Saag Paneer is on the list of the most popular Indian dishes globally. There are many variations of this dish but I like to make it simple with a smaller amount of spices just enough to let the original taste of the Spinach and Paneer shine.
When preparing this dish you can use fresh Spinach or a bag of frozen Spinach. Saag Paneer is best served with Indian flatbread (“roti”).
Ingredients
10 oz bag of Spinach leaves or 1 bunch Spinach
8 oz block of Paneer
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 cup Diced Red Onions
2 tsp Ginger-garlic Paste
1/2 cup Diced/Crushed/Pureed Tomatoes
1-2 Green Chillies (optional, add more if you would like it spicier)
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1/2 tsp Coriander Powder
1/2 tsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves (“Kasuri Methi”)
3/4 tsp Sea Salt (adjust to taste)
Yield: 4 servings
Preparation
Cut up the Paneer into 1 cm cubes and put aside. IMPORTANT: If the Paneer is tough, which can happen if you’re not using fresh-made Paneer, then soak the cubes in hot water for about 30 minutes to soften them.
Cooking
1. In a thick-bottomed non-stick pan, heat the oil on medium heat. Add the diced onions and fry until they turn turn light brown; about 6-8 minutes. TIP: Sprinkle some salt on the onions to speed up the browning.
2. Add the Ginger-garlic paste and the Green Chillies and fry until it turns light brown; about 1 minute.
3. Add the Tomatoes and the Coriander Powder and Salt and cook for 4-5 minutes until the tomatoes are mashed up indicating they are cooked.
4. Prepare the Spinach: Bring water to a boil in a pot and add the Spinach. Boil for a maximum of 1 minute; the Spinach leaves lose their moisture and become wilted and turn a bright green color. Drain the Spinach and coarsely blend it – it just needs 2-3 pulses in a blender. I use a hand blender for the convenience. TIP: Prepare the Spinach when you’re ready to add it to the pot. If you do prepare it in advance, then I recommend you dunk it in a ice water bath to stop the cooking; this will also help preserve the green color.
5. Add in the pureed Spinach and mix well to blend in the onion-tomato base.
6. Add the Garam Masala and Dried Fenugreek Leaves and mix them into the Spinach.
7. Add the Paneer cubes and mix, taking care to not break the Paneer.
8. Cook for about 4-5 minutes on low heat to allow the Paneer to soak in the flavors – Saag Paneer is ready to serve.
Enjoy and curry on!
- 10 oz bag of Spinach leaves or 1 bunch Spinach
- 8 oz block of Paneer
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 cup Diced Red Onions
- 2 tsp Ginger-garlic Paste
- ½ cup Diced/Crushed/Pureed Tomatoes
- 1-2 Green Chillies (optional, add more if you would like it spicier)
- ½ tsp Garam Masala
- ½ tsp Coriander Powder
- ½ tsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves ("Kasuri Methi")
- ¾ tsp Sea Salt (adjust to taste)
- Prepare the Paneer: Cut up the Paneer into 1 cm cubes and put aside. IMPORTANT: If you're using Paneer that is not fresh (store bought or refrigerated for a few days) then before cutting it up soak it in hot water for 30-45 minutes until it is soft. Drain out all the water and dry it up before cutting into cubes.
- Add the oil to a non-stick pan on medium heat. When the oil is hot add the diced onions. Fry the onions for about 8-10 minutes, they should be soft and starting to turn light brown.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste and the green chillies and fry until the raw aroma of the ginger diminishes.
- Add the tomatoes and the coriander powder and salt and cook for 4-5 minutes until the tomatoes are cooked.
- Prepare the Spinach: Bring water to a boil in a pot and add the Spinach. Boil for about 2 minutes until the Spinach is all wilted and drain the Spinach in a colander. You need to coarsely blend it and my preference is to use a Hand Blender for the convenience. Don't blend into a fine paste, just 2-3 pulses and you'll see the Spinach pureed with some larger pieces mixed in there.
- Add in the pureed Spinach and mix well to blend in the onion-tomato base.
- Add the garam masala and dried fenugreek leaves and mix them into the Spinach.
- Add the Paneer cubes and mix them into the Spinach taking care to not break the cubes.
- Cook for about 4-5 minutes on low heat so that the Paneer can soak in the flavors and delicious Saag Paneer is ready!
Janpriya says
The fenugreek leaves with spinach makes a flavorful recipe.
Avi Vijh says
Yep! Mustard greens with spinach are also a great combination…
Stephanie says
Can I substitute fesh ginger and garlic for ginger/garlic paste? And how much of each?
Are green chiles anaheim chillies?
Avi Vijh says
Yes. You can match the total quantity of ginger-garlic paste in the recipe with equal parts of ginger and garlic. The closest green chilly used in Indian recipes to that found in the US is Thai chili. The purpose of the chilly is to add a bit of heat and you can also use jalapeños or similar.