Delicious Palak Paneer with Shiitake Powder

If you use Shiitake powder, you can make a thick paneer cheese with regular milk as if you used extra thick milk. The Umami of spinach also becomes denser.


Remove any streaks in the spinach stalks. Omit hing powder (asafoetida) if not available.

The Umami of each food ingredient is enhanced to create a brilliant taste harmony without adding a Shiitake flavor. Artificial MSG generally adds a simple flat Umami taste to foods, while our Forest-grown Shiitake brings out the Natural Umami of each food ingredient.

Ingredients (4 servings)

  • 1-liter Milk
  • 1 tsp x 2 times Shiitake powder (wet with water before use)
  • 3 Tbsp Vinegar (apple cider vinegar, etc.)
  • 1 Tbsp Coriander powder - Spice A
  • 2/3 tsp Cumin powder - Spice A
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder - Spice A
  • 1/2 tsp Cardamom powder - Spice A
  • 1/4 tsp Chili pepper powder - Spice A
  • 1/4 tsp Pepper powder - Spice A
  • 1 tsp x 2 times Salt
  • 250 g Spinach
  • 2 Green chili pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
  • 30 g Butter or ghee
  • 1/2 tsp Whole cumin seeds
  • dash of Hing powder (asafoetida) (optional)
  • 1 1/2, 360g Onions, chopped
  • 12 g Garlic, minced
  • 12 g Ginger, minced
  • 180 ml Canned diced tomatoes
  • 1 Tejipatta (bay leaf)
  • 1/4 tsp Garam masala
  • 1/2 tsp White miso (dissolved in 1 Tbsp hot water)
  • 2.5 cm Ginger (cut into long thin strips)
  • to taste Lemon or lime, cut into wedges
  • 1 tsp Heavy cream (optional)

Steps

1
Add 1 tsp wet Shiitake powder to milk and heat until bubbly.
2
Add vinegar and stir with a wooden spatula for about 1 minute to curdle the milk. Spread a cloth (or paper towel) over a bowl and transfer the contents of the pot.
3
Squeeze out the water with the weight of the cloth (or paper towel) on a cutting board.
4
Drain off the water by placing a weight on it for 20 minutes; refrigerate for 30 minutes to harden and cut into dice.
5
In a saucepan, bring water and 1 tsp salt to a boil and add spinach. After 1 minute, remove the spinach, cool in ice water, and squeeze out water lightly.
6
Place spinach and green chilies in a blender, add 150 ml water, and pulse to a fine puree.
7
Place onion, garlic, and ginger in a food processor and finely chop.
8
Melt butter in a frying pan over low heat and saute whole cumin seeds and hing powder until fragrant.
9
Add onion, garlic, and ginger, and sauté until butter is coated throughout, then cover and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.
10
Mix spice A together.
11
After removing the spinach, put (9) and canned diced tomatoes in a blender and pulse until pureed. Put it into the pan.
12
Place shiitake powder, mixed spices, chili pepper powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf in a frying pan.
13
Cook thoroughly over medium heat, constantly mixing to prevent boiling, for about 5 minutes.
14
Add spinach puree, mix well and cook over low heat for 6 or 7 minutes until cooked through. Before turning off the heat, add miso paste and garam masala and mix well.
15
Add the cubed paneer cheese and turn off the heat in 30 seconds to 1 minute.
16
Remove from heat and pour over heavy cream, if desired. Top with cut into long thin strips of ginger and a squeeze of lemon or lime, if desired.

Point

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Forest-grown Shiitake in Miyazaki, Japan

原木栽培・無農薬 高千穂郷の干しいたけ