Indian Cheese with Peas

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to Jean Turner for this collection of food groaners:

Two hydrogen atoms walk into a bar. One says, "I've lost my electron."
The other says, "Are you sure?" The first replies, "Yes, I'm positive."

Two peanuts walk into a bar, and one was a salted.

A sandwich walks into a bar, and the bartender says, "Sorry, we don't
serve food in here."

A man walks into a bar with a slab of asphalt under his arm, and says,
"A beer, please, and one for the road."

Two cannibals are eating a clown. One says to the other, "Does this
taste funny to you?"

I went to see the butcher the other day and I bet him 50 bucks that he
couldn't reach the meat off the top shelf. He said, "No, the steaks are
too high."

What do you call a fish with no eyes? A fsh.

Two termites walk into a bar. One asks, "Is the bar tender here?"

And finally, I went to a seafood disco last week and pulled a mussel.

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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Pannir (sometimes spelled "paneer") is the ubiquitous fresh cheese
that is found on nearly every Indian table. It can be bought in any Indian
specialty shop, but it is so easy to make that I have included the
instructions here.

Indian Cheese with Peas (Mattar Pannir)

For the pannir:
2 quarts (2 L) milk
1/2 cup (125 ml) plain yogurt
2 Tbs (30 ml) fresh lemon juice

For the peas:
1/4 cup (60 ml) ghee
2 Tbs (30 ml) finely chopped fresh ginger
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup (250 ml) reserved whey from the pannir
1 Tbs (15 ml) garam masala
1 tsp (5 ml) ground coriander
1 tsp (5 ml) turmeric
1/4 tsp (1 ml) cayenne pepper, or to taste
2-3 tomatoes, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups (375 ml) fresh or frozen peas, thawed
1 tsp (5 ml) sugar
Chopped cilantro (coriander leaves) for garnish

To make the pannir, bring the milk to a boil in a saucepan over moderate
heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the yogurt and lemon juice - the
curds should form almost immediately. Pour the contents of the pot into
a sieve lined with several layers of cheesecloth (muslin) set over a large
bowl. Let drain until cool enough to handle, then wrap the cheesecloth
around the curds and wring to extract as much whey as possible. Reserve
1 cup of the whey for the recipe and discard the rest. Place the cheese,
still wrapped in the cheesecloth, on a baking sheet and place a heavy
skillet and several heavy cans or heavy pots on top (total weight should
be about 15 lbs, 6 Kg) and let rest at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours,
until the cheese is firm. Remove the cheesecloth and cut the cheese into
1/2-inch (1 cm) cubes.

Heat the ghee in a heavy skillet over moderate heat until very hot and
fry the cheese cubes in batches until golden brown on all sides. Transfer
the browned cheese cubes to a plate. Add the ginger and garlic to the
ghee remaining in the skillet and saute for 30 seconds. Add the onions
and saute, stirring frequently, until the onions are golden brown, about
10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring
occasionally. Reduce the heat to low and simmer partially covered for
10 minutes. Add the cheese cubes and simmer covered for 10 minutes.
Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Fri Sep 9 14:54:26 2005