and asafoetida. Add 6 cups water, cover and bring to pressure, then cook for 20 minutes. 

Heat the ghee in a wok; add onions, garlic, ginger, and dried red chilies. Saute until light brown.

Add the tomatoes, coriander seeds, red chili powder, cumin powder, and coriander powder. Fry until the tomatoes turn soft.

Pour in the cooked black-eyed peas along with the cooking water. Add the garam masala, stir well and heat through.

Serve hot with Basmati rice or Naan bread.

Black-Eyed Peas for the New Year

Baby Eating Black-Eyed Peas 

 I would not consider starting a new year without eating some black-eyed peas for luck and so far, I have been a very lucky person.  


In the South, we also eat greens; in my family, we traditionally eat collards. The greens are for wealth and I feel extremely rich.


By luck and wealth, I don't mean I have won any lotteries or live in a mansion. Far from it. 


We live in a very modest home, which is warm and cozy. It is filled with books, laughter, harmony, family and friendship, doggie love, delicious and healthful food, peace, and gratitude. I feel perfectly content and extremely grateful.


Here are a few black-eyed pea recipes for consideration. Myself, I am taking a different direction this year. I'm going to make Curried Black-Eyed Peas (Lobia Tariwaala) and Saag Paneer---black-eyed peas and greens from another culture. I will be posting these recipes next weekend for my ongoing Curry-Palooza project.  

Crock Pot Black-Eyed Pea Soup

Hoppin' John

Texas Caviar

 HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Ginger Oatmeal Lace Cookies

These Oatmeal Lace Cookies are very delicate, tender, and crisp. The batter is a cinch to make on the stove top rather than the mixer, and they keep well for several days in an airtight container.  The crystallized ginger gives an unexpected, pleasant bite. 

If you love oatmeal cookies and are a fan of ginger, this is a cookie for you!

Ginger Oatmeal Lace Cookies

(adapted from Martha Stewart)

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter

3 cups uncooked old-fashioned rolled oats

1 1/2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

1 3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 Tbsp. finely minced crystallized ginger

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Let cool a bit and add oats, flour, salt, sugar, and vanilla. Stir well to combine, then add the eggs. Mix thoroughly and stir in the minced ginger.

Drop 1 Tbsp. of batter at a time on the parchment, leaving at least 3 inches between cookies. Flatten batter into a circle with the back of a spoon.  Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, rotating pans half way through baking, until just golden brown. Cool on pans for about 5 minutes. Carefully remove cookies from pan with a thin spatula and let cool completely on wire racks.