Yoghurts

Palak Paneer

Serves 4

For the paneer:

2.5L fresh milk (DY232) 2 tbsp lemon juice (497732) ½ tsp salt (490047)

Equipment:

Temperature probe Cheesecloth or muslin

For the spinach pureé:

250g spinach (HB595) 2 green chillies (VG879) 2 garlic cloves (VW733) 10g fresh ginger, chopped (VW764)

For the base sauce:

50ml sunflower oil (Ghee, if available) (OL319) ½ tsp cumin seeds (Y179) 1 medium onion, finely chopped (VW737) 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped (VW733) 1 large tomato, chopped (TM193) ¼ tap turmeric (493428) 2 red chillies, chopped (VW658) 10g garam masala (SP277) 60g yoghurt (YT437)

To garnish (optional):

1 red chilli, finely sliced (VW658) 1 tbsp yoghurt (YT437)

1. Put the milk in a saucepan and stir over medium heat until the temperature reads 93°C. Remove from the heat, add in the lemon juice and salt and mix around — it should start to curdle. Leave to stand for 10 minutes. 2. Place the cloth in a colander or strainer and pour in the paneer mix. Leave the liquid to drain off for a couple of minutes. 3. Gather the cloth together in your hands and squeeze out any excess liquid. Keeping the curds in the cheesecloth, place them on a flat surface with a heavy weight on top, then place in the fridge. 4. To make the spinach pureé, blanch the spinach in boiling water, refresh, and then drain. Blend with the green chillies, garlic and ginger to a smooth paste and reserve. 5. To make the base Palek paneer sauce, heat the oil in a pan, add in the cumin seeds and toast for one minute. Add in the onions and cook gently until golden brown. 6. Add the garlic and cook for a further two minutes, making sure the garlic doesn’t burn. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes until they start to soften. 7. Add the turmeric, red chillies and garam masala and cook for a further 3-4 minutes. 8. Add the spinach pureé and a little water, stir it all well together and season to taste. Then combine together until smooth using a hand blender. 9. After a couple of hours, or until well chilled, the cheese should be firm enough to dice into cubes. 10. Fry the cubes in a little clarified butter, or Ghee if available, until golden brown. Add the yoghurt and the paneer to the sauce, mix together on a gentle heat (don’t boil too high as the paneer will toughen up). 11. Place in bowls and garnish with sliced red chillies and a drizzle of yoghurt. 12. Serve with pilau rice and/or some whole wheat chapati bread.

DID YOU KNOW? 66% of consumers in Ireland visit a restaurant’s social media before making a booking.

Instagrammable dishes

How to create mouthwatering social content

Appearance is key when it comes to food – and you’ve a dish that looks exceptionally well, show it off. Sharing content on social media generates awareness for your business, prompts bookings, and encourages those who visit your establishment to do the same – especially if done right. Here’s how you can nail it every time...

Use natural light

Indirect natural light is your best friend when trying to take beautiful food photos. Aim to snap your pics beside a window but just out of the actual sun light.

Stick to neutral backgrounds

With food photography, it’s all about the food and a neutral background puts your dish into full focus. This doesn’t mean it has to be white, or black. You can experiment with bright colours.

Think about colour

Being aware of the colours within your food photos can have a massive effect on whether they look appetising or just plain boring. Use herbs and garnishes to add pops of colour on otherwise plain looking foods, colourful props can also give your photos a little bit of extra life. Just make sure the colours all work well together to avoid it all looking like a chaotic mess. Your colour choices should look intentional yet effortless.