How to Make
Despite the rise of supermarkets and convenience foods, certain rituals and practices still give the day its rhythm in a traditional Indian kitchen. First thing in the morning, my aunt washes her legumes and soaks them for the daily evening dal. Occasionally she’ll take some to one side, place them in a thin layer of hot water, and leave them somewhere warm to germinate and sprout. During the day, she might make fresh paneer by boiling milk gently with lemon juice and straining the curds from the whey. They will then be bound and set in muslin and put under something heavy, like a brick, to squeeze out all the water, ahead of that evening’s meal. Last thing at night, fresh yogurt is made in my grandmother’s house. The milk is boiled, left to cool a little, and the temperature then judged with an experienced finger—it must be not so hot that it will kill the bacteria needed to make yogurt, and not so cold that they won’t be activated. The milk is then mixed with a spoonful of the previous…
