SPINACH AND CHEESE CURRY

Servings: 4
Ingredients:

1 1/2 lb Spinach, fresh                    1/2 t  Turmeric
1/2 lb Ricotta cheese,                   1/2 t  Red chile powder
-fresh (see note)                        -(cayenne; more to taste)
3 md Brown onions                        2    Cloves
Ginger, fresh                       1 pn Nutmeg
-(1 1/2 inches),                    1 pn Mace
-chopped fine                       1 T  Ghee (or use
1 md Tomato                                   -melted butter or oil)
1 1/2 t  Cumin seeds                              Salt (to taste)

Cook the spinach and chop it up. Cut the cheese into about 3/4-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. Servings: 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.
:
: peterm