Saag Paneer Recipe

Saag Paneer

Eat homemade Indian food tonight with Aarti Sequeira’s Saag Paneer: Spinach with Indian Cheese recipe from Aarti Party on Food Network.

Prep: 0 10min0

Total: 0 1h20min0

Yield: 4 servings

Serving Size: 1 of 4 servings

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 of 4 servings, calories 884, Fat 63g, Saturated Fat 28g, Carbohydrate 44g, Fiber 8g, Sugar 29g, Protein 41g, Cholesterol 140mg, Sodium 1757mg

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

Instruction:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the turmeric, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons oil. Gently, drop in the cubes of paneer and gently toss, taking care not to break the cubes if you’re using the homemade kind. Let the cubes marinate while you get the rest of your ingredients together and prepped.
2. Thaw the spinach in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish, 5 minutes on high, then puree in a food processor until smooth. Alternatively, you can chop it up very finely with your knife.
3. Place a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, and add the paneer as the pan warms. In a couple of minutes give the pan a toss; each piece of paneer should be browned on one side. Fry another minute or so, and then remove the paneer from the pan onto a plate.
4. Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons oil to the pan. Add the onions, ginger, garlic and chile. Now here’s the important part: saute the mixture until it’s evenly toffee-coloured, which should take about 15 minutes. Don’t skip this step – this is the foundation of the dish! If you feel like the mixture is drying out and burning, add a couple of tablespoons of water.
5. Add the garam masala, coriander and cumin. If you haven’t already, sprinkle a little water to keep the spices from burning. Cook, stirring often, until the raw scent of the spices cook out, and it all smells a bit more melodious, 3 to 5 minutes.
6. Add the spinach and stir well, incorporating the spiced onion mixture into the spinach. Add a little salt and 1/2 cup of water, stir, and cook about 5 minutes with the lid off.
7. Turn the heat off. Add the yogurt, a little at a time to keep it from curdling. Once the yogurt is well mixed into the spinach, add the paneer. Turn the heat back on, cover and cook until everything is warmed through, about 5 minutes. Serve.
8. Line a large colander with a large double layer of cheesecloth, and set it in your sink.
9. In a large wide pot, bring the milk to a gentle boil over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid burning the bottom (a nonstick pot works really well for this purpose). This will take a little while so be patient!
10. Add the lemon juice and turn the heat down to low. Stirring gently, you should almost immediately see the curds (white milk solids) and whey (the greenish liquid) separate. Don’t fret, this is perfect!
11. Remove the pot from the heat and carefully pour the contents into the cheesecloth-lined colander. Gently rinse with cool water to get rid of the lemon flavor. At this point, you could squeeze out some of the liquid, and serve with some honey and some nuts, almost like a fresh ricotta!
12. Grab the ends of the cheesecloth and twist the ball of cheese to squeeze out the excess whey. Tie the cheesecloth to your kitchen faucet and allow the cheese to drain for about 5 minutes.
13. Twisting the ball to compact the cheese into a block, place it on a plate with the twisted part of the cheesecloth on the side (this will ensure your block of cheese is nice and smooth!) and set another plate on top. Weigh the second plate down with cans of beans or a heavy pot. Move to the refrigerator and let it sit about 20 minutes.
14. Combine the cinnamon sticks, cloves, green cardamom seeds, black cardamom seeds, if using into a spice grinder or coffee grinder and grind until fine. Store the spice mix in an airtight container away from direct sunlight.

Authentic Saag Paneer

Saag paneer is a popular vegetarian Indian dish made using spinach and other Indian leafy greens and paneer (Indian cottage cheese). The greens are ground into a paste, and seasoned with spices. Fried paneer is then added on top. Serve with naan and roti.

Prep: 15min

Total: 40min

Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe

Nutrition Facts: calories 160 calories, servingSize 1/6 of recipe

Ingredients:

• 21 oz (600 grams) fresh spinach (3 bunches)*
• 7 oz (200 grams) fenugreek leaves (known as methi)**
• 4 Tbsp ghee / clarified butter (oil or regular butter can also be used)
• 10 oz (300 grams) paneer (Indian cottage cheese)
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 6 garlic cloves, finely sliced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely sliced
• 2 green chilies, chopped into 3 pieces
• 2 small onions, finely chopped
• ¾ tsp red chili flakes
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ½ Tbsp lemon juice
• 4 Tbsp cream (optional)

Instruction:

1. Wash the spinach and fenugreek leaves thoroughly in running water. Drain.
2. Break or cut off the spinach stems and then roughly chop the leaves. Set them aside. Do the same with the fenugreek.
3. Put a large pot of salted water to boil. Once the water comes to a boil, add the spinach leaves, and cook for two minutes. Remove the spinach from the boiling water and immediately place it in a bowl of ice-cold water with ice cubes in it. (Alternately, place the spinach in a colander and run it under cold running water for a few minutes.) Do the same with the fenugreek leaves. This step is known as blanching and will ensure that the colors of the greens is maintained.
4. Drain and lightly squeeze out the excess water from the spinach and the fenugreek leaves. Place the spinach and fenugreek leaves in a blender along with a few tablespoons of water. Grind into a smooth paste. (The recipe up to this step can be done ahead, and the paste can be kept in the refrigerator for 2 days.)
5. Cut the paneer (Indian cottage cheese) into cubes, about one inch by half inch pieces. (For added crunch, dust the paneer with corn flour before frying.)
6. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium sized frying pan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cheese. Fry for about 45 seconds on each side, until the paneer is golden brown.
7. Remove the fried paneer from the oil and place on a paper towel. Set aside.
8. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cumin seeds, and fry for a minute until the cumin seeds start to splutter and release their aroma.
9. Add the sliced garlic and ginger and sauté till the garlic turns light golden and releases its aroma.
10. Add the green chilies followed by the chopped onions. Fry for 3 – 4 minutes until the onions are light golden. (Reduce the heat as needed as the skillet gets hot.)
11. Add the red chili flakes, turmeric and salt.
12. Fry the spices for a minute, and then add the spinach and fenugreek puree. Turn the heat to medium-low, as the puree has a habit of spluttering and that can get quite messy. Cook for a couple of minutes until the mixture comes to a light boil.
13. Turn heat to low, and add lemon juice, along with about 75% of the fried paneer. Stir through. Add cream (if using) at this stage.
14. Remove the saag paneer into a serving bowl. Garnish with the remaining paneer.
15. Serve hot with naan or roti.

Saag Paneer for Beginners – EASY and DELICIOUS!

FAQ

What is the difference between Palak Paneer and saag paneer?

Is paneer saag healthy?

What is saag paneer?

What is different about saag paneer?