Paneer gnudi with spring saag and rainbow chard
- Prepare
- overnight
- Cook
- 10 to 30 mins
- Serve
- Serves 6
- Dietary
- Pregnancy-friendly
Step into spring with this fresh tasting paneer recipe, full of green veg and Indian flavours.
From Saturday Kitchen
Ingredients
For the paneer gnudi
For the saag
- 500g/1lb 2oz mixed baby spinach, nettles, wild garlic and sorrel (ideally 125g/4½oz each)
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1 small red onion, very finely chopped
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 5cm/2in piece fresh root ginger, peeled and finely grated
- 1–2 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 bird’s eye green chilli, finely chopped
- knob of butter
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the chard
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 1 red chilli, finely chopped
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 200g/7oz rainbow chard, chopped, including stalks
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
To garnish
- 2 preserved lemons, rind only, finely chopped
- 100g/3½oz pine nuts, toasted
- 50g/1¾oz Parmesan, grated
Method
To make the gnudi, bring the milk to the boil in a saucepan and then stir in the lemon juice. Remove from the heat and set aside for 10 minutes. It should have curdled and the curds and whey should separate.
Line a sieve with a muslin and set over a bowl. Pour in the curds and whey, catching the curds in the muslin and discarding the whey. Run cold water over the curds to wash off any excess whey. Gather in the muslin and squeeze out any liquid.
Knead the curds with the egg yolk, Parmesan, nutmeg and some black pepper in a bowl. Weigh out 10g portions of this paneer mixture and roll into little balls or barrels.
Cover a tray with half of the semolina, lay over the gnudi and then sprinkle over the remaining semolina. Chill in the fridge for 6 hours or overnight.
To make the saag, blanch the mixed leaves in a saucepan of boiling water for a few seconds or until wilted and then plunge into ice cold water. Drain and squeeze out any excess liquid. Blend in a food processor or blender until smooth.
Melt the ghee in a frying pan and fry the onion and cumin until golden-brown. Add the ginger, garlic and chilli and fry again until softened and aromatic. Fold in the blended greens. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the onions and spinach are well combined.
To make the chard, heat the oil in a frying pan over a gentle heat and fry the garlic, chilli and lemon zest until fragrant. Add the lemon juice and then fold in the chard and cook until just wilted. Season with salt and pepper.
To cook the gnudi, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the gnudi until they rise to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon to drain. Heat the ghee in a frying pan and fry the gnudi until golden-brown all over.
Spoon the saag into the base of warmed bowls, top with the chard, gnudi, preserved lemon, pine nuts and Parmesan.
