Spiced Potatoes With Green Beans and Paneer

A recipe by Ray McVinnie and published in the Sunday magazine. When making the Paneer lemon juice is added to the boiling milk which coagulates the protein and makes the milk separate into curds and whey. The main tip is to make sure the milk is hot enough.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 4

Ingredients

• 1  liter milk, full cream
• 125  ml  cream
• 4  tablespoons lemon juice
• 4  tablespoons olive oil, extra virgin
• 4  tablespoons ginger, finely chopped
• 1⁄2 teaspoon nigella seeds
• 2  red chilies, finely chopped
• 1⁄2 preserved lemon, finely diced
• 1  onion, finely chopped
• 1  tablespoon cumin seed, toasted
• 1  teaspoon turmeric, ground
• 900  g potatoes, agria peeled and cut into 4cm chuncks
• 200  g green beans, halved
•  salt and pepper
•  lemon juice
• 3  tablespoons  sesame oil
• 1⁄2 cup  coriander, chopped

Directions

1. Firstly make the Paneer by bringing the milk and cream to boil. Make sure it foams up to the top of the saucepan as it needs to be very hot.
2. Take off the heat and add the lemon juice immediately. Mix well. The mixture will separate into curds and whey. Let stand for 5 minutes.
3. Gently pour into a sieve lined with a clean cotton cloth or muslin cloth and let drain until cold and solid, but not long enough for them to become dry and hard. It should have the consistency of ricotta.
4. Reserve the curd and discard the whey.
5. Now cook the potatoes and beans. Heat a large frying pan over a moderate heat and add the ginger, garlic, nigella seeds, chilli, preserved lemon, onion and cumin seeds.
6. Fry gently without browning for about 10 minutes or until the onion is soft.
7. Add the turmeric, mix well, then add the potatoes and mix again.
8. Add enough water to just cover the potatoes, bring to boil and boil gently for 10 minutes.
9. Add the beans, mix well without breaking up the potatoes.
10. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, the beans cooked but still slightly crisp and the water has almost evaporated.
11. Taste and season and add enough lemon the sharpen the flavour slightly.
12. Serve the potatoes with the Paneer crumbled on top, the sesame oil drizzled over it and everything sprinkled with coriander.