[India]

I “didn’t like” Indian food for a good majority of my life. The quotations are there because I had only had it once when I was fourteen, and found the spices and unfamiliar look too intimidating. Everything changed when I went to an Indian restaurant in London last year with friends who knew what was what. They ordered dishes for me with a heat level that I could handle and showed me how to sweep up curry with naan. Though they claimed the food was mediocre at best, my mind was blown. The extent of my experiences with heavy spices was limited to cumin and chili powder, so my introduction to the aromatic and warm flavors of cardamom and garam masala was entirely new. My newfound appreciation for Indian spices only grew when I moved into an apartment a stone’s throw away from Namaste Flavors, which makes the best garlic naan I’ve ever had. This is where my boyfriend and I first had palak paneer.

Apparently learning nothing from my previous mind-blowing Indian restaurant experience, I was skeptical of it. Blended spinach screams “green smoothie” to me—a testament to how white I am—so I wasn’t eager to trade a bite of my beloved chicken tikka masala for the mystery dish. After some convincing, I was promptly schooled again. Palak paneer has the same warm heat from spices and chilis that I had grown to appreciate in my butter chicken and gobi 65. The paneer itself was the perfect vessel for the curry, acting as a blank canvas to soak in those flavors. It was enough for me to put palak paneer on the list. This dish was a two-day process: one to make paneer, and one to make palak paneer. The paneer recipe I used was from Dassana’s Veg Recipes and only required two ingredients. Paneer is made through heating whole milk and curdling it with an acid. I used lemon juice. I strained the paneer through cheesecloth, wrapped it into a disc shape, and put a pot of water on top of it to press out the excess liquid. It balanced on a plate that way overnight.

I used this recipe from the same website for my palak paneer. In the ingredient list, I saw a few things I was unfamiliar with. This was the first dish where I had to make key decisions to avoid breaking the bank on brand new spices without sacrificing the flavor. The palak puree stayed true to the recipe, as I used a cheap serrano pepper for spice. For the cooking ingredients, I clarified my butter, added a sprinkle of cinnamon and clove in place of a tej patta, and left out the asafoetida and kasuri methi leaves. As much as I wanted to use every component, I couldn’t justify purchasing whole containers for a pinch or two. Though I’m not exactly sure how those changes affected the authenticity, they certainly did not compromise the deliciousness. My most unfortunate decision was involuntary, as I forgot to add the inch of ginger to the blender with the palak puree. I added a good amount of ground ginger to the simmering curry later, hanging my head in shame. Fresh ginger is not only more flavorful, but more potent, so I used a heavy hand. I also followed the recipe’s recommendation and added some fresh ginger julienne as garnish.

As I ate, I recalled a line from Eat My Globe, a novel that helped to spark this idea in the first place. Simon Majumdaar, who spent a month traveling India in search of good food, thought “the term Indian food is nonsensical, like saying European food without acknowledging the difference between Finnish and Spanish.” A quick Google search told me that palak paneer is from the very north part of India. A little more Googling, and I learned that most of the Indian food that the Western world sees is from the north, featuring garam masala, fenugreek leaves, and chai to finish a meal. South Indian cooking aligns with Hinduism across the region, resulting in the majority of dishes being vegetarian. There is more emphasis on rice, lentils, and stews, which often use sambar powder and tamarind for sourness and spice. Interestingly, in 2018, out of the 400 Indian restaurants in New York City, only 50 of them offered anything from South India. This could be due to a variety of factors, such as Americans wanting non-vegetarian dishes or finding spicy South Indian cooking intolerable. I’m often guilty on both accounts. In the past few years, however, South Indian restaurants have been in higher demand, with foods like dosas causing a craze. Regardless of the reasons, I’d like to see more South Indian restaurants in the United States, and I’m thankful for the North Indian cuisine that I have experienced.