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saag paneer in a bowl with paneer, spinach palak, curry leaves, spices, cream and chilli. roti or naan.

Saag Paneer

Creamy, dreamy, and packed with spinachy goodness! 🥬🧀 Saag Paneer is the cosy bowl of comfort you’ve been craving.
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Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Calories: 540
Ingredients Method Video

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups spinach blanched chopped (for instructions on how to blanch see recipe)
  • 200 grams paneer
  • ½ cup fresh mint leaves chopped
  • 1 cup fresh coriander chopped
  • ½ cup spring onions finely chopped
  • ½ cup red onions finely chopped
  • ¼ cup ginger garlic paste
  • 2 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves
  • 2 tablespoons garam masala
  • 2 tablespoons tomato purée
  • 1 tablespoon black pepper powder
  • 1 tablespoon chopped green chilli
  • ½ lemon zest and juice
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar or honey
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ¼ cup cream
  • 1 tablespoon ghee
  • Salt to taste
For Tempering (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 8-10 curry leaves
  • 1 dried red chilli cut into 3-4 pieces
  • 2 tablespoons ghee

Method
 

To blanch the spinach
  1. Put the uncooked spinach leaves in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes until the colour darkens.
  2. Remove from the heat, strain and immediately submerge into a bowl of cold water (ice water preferred)
For the Curry
  1. Purée 3 cups blanched spinach, 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, 1 cup fresh coriander, 1 tablespoon chopped green chilli. To help it blend you can add 1-2 tablespoons of water.
  2. In a non stick pan on medium heat, add cubes of paneer and some cooking oil and lightly brown the paneer.
  3. In a fresh non-stick pan on medium heat, add 1 tablespoon ghee. Once hot add 1/2 cup each of chopped spring onions and red onions and 1/4 cup ginger garlic paste. Sauté for 30 seconds. Add in 1 tablespoons dried fenugreek leaves, 2 tablespoons tomato purée, 2 tablespoons garam masala, 1 tablespoon black pepper powder and 2 tablespoons brown sugar or honey.
  4. Sauté until the onions are translucent.
  5. Cook for another few minutes until the onions slightly caramelise.
  6. If you want a smooth finish, purée the onion mixture, but if you want a chunkier finish leave this as it is.
  7. In the same pan, turn the heat to low and add the spinach purée into the onion mix. Stir well for 2 minutes. Add in the browned paneer cubes and mix, stirring for another 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon fenugreek leaves, 2 tablespoons butter and the zest and juice from 1/2 lemon. Mix in for another 30 seconds.
  8. Turn off the heat and mix in 1/4 cup cream.
  9. Serve hot or leave for half an hour for the paneer to absorb all the flavours.
Optional Tempering Spices for finishing
  1. Two minutes before you’re ready to eat, in a small saucepan on high heat melt 2 tablespoons ghee, add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds.
  2. Once it starts to splutter add 8-10 curry leaves, 1 dried red chilli cut into 3-4 pieces.
  3. Once the curry leaves stop spluttering, swirl quickly for 5 seconds and immediately pour over the palak paneer curry.
  4. Serve and enjoy

Video