What's cooking this Friday? Vol. 8

Volume 8 finds us in late spring, when the produce is finally cooperating and the question is no longer what to cook to stay warm but what to cook to stay light — meals that are satisfying without being heavy, that taste of the season rather than against it.

The centerpiece is a palak paneer made with genuinely fresh spinach — the difference between fresh and frozen in this dish is significant enough to be worth the extra step. Blanch the spinach briefly, shock it in cold water to preserve the color, blend it with some aromatics. The sauce should be vivid green, not the muted army color that frozen spinach produces. The paneer, either store-bought or made at home if you're feeling ambitious, gets pan-fried in ghee until golden before being added.

Alongside: a simple cucumber and mint raita that doubles as a cooling contrast and a salad of sorts. Cucumber, yogurt, fresh mint, a pinch of roasted cumin, some chaat masala if you have it.

For rice: plain basmati, washed well, cooked in a ratio that produces separate grains rather than a mass. The palak paneer is rich enough to carry the meal; the rice doesn't need to compete.

If you want something for bread, a quick roomali roti — thin, soft, made with a little whole wheat — is far easier than it looks and makes the meal feel more complete.

Spring cooking is about restraint. Let the palak be its vivid green, let the raita be cold, let the rice be simple. The season is doing the work.