Saag Paneer

Name: Saag Paneer
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon turmeric; 1/2 teaspoon cayenne; Kosher salt; 3 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 12 ounces paneer, (Indian cheese, either store-bought or made from my recipe, recipe follows), cut into 1-inch cubes, see Cook's Note*; 1 (16-ounce package) frozen chopped spinach; 1 medium white onion, finely chopped; 1 (1-inch thumb) ginger, peeled and minced (about 1 tablespoon); 4 cloves garlic, minced; 1 large green serrano chile, finely chopped (seeds removed if you don't like it spicy!); 1/2 teaspoon store-bought or homemade garam masala, recipe follows; 2 teaspoons ground coriander; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/2 cup plain yogurt, stirred until smooth; Cheesecloth; 8 cups whole milk; 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, plus more as needed, see Cook's Note*; 3 large cinnamon sticks (if you have the kind you get at Indian stores, it's about 3 tablespoons of cinnamon bark bits); 3 tablespoons whole cloves; 1/4 cup green cardamom pods, shelled, husks discarded (about 2 tablespoons of seeds); 4 large black cardamom pods, shelled, husks discarded (about 1 tablespoon of seeds), optional